25 - 27 February, New York, USA - UNITAR coordinated the Core Diplomatic Training for the Bureau of the G77 Permanent Mission of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations which began Tuesday 25 February 2020 and concluded Thursday 27 February. The Guyana mission is preparing for the upcoming chairmanship of the G77. To begin, the participants and facilitators were welcomed by Mr. Neil Pierre, Chief of the Strategic Engagement and Policy Integration Branch in the Financing for Sustainable Development Office. He then invited Ambassador Marco Suazo, head of the UNITAR New York office, to deliver remarks. Ambassador Suazo outlined the structure of the training and encouraged active participation and interaction among the participants. The participants then introduced themselves to their colleagues and upon conclusion, H.E. Dr. David O’Connor, Permanent Observer of IUCN to the United Nations began his briefing on the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.

After the recent easing of COVID-19-related restrictions in Switzerland, UNITAR is delighted to offer a five-day training programme in Geneva specifically designed for the high school and university students. It will offer participants the chance to gain first-hand experience of the United Nations and will provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to fully unfold their potential as global leaders.

13 February 2020, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office welcomed the fourth class of its UNITAR Global Diplomacy Initiative (UGDI), a program dedicated to providing a unique, intimate training experience targeted at students in higher education who study politics, international relations, urban affairs, or related fields. This year’s participants come from diverse backgrounds and represent academia and professional fields. In the UGDI, they will learn from the connections and experience of UN delegates and academics alike.

10 February 2020, New York, USA – This year, UNITAR Office in New York, the Permanent Mission of Switzerland, and the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA) will present 5-module “Realizing the Future We Want – Training series in preparation for the General Assembly’s 2020 quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR) of the operational activities for development of the United Nations system” from March to September 2020.

5-7 February 2020, New York, U.S.A – The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office, organized Women in International Security and Cyberspace Fellowship sponsored by the Australian Government. This three day training was hosted in the United Nations Headquarters in Conference Room E.

4-6 February 2020, Stirling, United Kingdom – For three days, 26 Masters in Diplomacy and Human Rights students from the University of Stirling welcomed five UNITAR staff members, including the director of the Multilateral Diplomacy Division, Mr. Rabih Haddad, who provided their extensive knowledge on a range of issues related to the architecture of Human Rights institutions within the UN system, as well as the UN mission and hiring mechanism.

16-17 December 2019, Nairobi, Kenya – A group of 26 officials from various ministries engaged in a two-day UNITAR training workshop with the aim of improving their skills and knowledge in the field of maritime law and international dispute settlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).  

30 – 31 January, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s (UNITAR) New York Office kicked off the last of a series of workshops with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Niger to the United Nations. Niger constitutes one of the newly elected members of the Security Council for the 2020-2021 period: Tunisia, Niger, Vietnam, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Estonia. This training was made possible through the support from the Swedish International Development Agency’s (Sida) towards the UNITAR Strategic Framework Fund (SFF) and was held from the 30th – 31st of January 2020 at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Niger to the United Nations

It’s like a first-hand experience. Some of the diplomats really played important roles in negotiating UN conflict resolutions and the SDGs. They shared their own stories of both their personal and professional lives.

Suddenly, the UN international dialogue was something that I was talking about with people, and they were keen to be involved, to support, and to learn more about it.