July 2020 - In an interview, Mr. Nikhil Seth, the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), discusses how education and learning can underpin a green economic recovery from COVID-19—as one that cuts CO2 emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and promotes sustainable economic activities to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

15 July 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) and Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed within the context of UNITAR’s Global Surgery Initiative and the development of the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF).

During the course, we talked often amongst the other participants of the ELPE. Before the ELPE, I didn’t think about SDG evaluation. Gradually, with my colleagues in the class we exchanged our knowledge and opinions. It was very effective to talk with the other colleagues from all over [the world]. We shared knowledge, and I was inspired, so I decided to start the SDG evaluation in Japan. They are also working on the SDG evaluation in their [respective] countries.

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a joint mechanism between five UN agencies, of which the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is one. Hosted and led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), PAGE aims to help Member States embark on a greener and more inclusive growth trajectory by putting sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On 14 July 2020, UNICEF, UNECA and UNITAR organized an online side event “Strengthening National Capacities for the World We Want – Embedding Evaluation in Voluntary National Reviews” during the virtual 2020 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The event aimed to explore and promote the use of evaluative thinking and evidence within Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Representatives from UNICEF, UNECA and UNITAR were joined by panelists from several African countries to share their experiences and the challenges and opportunities they have faced in their VNR and evaluation processes.

Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs) are effective tools for the collection and dissemination of data on emissions and transfers of a determined list of chemicals. The availability of this information can help policy-makers to identify the source of chemical pollution in the country to make informed decisions on how to best remediate degraded environments and enact policies related to the sound management of chemicals.

3 July 2020 - UNITAR-UNOSAT and the University of Copenhagen co-organized and delivered a 3-week Masters level course entitled “Geo-information in disaster situations” ending on 3 July 2020. The beneficiaries were University of Copenhagen students registered in the Master of Disaster Management programme. Instruction during the first week focused on introductory concepts and essential software applications as well as data analysis and cartographic modelling; it was delivered by the Geography Section of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management at the University of Copenhagen.

A record 53.6 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste was produced globally in 2019 — the weight of 350 cruise ships the size of the Queen Mary 2; $57 billion in gold and other components discarded — mostly dumped or burned.

30 June 2020, Geneva, Switzerland – The first phase of United Nations Institute for Training and Research's (UNITAR) Training Programmes on International Diplomatic Law for Honorary Consuls was successfully launched on Tuesday 30th June 2020.

29 June 2020, Geneva, Switzerland, The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - Division for People and Barbara Harrison Media Inc. (BHM) have joined forces to produce podcast episodes dedicated to cover a wide variety of topics that both entertain and educate young listeners on sustainable development related topics.