UNITAR Online Catalogue
Introduction to the United Nations System and the UN General Assembly
Multilateral Diplomacy
Background
The overall purpose of this training is to familiarize Emirates Diplomatic Academy participants with the basic tenets of the UN System and the General Assembly.Through online training sessions, webinars, and assessments, participants will be provided with a historical, political, and analytical framework for liaising more effectively with UN representatives and staff.
Event Objectives
The course aims to further inform participants from the Emirates Diplomatic Academy about the UN System and the General Assembly. With the help of exercises and case studies, after Module 1 participants will be able to define the United Nations system’s structure and functioning; explain the United Nations Organization’s principal organs and their development, including the history of the United Nations system and its predecessors; and identify current and salient issues relevant to the United Nations. After Module 2, participants will be able to definte the General Assembly and describe its structure and main functions; identify the various forms of the General Assembly’s sessions; differentiate between the subsidiary organs of the General Assembly; and identify the general rules for the General Assembly and basic reforms to it.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the two-week course, participants will be able to:
Define the United Nations system’s structure and functioning
Explain the United Nations Organization’s principal organs and their development, including the history of the United Nations system and its predecessors
Understand the framework for liaising effectively with UN representatives and staff
Identify current and salient issues relevant to the United Nations
Define the General Assembly and describe its structural setting
Identify the various forms of the General Assembly’s sessions
List and explain the main functions and outputs of the General Assembly
Differentiate between the subsidiary organs of the General Assembly
Identify the general rules for the General Assembly and basic reforms to it
Content and Structure
Participants will be provided with a set of training materials, allowing them to follow the training with ease and deepen their knowledge with background readings.
The workshop material will include videos, discussion boards, additional reading material and PowerPoint slides used by the experts. EDA should receive the training materials in the EDA online learning platform for participants.
The course will have a total duration of 2 weeks, and each week will cover one module.
Module 1: Introduction to the structure and functioning of the United Nations System
Week 1: March 28 - April 1
Lesson 1: The concept of “International Organization”
Lesson 2: The “first experiment”: The League of Nations (LoN)
Lesson 3: The United Nations (UN)
Lesson 4: The UN Organization and UN System
Module 2: The General Assembly
Week 2: April 5 - April 8
Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: Membership, observers, interactive partners
Lesson 3: Functions, powers, institutional setting
Lesson 4: Subsidiary organs of the General Assembly
Lesson 5: Decision-making
Lesson 6: Reform and Revitalisation of the General Assembly
Lesson 7: Conclusions
Methodology
This module is asynchronous and internet-based, moderated by senior international experts, and places emphasis on online discussions and self-paced learning. The participants will be primarily responsible for their own learning over the two-week span of the module.
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.the history of the United Nations system and its predecessors
A glossary of terms provided as a learning tool throughout the course.
Quizzes and case studies at the end of each module.
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.
UNITAR training courses are designed to be highly interactive and participatory, and will include – whenever possible – a variety of simulation exercises, case studies and pedagogical tools to enable participants to acquire a thorough knowledge and understanding of the UN System.
Targeted Audience
The target audience are selected participants from the Emirates Diplomatic Academy.
Additional Information
This course will be entirely online.