Introduction to Conference Diplomacy
Governments and increasingly other actors such as international and non-governmental organizations use multilateral conferences as a means to achieve important policy objectives. As the number of conferences and meetings has risen considerably over the past twenty years, the number of government officers and other stakeholders involved in conference processes has also increased significantly. While diplomats remain at the centre of diplomacy, government officials assigned to line ministries and agencies, as well as staff of intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, are increasingly finding themselves in the role of the multilateral conference delegate. This workshop will help diplomats enhance their performance as a conference delegate, and as a result contribute to the overall efficiency and productiveness of conferences.
After this workshop the participant will be able to:
- Identify how conferences unfold
- Name the rules of procedure and their value in advancing delegate objectives
- Explain the importance of informal consultations
- Use appropriate language;
- Detect and incorporate other delegations' strategies
The methodology of this workshop includes:
- Interactive presentations
- Role-play and simulation
- Case studies and group discussions
- Video and internet-broadcasts
- Video performance analysis.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have a fuller understanding of the complexity of communication and their interacting elements and be able to communicate more effectively and constructively with their environment.
This course is open to members of Permanent Missions and delegates of Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other government officials, representatives of international, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations. In addition senior managers from the private sector are equally invited to benefit from this unique workshop.
A fee-waiver is applicable to requesting members of Permanent missions from countries classified by the World Bank as “lower-income”, “lower-middle income”, and “higher-middle income” economies.
To apply for a fee waiver diplomats only have to send an email containing their contact details and the course title to: diplomacy [at] unitar.org (diplomacy[at]unitar[dot]org) . The fee-waiver fellowship covers the participation fee however it does not cover any travel expenditures.
The workshop will take place at the International Environment House (IEH); Châtelaine, Geneva. The Conference Room will be confirmed later.
The workshop will be conducted in English. The participants will be provided with a set of background material at the beginning of the course. Participants who have followed the workshop in its entirety will be awarded a course certificate.
The course participation fee is 1,200 USD. Participants may pay individually per course attended, or their government may wish to cover the costs of an annual subscription. More information about UNITAR’s Core Diplomacy Training (CDT) pricing policy is available at: http://www.unitar.org/mdp/cdt.
For the diplomats eligible for a fee waiver as part of the CDT fellowship scheme, please contact the Multilateral Diplomacy Programme for more details by e-mail at: diplomacy [at] unitar.org (diplomacy[at]unitar[dot]org) and by phone at: +41 22 917 85 18. Registration will be closed as soon as the course is full and your place will be secured once your payment is confirmed.
Important: Upon course registration, the applicant accepts to make the full payment for the UNITAR course(s) immediately following receipt of the invoice and payment information. UNITAR reserves the right to rescind an applicant's enrollment at any time in case of non-receipt of payment. Payment is non-reimbursable but upon approval may be credited to another course.