United Nations New York Immersion Programme - Basic Package - August Edition 2025
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 New York, offering participants a full immersion into the United Nations' multilateral working environment.
In line with UNITAR’s mandate, its main purpose is to enhance participants’ knowledge and skills in the area of international affairs and diplomacy. This will empower them to work more effectively and efficiently in any multilateral setting.
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 the opportunity to gain valuable insights into possible future career steps.
The UN Immersion Programme serves to provide an overview of the United Nations. It will help participants build knowledge on international affairs, deliver training in core diplomatic skills and offer activities with New York-based agencies. At the end of the UN Immersion Programme, participants should be able to:
- Explain key components of the United Nations’ system and its agencies
- Familiarize oneself withNew York as a global hub for multilateralism
- 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 over 40 international organizations and more than 200 NGOs, the city of New York offers a multitude of potentially formative experiences. UNITAR will host most of the activities at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, a major hub for international diplomacy and decision-making. These activities will consist of a carefully curated balance between the following elements:
Expert Lectures:
UNITAR’s professional network across New York allows it to organize a series of 1-2-hour expert lectures, in which participants can directly learn from UN personal or other high-level officials. Previous programmes have included lectures from the following organizations:
- The United Nations Headquarters
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA)
- UN Women
- UN Youth Office
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
- Public Speaking Skills
- Leadership Skills
- Workshop on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Guided Tours:
New York is rich in historic buildings significant to international affairs. With easy access throughout the city, UNITAR can offer a series of private guided tours. Previous programmes have included tours of the following locations:
- The United Nations Headquarters (Dag Hammarskjold Library and the Museum of the City of New York)
- The Museum of the City of New York, with exhibits on the city’s role in international diplomacy
- The Council on Foreign Relations headquarters, a key institution in global policy discussions
Career Development Sessions:
UNITAR also provides several 2-3 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
Extras:
In addition to the extensive training sessions, the course offers additional events for participants to socialize and get to know each other:
- Evening dinner cruise along the Hudson River
- Welcome package
- Welcome lunch
Given the complexity of New York'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, as well as environment and sustainable development.
The UN New York 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 a 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.
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 United Nations.
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 possible quality, 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 New York as well as to apply for visas to the United Sates of America. UNITAR can support this process with the help of an official visa invitation letter. Participants further need to take care of their own accommodation and daily meals.
UNITAR will sponsor a welcome lunch for the participants, a welcome package including relevant training materials and entry tickets to sights and museums 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"