Since 2020, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the United Nations Office for Disaster and Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Global Education and Training Institute (GETI), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) have jointly organized five certificate online training programs. These programs focused on leveraging South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC), disaster risk reduction (DRR), and integrating health emergency response and preparedness into building resilient cities and societies, addressing various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, including outbreak response, emergency management, and recovery.
From 12 to 26 March 2025, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) successfully co-hosted the fifth edition of their joint certificate training program. Titled “Leveraging South-South and Triangular Cooperation: Inclusive and Technological Innovations for Urban Health and Disaster Risk Reduction,” the training brought together 1,846 participants from over 700 cities across 151 countries and territories, with 44% female representation and 71 participants identifying as persons with disabilities.
The training underscored the urgency of inclusive governance, technology adoption, and cross-border collaboration to achieve the Sendai Framework and SDG 11. Organizers encouraged cities to leverage UNDRR’s Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative and explore in-depth workshops.