“The seminar opened our eyes and minds to the world of the UN and multilateral diplomacy."

At the request of and in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), UNITAR’s Multilateral Diplomacy Programme (MDP) implemented two training activities in Jerusalem from 6-10 June 2010. The activities focused on strengthening the participants’ skills in the field of multilateral negotiations and conference diplomacy through a practice-oriented and interactive training methodology. One of the workshops was a component of the Ministry’s training curriculum on multilateral diplomacy for Israeli cadet diplomats.

The two workshops for junior and senior diplomats had three main learning objectives: (1) to grasp the main purposes of multilateral conferences; (2) to integrate formal and informal conference processes; and (3) to identify conference preparations, coordination and management. 95 per cent of junior diplomats would recommend the course to a colleague.

Cooperation in the field of multilateral diplomacy between UNITAR and Israel’s MOFA highlights the Institute’s focus on developing strategic partnerships with governments, organizations, academia and private sector actors. This project is part of the Institute’s Customized Training, which are activities designed in partnership with Member States and other partner organizations within and outside the United Nations system. Collaboration at the country level has helped UNITAR tailor the trainings to the needs from specialized ministries, agencies, and other target audiences that are increasingly required to engage in diplomacy. The training also builds on UNITAR’s experience in training diplomats posted at the UN Headquarters in New York, as well as UN Offices in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna.