United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and support country-level action for shaping a better future.

UNITAR was created in 1963 to train and equip young diplomats from newly-independent UN Member States with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the diplomatic environment.

Over the years, UNITAR has acquired unique expertise and experience in designing and delivering a variety of training activities. We have become a leading institute in the provision of customized and creative learning solutions to institutions and individuals from both public and private sectors.

With a strategy fully focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNITAR supports Governments to implement the 2030 Agenda.

We launched a new four-year strategic framework, covering 2018-2021, which is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and uses the Sustainable Development Goals as the guiding principle for our work with the strategic objectives organized around four out of five thematic pillars of the 2030 Agenda (Peace, People, Planet and Prosperity).

In addition to the four thematic pillars, the cross-cutting nature of our work on strengthening multilateral diplomacy, promoting the 2030 Agenda, and delivering applied research solutions through technology and data (UNOSAT) contributes to delivering our products and services in all pillars.

UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable, including those in conflict situations.

In 2017, UNITAR delivered 497 individual activities, including training, learning and knowledge sharing events, benefiting more than 56,000 participants – about 85% of whom were from developing countries including Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Seventy-one per cent of the Institute’s activities are delivered face-to-face, whilst twenty-seven per cent are delivered via UNITAR’s e-Learning platform.  Most of UNITAR’s face-to-face activities take place at the country level, whilst some are conducted from UNITAR’s Headquarters in Geneva, as well as through its Offices in New York and Hiroshima.

UNITAR is governed by a Board of Trustees and is headed by an Executive Director.

The Institute is a project-based organization and does not receive any funds from the regular United Nations budget.  UNITAR is financed entirely from voluntary contributions derived mainly from UN Member States, other UN agencies, international and intergovernmental organizations, foundations NGOs and the private sector.

We work in the spirit of leaving no one behind and we strive to reach the furthest first. To achieve this, our training plan depends also on donor support. We appeal to donor countries and other donor entities to help us so we can design and deliver high-quality training especially to countries in special situations.