15-17 January 2025
Application start 1 December 2024
Application end 15 December 2024
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
This executive course, tailored for Geneva-based diplomats and co-organized with the support of the Swiss FDFA, addresses the negotiation practices at the multilateral level, by taking the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) as an example of formal and informal negotiation and decision-making processes by an international intergovernmental body.
Negotiation processes and voting of resolutions and decisions are among the most sophisticated and developed processes in today’s UN system. These processes involve not only states, who are the main players and the only ones entitled to vote but also UN agencies – like the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which acts as the HRC substantive and logistical secretariat –, independent experts such as Special Rapporteurs or members of fact-finding missions or commissions of inquiry, as well as civil society actors.
Leveraging our extensive network of international experts and practitioners, this executive training delivers to Geneva-based diplomats profound and pragmatic insights into multilateralism and the functioning of the HRC. The course is meticulously crafted to balance theoretical depth with practical application, ensuring relevance and immediate utility for participants. It is tailored to suit the needs of the audience, with content continuously adapted throughout the course to ensure it aligns with participants' expectations.
Diplomats will gain a strong understanding of the HRC’s formal rules and procedures while developing the tools and strategies required for effective leadership in multilateral settings. In particular, participants will gain essential skills such as drafting resolutions, negotiation techniques, and managing interactions with regional and political groups active in the negotiating area of the Human Rights Council. These competencies are comfortably acquired by the conclusion of the training. Furthermore, the training facilitates meaningful connections among participants and with the organizers, fostering opportunities for ongoing collaboration on matters of mutual significance.
The course will cover the following issues:
By the end of the course, participants will:
Participants will receive personalized feedback throughout the course, engaging with seasoned trainers in a challenging yet supportive environment. The program emphasizes active learning, ensuring participants leave with practical skills and strategies ready for immediate application in their diplomatic roles.
The course adopts an interactive and participatory approach, blending illustrated lectures, multimedia resources, discussions, and hands-on exercises. Participants will receive preparatory reading materials to maximize engagement during the sessions.
This training is designed for newly Geneva-based diplomats with less than 1 year of experience at their missions. Only one diplomat per mission will be admitted, ensuring a focused and impactful learning experience. Organizers are committed to ensuring gender and regional diversity.
Enrolment is capped at 18 participants to ensure tailored attention and an engaging experience. Participants must attend at least 80% of the sessions to earn the final certificate.
All participants in our training course have access – ahead, during and following their course – to a dedicated community platform (on Mighty Network). This community brings together all the participants to our courses who have unlimited access to the training materials and resources shared during their course and can exchange with all the alumni of the Geneva Human Rights Platform Training Hub.
The training course will be led by Kamelia Kemileva, the Co-Director of the Global Cities Hub, that promotes city diplomacy at the UN and a Senior Consultant to AxLR Ltd, a Geneva-based private company. Her policy research and publications focus on the functioning of the UN system, multilateral diplomacy and selected topics in international law.
Participants who successfully complete the training course receive a certificate of participation from the Geneva Academy.
This training is supported by the Swiss FDFA and is provided free of charge for newly Geneva-based diplomats.
Applications must be submitted via this online application form.
If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us: traininghub[at]geneva-academy.ch
Kamelia Kemileva is the Co-Director of the Global Cities Hub and a leading human rights expert.
Tram 15, tram stop Butini
Bus 1 or 25, bus stop Perle du Lac
Villa Moynier is accessible to persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or any additional needs and require assistance in order to participate fully, please email events[at]geneva-academy.ch
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