 | |
| Abbreviation | UNITAR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 11 December 1963; 61 years ago (1963-12-11) |
| Type | Research and training institute |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Geneva,Switzerland |
Head | Executive Director Nikhil Seth |
Parent organization | United Nations General Assembly United Nations Economic and Social Council |
| Website | www.unitar.org |
 Politics portal | |
TheUnited Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system. UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention toLeast Developed Countries (LDCs),Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable, including those in conflict situations.
The idea of a United Nations training and research institute was mentioned for the first time in a 1962 resolution of theUN General Assembly.[1] UNITAR was founded in 1963, following the recommendation of theUN Economic and Social Council to the General Assembly, which commissioned theUN Secretary-General with the establishment of a United Nations Institute for Training and Research as an autonomous body within theUN system.[2][3]
The creation of UNITAR coincided with the addition of 36 States since 1960, including 28 African States to theUnited Nations. That unprecedented wave ofdecolonization created a critical need for assistance, as many of the newly independent States lacked the capacity to train their young diplomats. Shaped by its first four Executive Directors[4] originally from newly independent African States, the Institute's vision of training was developed considering the very needs and priorities of recipient countries.
UNITAR commenced functioning in March 1965. The Institute originally had its headquarters based inNew York City. In 1993, UNITAR's headquarters were transferred toGeneva (Switzerland).
The Institute provides training and learning services to national and local government officials ofUN member states andcivil society representatives from around the world. UNITAR strives to respond to the growing demand fromUN member States, especially theLeast Developed Countries, for capacity development in the thematic areas of the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UNITAR helps governments to understandclimate change, chemicals andwaste management, andgreen economy. The institute also assists ministries of finance through its courses on public debt management, finance and trade, and it provides government officials with training inPeacekeeping and conflict prevention. Through the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), the Institute supports United Nations funds, programmes, specialized agencies and Member States with satellite imagery analysis over their respective territories, and provide training and capacity development in the use of geospatial information technologies.
Since 2003, UNITAR provides courses to support municipal and regional leaders dealing with complexpublic policies.
Another task of the institute is to organize knowledge sharing events for theUN Secretary-General, including the annual seminar forSpecial Representatives of the UN Secretary-General as well as strategic meetings for UN Departments. UNITAR also spearheads UN inter-agency initiatives such as the one UN Learning Platform onClimate Change or theGlobal Migration Group.
UNITAR's research activities are focusing onknowledge systems and their practical applications. They support the Institute'straining activities through the provision of learning environments adapted to respond to the needs of adult learners, thus facilitating the increase, efficiency and outreach of the Institute's capacity development activities.
Operated as an autonomous body within theUnited Nations system, UNITAR is headed by an Executive Director[5] and governed by a board of trustees.[6] The Executive Director and the members of the board of trustees are appointed by theUnited Nations Secretary-General.
UNITAR Executive Directors:
| Nikhil Seth | India | 2015–present |
| Sally Fegan-Wyles | Ireland | 2012–2015 |
| Carlos Lopes | Guinea-Bissau | 2007–2012 |
| Marcel André Boisard | Switzerland | 1992–2007 |
| Michel Doo-Kingué | Cameroon | 1983–1992 |
| Davidson Nicol | Sierra Leone | 1972–1982 |
| S.O. Adebo | Nigeria | 1969–1972 |
| Gabriel d’Arboussier | Senegal | 1965–1967 |
UNITAR is a project-based organization and does not receive any funds from the regular United Nations budget. The institute is financed entirely from voluntary contributions mainly fromUN Member States, otherUN agencies, international andIntergovernmental organization,NGOs and theprivate sector.
Headquarters are based inGeneva (Switzerland), complemented with three out posted offices inNew York City (US)Hiroshima (Japan), andBonn (Germany); two project offices inPort Harcourt (Nigeria), andJuba (South Sudan); and two UNITAR-UNOSAT Centres inBangkok (Thailand), andNairobi (Kenya).
UNITAR also delivers training through itsCIFAL Global Network (Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders) composed of 22 international, associated training centers. These CIFAL centers are located acrossAsia,Africa,Australia,Europe, theAmericas and theCaribbean.
UNITAR has training expertise inmultilateral diplomacy, conflict prevention andpeacemaking,peacekeeping,adaptation to climate change,green economy,environmental governance, chemicals andwaste management, local governance, as well aspublic finance and trade, and supporting coherence for the2030 Agenda amongst others. UNITAR also serves as a research centre for application ofsatellite imagery to humanitarian, conflict or disaster situations, throughUNOSAT, the United Nations Satellite Centre.
The work of the institute is organized under five pillars:
