The 2026 edition of the Joint Certificate Training Programme, “Leveraging Technological Innovation, Evidence-Based Decision-Making and South-South Cooperation to Address Systemic Urban Risk and Strengthen Disaster Resilience,”successfully concluded its final session 20 May.
With support from Governments of China and Turkiye contributions to the UN Fund for South-South Cooepration, Co-organized by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Global Education and Training Institute (GETI), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), and the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries (UNTB), this flagship initiative has firmly established itself as a leading multilateral platform for South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC) in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and public health emergency preparedness.
Since its launch in 2020, the Joint Certificate Training Programme has reached more than 11,000 live-session participants and over 6,500 self-paced learners across 155 countries and territories.
The 2026 edition builds on this momentum and focuses on leveraging technological innovations, practical tools, and SSTC to enhance evidence-based decision-making and address systemic urban risks while strengthening disaster resilience and health emergency preparedness.
It received over 4,680 online registrations and recorded over 3,050 participants attending the live sessions from 169 countries and territories. Over 42% of participants were women, 39% youth, and 7% persons with disabilities.
During Opening Session on 29 April, led by UNDRR, Dima Al-Khatib, Director of UNOSSC, underscored the proactive stance of developing countries amid escalating climate threats, stating that as climate-related shocks intensify and multiply, the Global South is not waiting for permission. On the contrary, it is leading the development and deployment of innovative, practical, and scalable regional solutions. Through South-South and triangular cooperation, these frameworks are being shared, localized, and scaled to ensure they remain context-specific, cost-effective, and highly impactful.
Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR, emphasized that the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework calls for accelerated adoption of innovation and emerging technologies to strengthen disaster risk management. He noted that building institutional capacities, improving access to data systems, and deepening cross-border cooperation are essential to addressing these challenges effectively.
Piedad Huerta, Head of the Office of Country and Subregional Coordination (CSC) at PAHO/WHO, highlighted that urban areas globally—and across the Americas specifically—face increasingly complex and intersecting risks. She reiterated that PAHO prioritizes the resilience, preparedness, response, and recovery of public health systems. In this context, evidence-based decision-making supported by data, geospatial intelligence, and technological innovation remains critical to anticipating risks and ensuring the continuity of essential health services.
Deodat Maharaj, Managing Director of UNTB, added that modern resilience relies on anticipating risks, leveraging data, and integrating technology into governance systems rather than merely responding to crises. This paradigm demands robust institutions, skilled professionals, sustained partnerships, and continuous investment in science and innovation as vital enablers of sustainable development.
The curriculum unfolded over four targeted thematic blocks: Session 1 introduced practical diagnostics to enhance extreme heat risk management, showcasing local government case studies alongside the newly developed Extreme Heat Risk Governance Framework and Toolkit.
Session 2, led by PAHO, demonstrated the utility of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT)—including GIS, satellite imagery, and spatial analytics—to guide evidence-based urban planning and health emergency response.
Session 3, led by UNTB, explored scalable, technology-driven solutions designed to bolster climate resilience within risk-exposed and resource-constrained environments, with a particular focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The final Session 4, led by UNOSSC, showcased local- and national-level good practices and technological solutions in DRR from the Global South, emphasizing peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in mitigating extreme weather impacts.
South-South experience sharing in mitigating extreme weather impacts
The concluding panel brought together leading experts from Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Training Centre to share innovative, high-impact and cooperative solutions.
Tong Jiang (WMO Regional Training Centre / Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, China) presented on climate risk assessments and impact-based early warning systems, demonstrating the practical application of index-based insurance and flood threshold models.
Xinyin Kang (National Disaster Reduction Center, Ministry of Emergency Management, China) shared how the NDRCC leverages AI imagery extraction and coordinated drone and satellite fleets to optimize pre-disaster prevention and national monitoring.
Vipul Nakum (Disaster Risk Reduction Department, GIFT City, India) shared experiences in urban resilience, detailing GIFT City\’s deployment of smart infrastructure, AI-based flood management, and its alignment with the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative.
Pumeza Tyali (National Disaster Management Centre of South Africa) outlined South Africa’s strategic approach for proactive DRR, highlighting early warning mechanisms, anticipatory action, and regional partnerships for climate resilience.
Jose Marengo (National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters, Brazil) presented CEMADEN’s science-based approaches to climate resilience, showcasing integrated drought monitoring, risk forecasting, and community preparedness.
Reflecting on these contributions, Dingding Sun, Programme Specialist at UNOSSC, noted that South-South and triangular cooperation provides vital platforms to co-create scalable solutions, strengthen alliances, and inspire collective action for resilient community building.
In their closing remarks, Sanjaya Bhatia (Head of UNDRR GETI), Dr. Ciro Ugarte (Director of Health Emergencies Department, PAHO/WHO), and Federica Irene Falomi (Head of Programme of UNTB), reaffirmed that South-South cooperation remains foundational to this educational initiative. They concluded that the seamless transfer of expertise between developing nations and cities facing parallel emergencies forms the ultimate backbone of community-level resilience.
