Results Report 2024

Image of Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNITAR Executive Director

A Message From the Executive Director

I am pleased to introduce the 2024 Results Report for UNITAR. This report highlights the Institute’s key achievements over the past year and reflects its continued commitment to building capacities, strengthening institutions and supporting countries in addressing global challenges.

Michelle Gyles-McDonnough

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General

UNITAR Executive Director

Core Results

UNITAR continued its leadership in delivering accessible, high-impact learning and related services to support achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, with 559,083 individuals reached in 2024, a 3% increase from the previous year.

68% of UNITAR’s participants engaged in structured activities with defined learning outcomes, and 32% took part in broader knowledge sharing formats, such as conferences, public lectures and expert forums.

Learners by Thematic Area

Learners by Country Status

These results underscore UNITAR’s commitment to inclusive, impactful learning that supports global capacity development and contributes meaningfully to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals

Participants in an advanced training session of West African Security forces

Certification, Learner Feedback and Application

UNITAR issued 139,211 certificates of participation and completion for 2024 learning-related events which have objective assessment of learning.

93% of learners said training was job relevant

79% of alumni had successfully applied learning in their life

94% of learners found the training overall usefull

93% of learners intend to apply knowledge gained

Participant receives certificate for his Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Health, with Empower School of Health x UNITAR.

Participants during the Women’s Leadership for Peace Programme.

Programme participants with Thai Diplomat Manchulika Wongchai learning about nuclear disarmament.

Partnerships

In 2024, 94% of UNITAR’s 559,083 learners were trained through structured learning activities delivered in partnership.

Flagship partnerships, such as the One UN CC:Learn (36 multilateral organizations), the Partnership for Action on Green Economy, and the CIFAL Global Network, were pivotal in delivering inclusive, high-quality learning experiences worldwide, reinforcing UNITAR’s commitment to integrated, results oriented programming.

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94% of learners were trained through activities delivered in partnership

Global Reach

In 2024, UNITAR delivered a total of 1,442 learning events, 52% of these events were conducted through face-to-face or blended residential formats, with 89 % delivered in the field, i.e., outside Geneva, where UNITAR maintains its Headquarters, or its office locations in New York, Hiroshima or Bonn.

Capacity Development Project Locations

UNITAR delivered learning and capacity development projects in 96 countries, with many projects having a global or regional focus.9 The countries with the highest concentration of active projects included Benin, Malaysia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and Tanzania.

Media Engagement

UNITAR increased visibility of its work across a broad spectrum of local and international media outlets. Coverage by nearly 1,900 media outlets amplified the Institute’s global visibility, impact and relevance in communities worldwide, reinforcing its commitment to knowledge-sharing and evidence-based action.

The Global E-Waste Monitor 2024, lead-authored by UNITAR’s SCYCLE Programme, gained global attention establishing UNITAR as a key resource for comprehensive analysis of global e-waste trends.

Pages from the Global E-Waste Monitor (2024) report.

2,100+ articles featuring the E-Waste Monitor Report

7 billion estimated impressions of the E-Waste Monitor Report

Partnerships

UNOSAT’s collaboration with UNESCO on damage assessment in Gaza and Lebanon was featured in The New York Times, France 24, Al Jazeera and others.

Media reports amplified calls for cultural heritage protection and accountability, while UNOSAT–FAO findings on agricultural damage in Gaza informed humanitarian responses, widely covered by outlets including Reuters.

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UNOSAT Gaza Strip Comprehensive Damage Assessment.

Youth-focused programming also captured public interest. The Youth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons was highlighted by 40+ media outlets, including NHK and major Japanese dailies.

40+ media outlets featured the YOuth Leader Fund for a World Without Nuclear Weapons

Franco Escobar, participant of the Youth Leader Fund.

Nuclear disarment is not just an ideal, it is a necessity for global peace and stability.