From 28 February to 25 March 2011, participants from all over the world are invited to attend this four week online course, to be delivered via UNITAR’s e-learning platform. Last year more than 100 participants coming from 54 different countries attended this e-learning course. During the evaluation 91 % of the respondents considered that the course was relevant for their job and that they would recommend it to their colleagues. As one participant exclaimed, “Everybody involved in an international conference should take this course!” (Testimonial from a participant of the Multilateral Conferences and Diplomacy e-learning course, 2010).

Over the last twenty years the number of multilateral conferences has risen considerably. Governments as well as increasing numbers of other actors, such as international and non-governmental organizations, use multilateral conferences to achieve important policy objectives. As a result, government officials and staff from intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, are more commonly asked to play significant roles in multilateral conferences and in international decision-making processes. To provide these delegates with the skills and expertise required for their participation in such conferences, UNITAR’s Multilateral Diplomacy Programme (MDP) has developed an online course on Multilateral Conferences and Diplomacy which has been running successfully since 2006.

The course targets mid to senior-level government officers in ministries preparing for and/or taking part in multilateral conferences as well as staff from intergovernmental/nongovernmental organizations.  It also targets entry-level and mid-career diplomats working in a multilateral setting. Private sector specialists and students whose work or studies are related to this subject are also encouraged to register. The main objective of the course is to enhance the performance of the course participants as conference delegates. The course will enable participants to contribute actively to the efficiency and productiveness of conferences by teaching them the rules of procedure and values, as well as the use of appropriate language and the importance of informal consultations. Having taken this course, every participant will be able to identify how multilateral conferences unfold and detect and incorporate other delegations' strategies.

The course is divided into four training modules: “Introduction to the World of Multilateral Conferences”, “The Formal and Informal Processes of Conferences”, “Negotiation and Decision-making” and “Preparing for an International Conference”. The course will be moderated by Ambassador Ronald Walker, a former Australian diplomat, a distinguished UNITAR Senior Trainer and Visiting Fellow at the Asia Pacific College of Diplomacy. He has served in the Australian missions in Phnom Penh, Manila, London, Ankara, Paris, Copenhagen, Geneva and Vienna and is the author of the book, Multilateral Conferences: Purposeful International Negotiation published by Palgrave McMillan. As the course moderator, Ambassador Walker will regularly liaise with the course participants to answer any questions pertaining to the course lessons and material. Participants are encouraged to access and download all the learning material at their own convenience from UNITAR’s e-learning platform. All the learning materials consist of a mixture of reading material, videos, case studies, assessment quizzes and a wealth of other information. The course itself will place special emphasis on online discussions and self-paced learning. Participants will therefore be largely responsible for their own learning pace. UNITAR estimates that the course will constitute approximately 40 hours of study for most participants over the one month training period.

Multilateral Conferences and Diplomacy course online registration is now open.

There are still some places available for anyone wishing to participate in the course. Should you wish to receive further information regarding the course, please do not hesitate to contact the MDP Team at mdp-elearning@unitar.org

The course will also be delivered in Spanish and French languages later this year. More information about the dates of these courses can be found on the MDP's website (http://www.unitar.org/event/by/mdp)