United Nations Vienna Immersion Programme - Basic Package
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1963 as an autonomous body within the United Nations with the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the work of the UN and its member states.
UNITAR designs and conducts close to 500 different training and knowledge sharing events per year for some 50,000 beneficiaries worldwide. Participants include diplomats, other government officials, non-governmental representatives, and other stakeholders.
At the heart of UNITAR, the Multilateral Diplomacy Programme Unit (MDPU) delivers training workshops to address the needs of these international actors. MDPU’s activities cover a wide range of domains, including training on the UN system and skills development.
UNITAR designed a 5-day field visit to Vienna, offering participants a full immersion into the United Nations' multilateral working environment.
In line with UNITAR’s mandate, its main purpose is to enhance your expertise in United Nations disarmament, non-proliferation, and international relations in Vienna, a global hub of international diplomacy.
UNITAR further intends to strengthen the participants’ conviction of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, especially multilateralism. It lastly aspires to give its participants access to UN institutions and personnel in order to gain valuable insights into future career opportunities.
The UN Immersion Programme serves to provide an overview of the United Nations. It will help participants build knowledge of the UN’s work in disarmament, non-proliferation, and international relations, preparing you for effective engagement in these fields with Vienna-based agencies. At the end of this UN Immersion Programme, participants should be able to:
- Explain key components of the United Nations system and its agencies
- Familiarize oneself with Vienna as the hub of multilateral diplomacy
- Apply core skills and techniques of common diplomatic practice
- Develop critical knowledge for careers in international organizations
- Adapt values and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter
Hosting 15 UN agencies and 18 other international organizations, the city of Vienna offers itself for a series of potentially formative experiences. UNITAR will host most of its training activities at the United Nations Office of Vienna (UNOV) and provides a nuanced balance between the following different components:
Expert Lectures:
UNITAR’s professional network across Vienna allows it to organize a series of 1-2-hour expert lectures, in which participants can directly learn from UN personnel or other high-level officials. Previous programmes have included lectures from the following organizations:
- United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- United Nations Office for Disarmament Affair (UNODA)
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)
Training Workshops:
As its core activity and raison d’être, UNITAR provides several face-to-face workshops to the participants. Delivered by experts such as retired ambassadors, previous programmes have included the following workshops:
- Negotiation Skills
- Leadership Skills
- Introduction to the United Nations System
Guided Tours:
UN agencies in Vienna are for the most part very centrally located at the Vienna International Center (VIC), this way participants gain the opportunity to visit various organizations. The previous edition had included the following guided tours:
- United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)
- Thematic guided tour on the Sustainable Development Goals
Career Development Sessions:
UNITAR also provides several 1-2 hour sessions on how to advance your professional career and find a solid footing in the world of international organizations. These sessions can include the following components:
- Information session on internships and other entry positions in the UN system
- Training workshop on application to a UN job opening and interview skills in the UN context
- Review of application material, including CV, motivation letter, personal history form, Inspira profile, LinkedIn profile
Given the diversity of the UN agencies in Vienna, UNITAR will cover a series of different thematic areas. These will mostly include peace and security, non-proliferation and disarmament and sustainable development.
The UN Vienna Immersion Programme is designed to be highly interactive and participatory. Activities will include a high level of direct exposure to policy practitioners and diplomatic settings, thereby allowing participants to gain thorough knowledge and understanding of the UN.
All of the activities will take place in the English language. Should there be any component not be available in English, UNITAR will ensure the participants will be provided with simultaneous interpretation.
UNITAR welcomes a variety of professional backgrounds as well as different degrees of experience among its participants. The Immersion Programme is therefore open to all actors related to international affairs wishing to build up knowledge and skills related to the UN in Vienna.
Participants can include public sector officials, private sector professionals and representatives from NGOs, think tanks or academia. Junior professionals and graduate students are equally welcome to apply.
In order to ensure the highest quality standards, registration will be closed after 30 participants. Allocation of slots will be on a first-come, first-served basis. At the end of the Immersion Programme, each participant will be awarded a UNITAR certificate of completion.
UNITAR will be responsible for the overall design, coordination and implementation of the Immersion Programme. It will liaise with participants on a regular basis prior to the activity's implementation in order to ensure a smooth and flawless organization for everyone involved.
The participants are responsible to purchase their own travel tickets to and from Vienna as well as to apply for visa to Austria. UNITAR can support this process with the help of an official visa invitation letter. Participants further need to take care of their own accommodation in Vienna and daily meals.
UNITAR will sponsor a welcome package including relevant training materials during the activity.
For scholarships, kindly email multilateralism [at] unitar.org (multilateralism[at]unitar[dot]org) for further inquiry.
Please read this before registration "I understand that the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) does not insure participants in the above-described activity and I am advised to arrange at my own expense insurance against sickness, accident, permanent or temporary disability, death, and third-party risk for the period of the meeting, including travel time"