The United Nations Institute for Training and Research designs and conducts worldwide training and capacity building activities.

Being the only training institution in the United Nations system with a specific mandate to carry out training programmes for UN Member States, UNITAR has the experience to offer tailor-made courses that respond to the specific needs and priorities of UN Member States, international governmental or non-governmental organizations and/or other entities. At their request, UNITAR’s International Law Programme organizes and implements specifically designed training activities on various international law topics.

The duration, content and structure of these demand-driven activities are designed and defined in close consultation with the beneficiaries and partner organizations taking into consideration the specific needs, background and priorities of the targeted beneficiaries.

Modalities of training delivered

• National / Regional Capacities Building and Development Activities are intensive and interactive courses on various international law topics, a candidate selection process, disbursement of grants, etc. The duration of these activites is two-three weeks, and the course content is chosen according to regional needs and priorities.
• Study visit is an alternative training offered at UN headquarter sites or international cities (example : study visit on international justice, The Hague)
• e-learning: ILP provides tailor-made courses at request of the Member States or other partners. The courses are delivered through UNITAR's virtual platform
• Blended training combines face-to-face and online components ; this option allows to complement introductory modules in on-line format with more specialized face-to-face modules

Participants/Target Group

The modular structure of the international law training activities makes it possible to create a tailor-made course for any given target group.

Tailor-made courses target government officials from foreign affairs and specialized ministries as well as representatives from intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the private sector and universities.

Participants can be from the same country or the same region or sub-region. To optimize the training, a group is usually limited to 25-30 participants.

Training Venue

Training courses can be conducted at UN Headquarters, regional UN offices or in the requesting country itself. In-country courses have the highest cost-benefit ratio because the resource person travels to the participants, not vice versa. Another advantage is that the trainees do not need to leave their workplaces for weeks.

If the training course takes place away from UNITAR’s headquarters, UNITAR will normally cooperate closely with the local UNDP Country Office.

Resource Persons/Trainers

The trainers and resource persons selected by UNITAR are experts in the fields of international relations, diplomatic practice and international law from academic and international circles, including practitioners from both within and outside the United Nations system.

Topics and Methodology

The activities conducted by ILP address various practice areas within international law: Law of Treaties, Law of the Sea, International Protection of Human Rights, Refugee Law, International Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Investment Law, International Trade Law etc. Within this range of international law topics, ILP has also developed a special expertise in the provision of training in international environmental law.

All ILP’s training activities involve the participants actively (interactive lectures, discussion fora, etc). The courses apply a learning-by-doing approach that allows participants to acquire the necessary competences to subsequently carry out in their professional environment. Furthermore, the courses apply theories to concrete situations, either through case studies, role plays and exercises, or through the analysis of specific processes within the group.

The courses take advantage of the experience, knowledge and personal resources of the participants. 

Language

All training activities can be offered in English, French and/or Spanish. Interpretation to other United Nations official languages (Arabic, Chinese and Russian) can be provided at an additional cost. Participants need a good working knowledge of the language of the course in order to participate meaningfully in group discussions, exercises and simulations.

Financing

ILP’s tailor-made training programmes are financed entirely from extra-budgetary sources. This means that for each tailor-made training activity the requesting countries and organizers must raise the required funds for the course.