Unitar | United Nations Institute for Training and Research
Unitar | United Nations Institute for Training and Research

2020 Results Report

Nikhil Seth - UNITAR Executive Director

Nikhil Seth

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General

UNITAR Executive Director

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I am pleased to present the 2020 Results Report of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which summarizes and highlights some of the main achievements from our diverse programming over the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the world for more than a year, bringing about economic and social upheavals, without mentioning the suffering and losses that so many people around the world have had to endure. Like most organizations, COVID-19 affected UNITAR’s work since much of its programming is usually delivered in the field. By leveraging its virtual learning environment, mobile learning and other available IT tools, UNITAR was able to continue its learning services despite COVID-related restrictions and its many negative impacts, the world of learning has actually become more interconnected during the pandemic.

Nikhil Seth

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General

UNITAR Executive Director

Read more

Our Primary Output

Trained Beneficiaries

We provided learning, training and knowledge-sharing services to 322,410 individuals in 2020, representing a 142% increase from 2019 figures.

65% of UNITAR’s overall beneficiaries were associated with events having specific learning outcomes, representing an increase of 127% in this category.

60,901 2018 2019 322,410 2020 24,000 92,378 41,043 209,881 112,529 Total beneficiaries in 2020: Event with learning outcome Other knowledge-sharing and training-related
2018 2019 2020 24,000 41,043 112,529 60,901 92,378 209,881 Event with learning outcome Other knowledge-sharing and training-related Total beneficiaries in 2020: 322,410

This increase is attributed largely to the continued delivery of the introductory e-Learning course on climate change administered in partnership with agencies of the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership.

The proportion of participants from broader knowledge-sharing and other events (e.g., conferences, public lectures, meetings) slightly increased during the 2019 to 2020 period and represents around one third of UNITAR’s beneficiaries.

Learning-Related Beneficiaries by Gender

The overall male to female gender ratio of beneficiaries from learning-related events for 2020 was 44 to 51 (counting peacekeeping training beneficiaries) and “other” accounting for 5%.

Female Others Male 51% 44% 5%
Female 51% Male 44% Others 5%

Beneficiaries by Strategic Objectives

The majority of our beneficiaries were associated with programming related to the advancement of environmental sustainability and green development, and people and social inclusion.

S04 Inclusive and sustainable economic growth 1% 2% S05 Indivisible and integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda 9% S01 Peace and just and inclusive societies S02 People and social inclusion 36% S03 Planet, environmental protection and restoration 52%

Regional Breakdown of Learning-related Beneficiaries

16% 2% 18% 13% 47% 4%

78% of our learning-related beneficiaries came from developing countries, of which 15% are least-developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS).

63% Other Developing Countries 22% Developed Countries 15% Countries in Special Situation (LDCs, LLDCs, SIDs)

78% of our learning-related beneficiaries came from developing countries, of which 15% are least-developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS).

Number of Events and Delivery Mode

UNITAR’s overall beneficiaries took part in 896 events, equivalent to some 12,173 event days over the calendar year. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, most of our face-to-face events were converted into an online format. As such, 78% of the total number of events were delivered through e-learning and other format while only 20% of events took place through face-to-face. Among the face-to-face and blended events, over 80% were delivered in the field (many of which were in developing countries).

20% Face-to-Face 78% e-Learning and other 2% Blended learning 896 Events
896 Events 20% Face-to-Face 78% e-Learning and other 2% Blended learning

Learning-related Beneficiaries by Affiliation

We serve a wide spectrum of constituencies, with 49% of our learning related beneficiaries coming from non-state sectors, including NGOs, academia and the private sector.

49% Non-state sectors 35% Other 10% Governments 6% International organizations
49% Non-state sectors 35% Other 10% Governments 6% International organizations

This affiliation breakdown further shifted from 2017 figures, with government affiliated officers comprising more than 50% of learners.

UNITAR issued 58,091 certificates of participation and completion for 2020 learning-related events which have objective assessment of learning. The total number of certificates increased by 47% from 2019.

Our Response to the COVID-19 Crisis

As with most organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic affected us since much of UNITAR’s programming is delivered in face-to-face format in the field. However, by leveraging our virtual learning environment and other available information technology tools, we converted a large number of planned in-person training activities for online delivery and adapted other operating modalities. Consequently, by the end of 2020, only a handful of projects or activities had to be cancelled.

Here are some examples of activities that were adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Peace

Peace

Our project team in Colombia, working on youth-led peacebuilding and reconciliation fully adapted the training delivery methods, catering to different levels of internet access and including several alternative options for direct communication. As a result, the project objectives have been fully achieved changing the lives of 5,500 youth, youth counterparts, families and community members.

People

People

We hosted 46 webinars, with over 16,500 participants and an outreach expanding to over 43,200 persons. These online events covered a variety of topics in the areas of economic development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, leadership, public policy and crisis management, as well as on localizing the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and building back better in a post-COVID-19 world.

Planet

Planet

We have adapted many of our tools and approaches to the virtual space, taking into account that most of our client and our partner countries do not have equal access. Through a partnership with MIET Africa, we are testing the introduction of radio and television programming on climate change in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, as well as in selected countries in Francophone Africa.

Prosperity

Prosperity

We have spearheaded a partnership with EdApp, a mobile-based microlearning platform, and jointly launched the Educate All Initiative. The initiative offers free, high-quality courses on entrepreneurship, gender, and many other topics to millions of people around the world. Nearly 4,500 learners took advantage of free online courses provided by UNITAR.

Multilateral Diplomacy

Multilateral Diplomacy

As a way to expand our methodologies, we published the “Guidelines for United Nations Resolutions” in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Arabic. The book also comes with a cartoon-based animation that explains the process of drafting and negotiating the U.N. resolutions.

UNOSAT

UNOSAT

We have been providing technical backstopping services to line ministries and regional organizations lacking the technical expertise in using GIS tools and data. In the Solomon Islands, the local authorities needed support to monitor the quarantine stations over the archipelago. Our geospatial dashboard allowed the visualization of the different stations on satellite imagery, and also integrated the provided data on the occupancy such as the number of active cases, nationality, gender, etc. per station. This interactive tool provided daily-updates and supported decision-making processes on numerous programmes and policies, including for COVID-19 monitoring and measure implementation.

The Defeat-NCD Partnership

The Defeat-NCD Partnership

We supported efforts to protect NCD patients from the deadly interplay between COVID-19 and NCDs. We also supported partners in prioritising NCD screening and care as part of their continuous COVID-19 response programmes and in preparation for rolling-out the COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to assisting partners in overcoming NCD supply chain challenges imposed by the pandemic. This integrated approach was advocated in one-to-one webinars with ministries of health of Bhutan, Ecuador, Gambia, and Nepal.

Partnerships - A Key Pillar to Programming

Partnerships

A Key Pillar to Programming

Partnerships continue to be an integral part of UNITAR’s approach to achieving effective and efficient results. They allow us to combine the expertise of UN and other partners with our internal expertise in programming, adult learning and instructional technologies.

Beneficiaries by partnership

Of the Institute’s 896 events in 2020, 88% of 2020 beneficiaries were trained through events implemented in partnership.

88% with partners 12% without partners
12% without partners 88% with partners

Partners by Type

Partners include organizations as diverse as UN entities, governments, universities, other international organizations, the private sector, NGOs and foundations.

Foundation 4% Private Sector 6% International Organization (non UN) 5% Government 17% Academia 20% NGO 21% United Nations 27%
Foundation 4% Private Sector 6% International Organization (non UN) 5% Government 17% Academia 20% NGO 21% United Nations 27%
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