Workshop on Conference Diplomacy and Multilateral Negotiations
Governments and increasingly other actors such as international and non-governmental organizations use multilateral conferences as a means, and sometimes the only means, to achieve and negotiate important policy objectives. As the number of conferences and meetings has risen considerably over the past twenty years, the number of government officers and other stakeholders involved in conference processes has also increased significantly. While diplomats remain at the centre of diplomacy, government officials assigned to line ministries and agencies, as well as staff of intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, are increasingly finding themselves in the role of the multilateral conference delegate.
This workshop aims to familiarize participants with the basic notions and concepts of Multilateral Conference Diplomacy. It is designed to provide participants with an overview of the underlying dynamics, processes and systems at work, particularly in the context of the various conferences and negotiations organized at the United Nations in Geneva.
At the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Identify how conferences unfold, name the rules of procedure and their value in advancing delegate objectives
- Detect and incorporate other delegations' strategies.
- Analyse how diplomatic negotiations are conducted;
- Use a preparation grid for better negotiation planning;
- Identify tensions, differences and conflicts in international contexts;
- Describe how to facilitate the peaceful resolution of conflicts;
- Perform more efficiently as a negotiator.
The following topics, among others, will be covered during this intensive, two-day workshop: the types, functions and formats of multilateral conferences; the formal and informal processes of conferences; technical and practical foundations of multilateral negotiation; overcoming stalled negotiations; the human dimension of multilateral conferences; the roles and functions of conference secretariats and Chairs; and effective preparations for multilateral conferences and negotiations.
The workshop is especially designed for the diplomat new to the multilateral working environment in Geneva. The sessions will be highly participative in nature, combining short presentations, exercises, case studies, discussion groups and video analysis.
This course is open to:
- Members of Permanent Missions accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva,
- Delegates of Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other government officials,
- Representatives of international, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and Diplomatic academies.
- Senior managers from the private sector are equally invited to benefit from this workshop.
Venue and Working Language:
The workshop will be conducted in English at the UNITAR's headquarters (International Environment House, IHE1). We are located at 11-13 Chemin des Anémones, CH-1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Certificate:
Participants who have attended all the sessions will receive a certificate of participation.
Registration:
For more information, please write an email to diplomacy [at] unitar.org (diplomacy[at]unitar[dot]org) or call +41 (0)22 917 88 05 or visit www.unitar.org/cdt