UNITAR Strengthens Diplomats’ Skills to Efficiently Chair Conferences

October 2014, Rome, Italy – In times of multilateral decision-making, the Chair of an international conference or high-level meeting plays an essential role in ensuring an effective exchange of arguments and a substantive negotiation outcome. In light of the Chair’s important role, UNITAR's Multilateral Diplomacy Programme organised a two-day workshop on “Chairing International Meetings and Working with the Chair” at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome.

As part of UNITAR's core diplomatic training activities, the workshop introduced 12 participants to the manifold roles a Chair of an international meeting or conference is required to assume, both in procedural and substantive terms. The training included numerous practical exercises, allowing the participants to put the acquired theoretical knowledge immediately into practice.

The participants could benefit from the experience of Ambassador Dr. Uglješa Zvekić who served as the resource person of the two-day workshop. “I greatly enjoyed hearing about his own experiences and the challenges he faced”, one participant said after the workshop. A former Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Zvekić was the Chair of the Commission and the Executive Committee of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as well as the President of the General Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from 2011 to 2013.

The feedback received from participants was highly positive, with 93 percent of them reporting that they achieved the workshop’s learning objectives fully or mostly. Similarly, 92 percent found the acquired knowledge directly applicable in their day-to-day work. “I was able to relate much of the information and analysis provided to my own experience in Rome and participation in multilateral negotiations”, one diplomat noted. Many participants encouraged UNITAR to organise additional courses and workshops in Rome.

Bearing this positive feedback in mind, UNITAR is already looking forward to implementing training activities for the diplomatic community at major UN locations in the upcoming months, including a workshop on “Drafting, Adopting and Negotiating UN Resolutions” in Geneva.

Related links

UNITAR's Core Diplomatic Training