9 November 2023, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Hiroshima Office welcomes Ms. Chisa Mikami as the new head of the office, effective 8 November 2023. Ms. Mikami has extensive experience working in developing countries through her career with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and brings to the Office her knowledge of the countries that the Hiroshima Office works with.

8 November 2023, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Global Surgery Foundation launched version 2.0 of the Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) Hub.

6 November 2023, Geneva, Switzerland - To mark UNITAR's 60th anniversary, a gala concert entitled “Music from all corners of the world for peace and our planet” will take place on Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 19:30, at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève. This gala concert pays tribute to our commitment to empower individuals and organizations to create positive change for peace and sustainability.


6 November 2023, Hiroshima, Japan – In September 2023, UNITAR Division for Prosperity signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a well-known organization in the IT industry, Kyiv IT Cluster. The organization will support Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland through collaboration in the UNITAR training programme “Bolstering livelihoods: Digital reskilling for Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland”. The programme will train over 500 Ukrainian women in high-demand digital skills so they can enhance their livelihoods. This is the first UNITAR Division for Prosperity programme to support the evacuees of Ukraine.

November 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu – The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) joined hands with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to extend the delivery of technical training in geospatial information technology at the subnational level in Vanuatu. These trainings had been designed for the PWD engineers, specifically focusing on the use of GIT and road network digitisation in Vanuatu. The first training for Shefa was conducted in May 2023, followed by the trainings in Torba and Sanma in August. Trainings in Tafea and Penama provinces were completed in September and October 2023, respectively.

31 October 2023, Hiroshima, Japan - In September 2023, UNITAR signed a memorandum of understanding with the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Ukraine to support Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland through a UNITAR digital reskilling training programme. Kyiv Mohyla Academy, whose faculty of computer sciences is well-known for its outstanding programmes in cybersecurity, will contribute its technical expertise to the UNITAR digital reskilling programme.

26 October 2023, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR’s Division for Prosperity launched its training programme “Bolstering livelihoods: Digital reskilling for Ukrainian women evacuees in Poland“ on 16 October 2023 at an event in Warsaw. Guests included government officials, programme partners, academic institutions, and NGOs, as well as several participants of the new training programme.

26 October 2023, Hiroshima, Japan - Susan Wanjiru is a self-professed “people person” who loves meeting new people. Brimming with ideas, a passion for promoting women’s leadership and empowerment and a drive to be in command of her life, Susan was perfectly matched to become an entrepreneur.

26 October 2023, Hiroshima- Early one summer morning in 2003, Dr. Nassrine Azimi went up to the rooftop of the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry building with a colleague and the building security guard. It was opening day for the new UNITAR Hiroshima Office and they were there at dawn to hoist the UN flag.
As they looked over to the neighbouring Peace Park, the guard said, “This is where my mother and my grandmother are sleeping.”
It took Nassrine a moment to understand: he meant they had died in the atomic bombing.
“From then on, this became sacred ground for me. I realized, oh my goodness, the Peace Park is really special. And the Peace Park has continued to be something special for all of us, and indeed for UNITAR’s training programmes. It has instilled a kind of gravity, both caution and hope.”

26 October 2023, Hiroshima, Japan - What do potential entrepreneurs in developing countries need to become future leaders? Dr. Clare Gately, professor of entrepreneurship and innovation and UNITAR resource person, believes it’s more than technical knowledge and skills. Future entrepreneurs also need the right mindset and a strong support structure.