Introduction to the United Nations System
Representatives of governments and from other actors such as international and non-governmental organizations must be able to understand and often work with UN agencies in order to achieve their objectives and advance their interests. As an increasingly globalized world continues to underline the importance of multilateral dialogue and cooperation in confronting this century’s challenges, the UN will remain a central forum for progressing ideas and a platform for action. This course aims to provide a historical, political, and analytical framework for liaising more effectively with UN representatives and staff.
This e-Learning course aims to provide an overview of United Nations as well as a historical, political, and analytical framework for liaising more effectively with UN representatives and staff. With the help of interactive online exercises, participants will finish the course with a concrete understanding of the UN system’s structure and functioning.
At the end of this e-Learning course participants should be able to:
• Define the United Nations system’s structure and functioning;
• Explain the UN's principal organs and their development;
• Identify current and salient issues relevant to the UN;
• Explain a brief history of the UN system and its predecessors.
The course includes six interactive training modules introducing participants to the United Nations system, its principal institutional bodies, Agenda 2030, human rights issues, climate change and the environment, and UN financing.
e-Learning: The course is internet-based, moderated by senior international experts, asynchronous, and places emphasis on online discussions and self-paced learning. The participants will be primarily responsible for their own learning over the four-week span of the course. The course will consist of the following components:
• Compulsory and optional reading material, intended to teach the basic concepts and principles of the lesson's subject-matter.
• External links to additional books, articles, documents, and websites related to the lessons.
• A glossary of terms provided as a learning tool throughout the course.
• Quizzes and case studies at the end of each module. To be eligible for the course certificate, a passing grade of 80% on both quizzes and case studies is required.
• A Community Discussion Board will be available for participants to post questions or comments visible to the instructor and other participants. This discussion board will be moderated by the course director and UNITAR.
• Estimated learning time: minimum of 40 hours.
The course targets those working in the public or private sector, including entry and mid-level career diplomats, other public-service officials, postgraduate students, and staff from nongovernmental organisations, especially those whose work or studies is linked to the United Nations.
The course fee is 800 USD. We highly recommend credit card payments. You will receive an invoice by email after registration.
You may find some useful information on “how to register” on:http://www.unitar.org/event/about-unitar-events#register
Participants from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are eligible to apply for a fellowship. Please click here for more details.Registration will be closed as soon as the course is full and your place will be secured once your payment is confirmed.
General Requirements
- Have a good command of the English language
- Be computer literate
Technical Requirements
UNITAR recommends the following as a minimum in hardware and software to take our e-Learning courses. Please consult your Network Administrator or Systems person to ensure that you have the following:
- Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME, XP or superior; MacOS 9 or MacOS X; Linux
- Hardware: 64 MB of RAM, 1 GB of free disk space
- Software:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (click here to download for free)
- Adobe Flash Player (click here to download for free)
- Microsoft Office (Windows or Mac) or Open Office (click here to download for free)
- Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or higher (click here to download for free); it works better with Firefox 3.6 or higher (click here to download for free)
- Note that JavaScript, Cookies and Pop-ups must be enabled