UPEACE - UNITAR MA in Development Studies and Diplomacy - Field Visit - The Hague 2024
!!! Only UPEACE - UNITAR students enrolled in MA in Development Studies and Diplomacy programme can register for this activity !!!
UNITAR is an autonomous institution within the United Nations system with a mission to deliver innovative training and conduct research on knowledge systems to develop the capacities of its beneficiaries. As the training arm of the United Nations, UNITAR’s mission is to develop capacities to enhance global decision-making and to support country level action for shaping a better future.
The University for Peace (UPEACE) is an institution of higher education dedicated to the study of peace. Created by UN General Assembly Resolution 35/55, the University for Peace has been training leaders for peace for the past four decades. Through its Master’s and Doctoral degree programmes, UPEACE trains future leaders to explore and formulate strategies and practices in various contexts to address the causes of multiple problems affecting human and global wellbeing, and thus contribute to the processes of peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
From the UPEACE-UNITAR field visit, participants can expect the following:
- Attend lectures from policy practitioners and decision-makers
- Visit the ICC and ICJ in the Hague
- Network with high-level officials, UN personnel and diplomats
As part of the MA in Development Studies and Diplomacy, offered in cooperation with the University for Peace (UPEACE), UNITAR designed a 5-day field visit to the Hague, the Netherlands offering participants a full immersion into the city's international working environment.
In line with UNITAR’s mandate, its main purpose is to enhance participants’ knowledge and skills related to international affairs and diplomacy. This will enable them to work more effectively and efficiently in any multilateral setting.
UNITAR lastly intends to strengthen the participants’ conviction of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, especially multilateralism. In the long term, this does not only result in participants’ more favourable view on the organisation, but also in a higher willingness to cooperate across borders.
Hosting close to 200 international organizations, along with figureheads like the Peace Palace, the International Court of Justice, Europol and the International Criminal Court, The Hague is known as the international city of peace and justice. Tens of thousands of people from all over the globe are working every day in the city to build a more peaceful and just world by collaborating together on solutions to global problems. In partnership with many international institutions, UNITAR provides a nuanced balance between the following different components:
Expert Lectures:
UNITAR’s professional network across The Hague 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. Programmes may include lectures from the following organizations:
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ)
- The International Criminal Court (ICC)
- The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT)
- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
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
- Mediation Skills
- Simulation Exercises
Guided Tours:
The Hague is rich in historic buildings important to international affairs. Thanks to its access across the city, UNITAR can provide a series of private guided tours. This may include tours through the following facilities:
- The Peace Palace
- The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
- The Hague Municipality
- The Hague Humanity Hub
Public Hearing Sessions:
If available, UNITAR also provides access to public hearings in the world of international organizations. These sessions can occur in the following:
- International Court of Justice (ICJ)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
Given the complexity of the Hague's multilateral environment, UNITAR will cover a series of different thematic areas during the course of the Programme. These will include peace and security, human rights and humanitarian affairs, global health and well-being, trade and technology as well as the environment and sustainable development.
The UPEACE-UNITAR field visit 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 United Nations.
All of the activities will take place in the English language. Should there be any component not available in English, UNITAR will ensure the participants will be provided with simultaneous interpretation.
At the end of the field visit, participants will be awarded a certificate of participation. They will also be asked to complete a feedback questionnaire to evaluate the success of the field visit in achieving the learning objectives.
!!! Only UPEACE - UNITAR students enrolled in MA in Development Studies and Diplomacy programme can register for this activity. In case you are not enrolled in the programme, kindly refer to the UN Immersion programme (www.unitar.org/immersionprogramme) !!!
Participants are responsible for complying with Dutch immigration and travel policies to enter the country. In addition, participants must have a health insurance plan that is valid in the Netherlands and comply with Dutch health rules and recommendations during their stay in the country.
UNITAR will be responsible for the overall design, coordination and implementation of the field visit.
The participants are responsible for purchasing their own travel tickets to and from the Hague as well as applying for a visa to the Netherlands (if applicable). UNITAR can provide an official invitation letter to support students who may need a visa to enter the Netherlands. Participants will also be responsible for securing their own accommodation and covering their daily meals.
UNITAR will sponsor a welcome dinner for the participants as well as provide a welcome package, including relevant training materials and entry tickets to sights and museums.
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.