Practical, Digital and Tailored to Help You Grow

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has officially launched its dynamic new Learning and Innovation Programme and with it, the new powerful digital training platform called SPARK.

SPARK brings flexible, high-impact learning to professionals worldwide – from bustling capitals to remote field stations.

In many low-resource or remote settings, criminal justice institutions face significant challenges, such as fragmented access to training, language barriers and geographical isolation. As a result, many practitioners lack training altogether, while those who do receive it often rely on sporadic training or outdated courses, leaving them underprepared for rapidly evolving threats.

UNODC, through the eLearning platform SPARK, addresses these challenges by providing multilingual online and offline courses and fostering a global community of practice. This approach bridges gaps and makes knowledge on justice more accessible worldwide.

Meet SPARK: Learn Anytime, Anywhere

This new Programme reflects a growing institutional shift toward digitalization and innovation not just as tools, but as essential strategies for building safer, more secure societies.

The Learning and Innovation Programme now focuses on three core areas:

1. Digital training delivery across all UNODC thematic areas, i.e. the world drug problem, transnational organized crime; terrorism; corruption; and criminal justice.
2. Pedagogical support to enhance the quality and impact of training provided by partners;
3. Digital transformation for the internal operations and processes of criminal justice institutions and academies.

“This Programme introduces a new approach to capacity-building,” said Aimée Comrie, Chief of UNODC’s Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section. “It is practical, digital and tailored to help institutions grow stronger through innovation.”

At the heart of the Programme is SPARK – a powerful, modern digital learning platform that offers cost-effective, flexible interactive and accessible training tools for professionals across the criminal justice system. It includes self-paced eLearning courses, with interactive scenarios and simulations, as well as eClasses, which support both in-person and virtual training formats. Knowledge hubs, including webinars, online libraries, forums and podcasts are also featured. Moreover, content is localized, tailored to regional, national or local needs. 

Digital Transformation: From the Ground Up

Many criminal justice institutions, particularly in remote or underserved regions, continue to face serious barriers to modernization: limited internet access, power outages, outdated administration systems and low levels of digital literacy. These challenges not only hinder operational efficiency but also limit the ability of institutions to adapt to rapidly changing criminal justice threats.

The Programme directly addresses these obstacles by helping institutions digitalize core operations such as data management, administration, communication and training coordination. The Programme also providers basic digital literacy training, from device operation and email use to safe web navigation and online collaboration.

“Digital transformation is not just about technology – it is about empowering institutions to function more effectively, securely and inclusively,” said Nicolas Caruso, Head of the Learning and Innovation Programme. “By addressing infrastructure and skill gaps, we are helping justice institutions become more resilient and better equipped to meet the need of their communities.”

To ensure learning reaches even the most remote locations, the Programme has introduced  Mobile Training Units (MTUs) – portable kits containing a server, laptops and a router that can run for five hours without external power and be deployed in just 20 minutes. The MTUs have been deployed in 30 locations across West, Central and Eastern Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and North Africa and the Middle East.

Moreover, over 60 eLearning Centres have already been established globally, blending in-person instruction and creating local hubs for outgoing training.

Source: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/news/2025/October/unodc-ignites-innovation-with-new-learning-programme-and-spark-elearning-platform.html