Peace, Security and Diplomacy Unit

Background

UNITAR’s strategic plan envisaged the creation of three units comprising training activities according to thematic clusters. The Peace, Security and Diplomacy Unit constitutes one of these three units and incorporates four of the Institute’s Programmes.

Objectives

The Unit addresses the four thematic areas listed below, with a view to enhance the capacity of Member States to support the United Nations in meeting its goals and objectives in the areas of peace, security and diplomacy.

Activities

• International Law
  International law training activities strive to actively promote a better knowledge of international law among law practitioners of Member States with a view to enhance the respect for international law and to assist in bringing about a better application of international legal instruments. A specific focus has been placed on the teaching of international environmental law in order to assist Member States in the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
   
• Multilateral Diplomacy
  The Institute's projects and activities in the field of multilateral diplomacy focus on raising awareness and developing knowledge, skills and expertise in view of strengthening the capacity of diplomats and other government officers to perform effectively in the multilateral working environment.
   
• Peacemaking and Conflict Prevention
  Ever since the Charter resolved to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war", the UN has strived to develop more effective methods for achieving this important and challenging goal. UNITAR addresses these important goals by providing advanced training in conflict analysis, negotiation and mediation skills.
   
• Peacekeeping Training
  To complement the Institute’s wide range of in situ and face-to-face training activities, UNITAR also offers an extensive Programme of Correspondence Instruction in Peacekeeping Operations; this activity provides distance training to peacekeepers, police, and humanitarian workers world-wide.

In addition to the implementation of training and capacity development activities, the Unit produces training tools and methods, such as human capacity needs assessments and evaluations, advisory services, simulations, handbooks, glossaries and CD-ROMs.

Content and Methodology

The activities conducted by the Unit’s programmes include the organization of face-to-face training activities such as skills-development workshops, awareness-raising and orientation briefings, knowledge-learning and -sharing seminars, study visits and fellowship programmes; such type of training and capacity development initiatives represent the vast majority of activities conducted by the Unit.

A range of training methodologies is utilized with a view to increase the outreach of the Unit’s training activities. Options for conducting correspondence instruction and e-Learning have been explored and respective opportunities are being further developed.

Target Audience

Beneficiaries of the training activities offered by the Unit include diplomats, government officials, staff of regional organizations, academics, legal professionals from the public and private sector, judges, magistrates, NGO representatives, indigenous peoples’ representatives, peacekeepers, police, and humanitarian workers world-wide as well as senior UN staff.