UNITAR Online Catalogue
Skills-Building Workshop: Effective Negotiation in Multilateral Conferences (New Date: 11-12 March 2013)
Background
Negotiation is the most vital tool for a diplomat. In a multilateral context, effective negotiation skills and understanding of the negotiation context are critical for managing interdependencies, leveraging power and influencing outcomes. Mastering negotiation tools can therefore assist in securing internationally valuable agreements. This has become all the more important as the issues at stake in international negotiations have become increasingly complex, climate change being only one example. These global challenges require concerted multilateral action, which further underscores the need for strategically negotiated agreements.
Learning Objectives
This workshop’s objective is to improve international cooperation through more effective negotiating in a multilateral context. To this end, at the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Define and distinguish the purposes, products and processes of multilateral conferences;
- Assess the strategies and techniques for producing good negotiated outcomes;
- Anticipate and address the main challenges in multilateral negotiations;
- Analyse negotiation dynamics, based on case studies presented by international experts.
Content and Structure
The workshop takes place over two full days and includes the following core modules:
- Introduction to multilateral conferences;
- Conference and negotiation dynamics;
- Preparing for multilateral negotiations;
- Managing difficult negotiations and negotiators;
- Roundtable discussion with senior diplomats on negotiations challenges;
- Key skills of effective negotiators.
Methodology
As a skills-building face-to-face event, this workshop is facilitated by experienced trainers and features experts from Permanent Missions and the United Nations system. The workshop takes a participatory and practice‐oriented approach, integrating practical exercises, case studies, interactive lectures and peer‐to‐peer learning. Participants also receive study materials to enhance their holistic understanding about multilateral negotiations.
Targeted Audience
The workshop is open to members of Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York or government officials or NGO representatives who are involved in multilateral conferences. Registration is limited to 40 persons.