Rabih El-Haddad

Multilateral Diplomacy Programme, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

As the training arm of the United Nations System, UNITAR is committed to equipping individuals, institutions and organizations with the knowledge skills needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and overcome global challenges of the 21st Century. 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), countries from the Group of 77, and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable, including those in conflict situations. In order to do so, we leverage partnerships with a range of knowledge organizations and research-related bodies to stay abreast of the latest developments in andragogy and ensure that no one is left behind. To meet the goals, we will capitalize on UNITAR’s expertise in the design and delivery of high-quality learning solutions and related knowledge products and services that are both people-centred and respond to the specific needs of Member States and other stakeholders. In the sphere of multilateral diplomacy this has particular importance because the needs and priorities of each Member State are different and thus require a tailored approach, as well as a recognition that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to capacity-building.

The Knowledge for Development Goals set out in this Agenda also call for a recognition of the value of local knowledge systems, which we work to support through our training of trainers’ programmes and also by conducting workshops that aim to strengthen the capacities Diplomatic Academies across the world to autonomously deliver training activities to diplomats across the world. By forging strong knowledge partnerships such as these, UNITAR works to level the playing field in a variety of multilateral fora, to counteract the troubling tendency towards unilateralism and to reaffirm our collective commitment to multilateralism.