28 September – 2 October 2020, New York, USA (Virtual) – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) continued its training series for the newly elected members of the Security Council. On October 2020, UNITAR successfully completed its five-day virtual training for the delegates from the Permanent Mission of Kenya. Kenya was elected as a member of the Security Council in June 2020 by the members of the General Assembly along with India, Norway, Ireland and Mexico. Kenya will serve a two-year term in the Security Council starting 1 January 2021.

5 October 2020, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR, in partnership with the Geneva-Tsinghua Initiative, the University of Geneva and the Tsinghua University, launch the SDG Innovation Bootcamps, a series of short programmes (online or hybrid) aimed at a new generation of impact entrepreneurs, willing to collectively act in order to identify, delineate and address outstanding challenges for the SDGs, through open innovation.

UNOSAT delivered the Advanced Training on Earth Observation (EO) and Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) for Climate Resilience in Fiji and Vanuatu. For this week-long training, delivered as part of the capacity development activities of the CommonSensing project, UNOSAT adopted a blended-type of delivery method.

The UNITAR New York Office delivered the first of a series of training programs for the delegations of incoming elected members of the Security Council.

1 October 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - UNITAR Division for People and Social Inclusion launched ‘Coming Up Next’, a new UNITAR learning podcast, on 1st October. Coming Up Next, in collaboration with the CIFAL Global Network, and the Global Challenges Forum Foundation, is part of the 1M2030 youth initiative. The learning podcast focuses on providing a platform to celebrate and further encourage global youth leadership in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

24 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The Partnership for Action on Green Economy has launched a series of global e-learning products that address key policy issues central to the green recovery debate. The six online courses are free, self-paced, and can act as an invaluable building block as countries plan their economic responses to COVID-19—serving to inform and shape the public policy debate around green economic reform.

September 2020 - UN CC:Learn is celebrating the issuance of its 100,000th certificate of course completion. It is a remarkable milestone in its mission to improve climate literacy around the world. But we do not want this achievement to be forgotten in a couple of weeks or months. We want the occasion to be remembered and to have lasting, meaningful impact. That is why we are issuing all UN CC:Learn alumni with the: 100,000 STORIES FOR CLIMATE ACTION CHALLENGE.

24 September, Geneva, Switzerland - UN CC:Learn has reached an important milestone: the issuance of 100,000 certificates of course completion from its e-learning platform. And to acknowledge this important accomplishment, an online event was hosted on 18 September. For one hour, people who are part of UN CC:Learn history engaged in discussions about the programme, its results, and its future.

24 September 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - On 24 September 2020, 50 participants took part in a four-hour webinar on the topic “Sustainable Development Goals in the Private Sector”, organized and implemented by UNITAR and the Global Institute of Excellence in Hong Kong.  In a short introduction, UNITAR’s executive director Nikil Seth explained how the Sustainable Development Goals and the private sector are ultimately connected and how the business sector has an immense influence on the impact of climate change and the ecological footprint. Especially now, in the midst of a global pandemic, Mr. Seth highlighted the urgent need to take action against the climate crisis and focus on water and energy efficiency, the protection of biodiversity, gender equality, sustainable infrastructures and much more.

11 September 2020, New York - UNITAR started the second day of training by debuting its new video on the process of drafting UN resolutions , and introduced its latest publication Guidelines for United Nations Resolutions - a great resource for preparing for the 75th UNGA. After the video, the head of UNITAR New York office, Mr. Marco Suazo, warmly welcomed the participants and introduced the first speaker of the day, Ms. Blanca Montejo, the Senior Political Affairs Officer of the Security Council Practices and Charter Research Branch from the Security Affairs Division (SCAD).