UNITAR Completes "Leveling the Playing Field" Programme with Swedish Government

Fall/Winter 2016-2017, New York, USA - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research, with the sponsorship of the Government of Sweden has been able to successfully develop the project “Leveling the Playing Field” which benefits a great number of Diplomats in New York every year. This year the trainings and events were focused on strengthening core skills needed for effective multilateral engagement and for the pacific settlement of disputes. For this purpose, UNITAR joined forces with Columbia Law School, the best suitable partner to implement a Certificate Programme named “Conflict Resolution, Mediation and Negotiation”.

Thanks to this programme the diplomats in New York were able to attend to the series with no additional fees and will receive a certificate co-signed by Columbia Law School and UNITAR at the end of the series.

The trainings led by high level professors Alexandra Carter and Shawn Watts, were launched with a course on Negotiation Fundamentals, and started with theory on Multilateral Negotiations and was complemented with practical exercises where participants learned about listening techniques, verbal and non-verbal communication or the importance of identifying facts, interests and feelings in a negotiation.  The workshop concluded with a mediation exercise where participants were able to go through a real conflict where everybody had a different role and finally came to a conclusion which satisfied all parties.

The second course in the series was entitled, “Processes for Sustainable Peace”. The course was attended by 25 diplomats, predominantly from member states of the Forum of Small States (FOSS) who enjoyed the sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations. The morning session began with an exercise entitled “what’s your story?” The delegates were asked to make pairs and tell their own story, and then the partner had to tell the story to the rest of the participants out loud.

This led to an in-depth discussion about Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Goal 16 is dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, the provision of access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels. The training was closed with an Agreement drafting Exercise where once again, the professors recreated real life situations to understand howto look into the important aspects of Sustainable Peace.

Closing this first series, participants continued strengthening their negotiation skills with the workshop “Conflict Resolution as a Tool for Innovation”. The training explored Conflict resolution discussions which serve as springboards for innovation, both within conflict-specific sessions and beyond. This training considered both components of this innovative capacity. Methods were discussed methods for repurposing problem solving spaces, for innovation beyond the specific conflict. Participants learned how can skills and spaces that are initially created for conflict resolution purposes are used after initial agreement(s) to innovate in order to prevent future conflicts from ballooning.

At UNITAR we understand the engagement with a multicultural community is very important for the youth. Due to this, UNITAR partnered with Stand Up Girls for an exciting event to educate young girls about the United Nations, and the roles that women play within the organization. In particular the Goals of the New Agenda 2030, goals (4) and (5) related to equitable and quality Education and Achieving Gender Equality and the empowerment of Women and Girls.

Under the Swedish project “Leveling the Playing field” we want to give the highest level of education possible, choosing the best possible experts. For continuing training on multilateral negotiations and pacific settlement of disputes, UNITAR organized with Yale Professor Dr. Roy Lee another series of courses.

During the first session: “Challenges Facing Multilateral Negotiations”, Dr. Lee directed an interactive discussion on the position the United Nations Secretary-General (SG) holds. Dr Lee also outlined the role of the Security Council. Delegates and Dr. Lee considered the changes that the Security Council should seek. They proposed the enlargement of the Security Council to construct a more inclusive body, since the last vote is always left to the P5s. In the second half of the day, Professor Lee introduced an exercise for the participant asking to brainstorm possible causes and solutions of refugees.  The whole session was very interactive and participants learnt the strategies and results of Multilateral Negotiations

Peacekeeping is, no doubt, the most important activity of the United Nations for maintaining international peace and security. It is critical that peacekeeping operations are carried out effectively and efficiently, and are serving the people who are in need of assistance.  This seminar addressed the major obstacles and challenges we face, explained how such difficulties are evolved and explores how these issues can be better managed. 

The participants were introduced in the process of provision of peacekeepers, from selection to compensation and how peacekeepers are protected. To finish a debate on the accountability of peacekeepers was raised, analyzing also the different civil and criminal offenses and the ways of punishment.

Under this same programme, UNITAR NYO with the support of the Permanent Mission of Sweden is developing a mobile app to facilitate the work of the FOSS member states in the United Nations Environment. The app is expected to be tested at the end of December and launched on the first three weeks of 2017.

UNITAR NYO thanks the Government of Sweden for this generous collaboration and the experts from Yale and Columbia Law School for all the skills and knowledge transmitted for the participants during this successful series that will continue during 2017 with trainings on “Women in Peace Negotiations” Mediation and Human Rights”, “Designing Multi-Tiered Conflict Resolution”, “The International Court of Justice” and another empowerment event for future female leaders with “Stand Up Girls”.

Photo Credit: UNITAR

Thumbnail Photo Credit: UN Photo, Rick Bajornas