30 October - 1 November 2017, Cartagena, Colombia – UNITAR teamed up with the Governments of Colombia and Spain, ECLAC, UNDP and UNDESA to hold a Latin American learning conference on the holistic implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 30 October to 1 November 2017. The Conference for more than 70 participants featured strategic thinking sessions with the participation of several Ministers of Planning from the region and international and regional experts from the UN family, and a session with the private sector representatives. It also included knowledge sharing sessions with the presentation of good practices and discussion of challenges with the participation of more than 25 other international, regional and Colombian speakers and the showcasing of analytical tools for promoting more integrated decision-making.

13 - 17 August 2017, Manama, Bahrain – In cooperation with UNDP in Bahrain and UNIC in Manama, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) successfully implemented a workshop entitled “Effective Participation in the United Nations General Assembly” on 13-17 August in Manama. This training gathered delegates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain that are going to attend the 72nd General Assembly session in New York on 12 - 25 September 2017, as well as their respective colleagues who will support them from the capital.

The third cycle of the UNITAR South Sudan Fellowship Programme: Entrepreneurship and Leadership Youth Training began as 25 young South Sudanese professionals took part in the programme’s Orientation Workshop in Juba, South Sudan. The programme is a six-month capacity-building training for junior- to mid-career-level professionals that focuses on project management, leadership, and social entrepreneurship skills. This year, 25 Fellows and Coaches, including 11 women, from the public sector, private sector, academic institutions, media, and civil society organisations of South Sudan will take part in the programme.

11 July, New York, USA - UNITAR and UNDESA held a joint session on learning and data for the SDGs on 11 July on the sidelines of the HLPF, a dedicated annual mechanism for reviewing progress on the SDGs. The session composed of a panel of experts and a showcasing segment provided space for addressing challenges and opportunities related to the use of data for policy-making purposes beyond regular national and global reporting. As a result of the session, a number of capacity gaps had been identified and a series of new tools presented. Feedback received from a group of more than 30 participants will help inform the country-level and regional work of UNITAR and UNDESA in this area.

14 of July 2017 New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) co-organized an event alongside the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UN DESA) titled "Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement For Eradicating Poverty And Achieving the SDGs”. The event took place during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development, a week that focuses on a review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

22 March - 12 May 2017, Geneva, Switzerland – Following the successful launch last December, the joint UNITAR-UNDESA e-learning course on “Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement for the Implementation and Review of the 2030 Agenda” was rolled out for the second time in spring 2017. This new edition has helped to strengthen the capacities of 57 government officials to apply inclusive approaches, map key stakeholders and design national stakeholder engagement strategies as they « localize » the 2030 Agenda and prepare voluntary national reviews (VNRs). Since December 2016, a total of 22 countries presenting their VNRs in 2017 and 2018 have benefitted from the course.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) through its Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) and Radiant.Earth, have agreed to explore new Earth observation data innovations supporting humanitarian disaster management, global health, climate change, sustainable water management and cultural heritage. With Radiant.Earth’s capacity in combining the best in discovery and dissemination with the latest trends in image processing, and UNOSAT’s experience in satellite imagery analysis and capacity development, the two entities will collaborate to make data and solutions widely available to the global development community for overall support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) Hiroshima Office and the Embassy of Japan in South Sudan launched the 3rd Cycle of UNITAR South Sudan Fellowship Programme. Focusing on project management, leadership and entrepreneurship skills, the six-month capacity-building training programme offers scholarship to 25 South Sudanese Fellows and coaches from public sector, private sector, academic institutions, and civil society organisations.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has agreed to an unprecedented partnership with the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND), which will be concluded today as part of the Fifth AGFUND Development Forum. Both organizations, represented by Mr. Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, and by Mr. Nasser B. Al-Kahtani, Executive Director of the AGFUND, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding based on mutual trust and in spirit of cooperation. The official signing will be the preamble of the “Symposium on the Role of Financial Inclusion in Achieving the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development”, organized by the AGFUND and taking place today at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva.

“We need to find different ways of talking to each other about climate change, rather than leaving this to formal education, and the best way to do this is to start young.”