Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are advancing at a pace that far exceeds the ability of existing governance frameworks to regulate, integrate, and leverage them effectively. As AI increasingly shapes decision-making, power dynamics, and institutional effectiveness, governments and international organizations face growing challenges in adapting policies and governance mechanisms to keep pace. While global efforts to establish AI governance frameworks are underway, significant gaps remain between the speed of technological change and the capacity of institutions to respond.

AI presents both significant opportunities and complex challenges for multilateral cooperation and sustainable development. It has the potential to enhance institutional efficiency, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making, while also raising important ethical, regulatory, and governance concerns. At the same time, uneven access to and adoption of AI technologies risks widening existing digital divides, affecting the ability of states and institutions to participate fully and equitably in global governance processes.

To address these challenges, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) are partnering to deliver an Executive Education Programme Series on AI and Negotiation. The series will equip leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the opportunities, risks, and implications of AI in negotiation, diplomacy, and international cooperation.

The Executive Programme Series on Negotiation and Artificial Intelligence includes three programmes: 

1.      Negotiation in the Age of AI – New York, USA & Hybrid

2.       AI Governance – Geneva, Switzerland & Hybrid

3.       AI and Decision-Making – New York, USA & Hybrid

More information on these Programmes can be found via the links above.

The training programmes are designed to build the capacities of a diverse cohort, including diplomats, delegates, international civil servants and policymakers, academics, and professionals working across the public and private sectors.

The programmes will be delivered in English, hence fluency in English is a requirement for participation.

Given the senior level of the intended cohort, programmes will assume working familiarity with multilateral or executive contexts and will be calibrated to the practical demands of working with AI in professional settings, equipping participants to deploy, evaluate, and govern these tools in their own institutions

The executive programmes are each delivered over a one-week period and jointly designed and delivered by UNITAR and SIPA. The programmes will be delivered in a blended format, utilizing a hybrid mode of instruction to enable participants to join the sessions either in-person or online. 

The in-person sessions of the programmes on the Negotiation in the Age of AI and AI and Decision Making will be held on the campus of Columbia University and the UN Headquarters in New York City (or other location near UNHQ), and the session on AI Governance will be held in Geneva, Switzerland. This flexible delivery model is intended to maximize global reach and impact.

Instructional methodologies will include a range of interactive lectures, case studies, negotiation simulations, scenario analyses, the application of AI and data science tools, group exercises, stakeholder discussions, high-level roundtables, and site visits. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s leading experts in Negotiation and AI.

The programme structure is designed to provide participants with a rigorous and applied understanding of key issues under the thematic umbrella of AI and Negotiation. While the programmes are thematically interconnected, each is designed as a standalone programme. Participants may therefore enrol in individual programmes or pursue all three as a series, according to their professional interests and needs.

Upon completion of the relevant programme(s), participants would be awarded a joint UNITAR - Columbia SIPA Certificate of Completion. Participants who complete all three programmes would additionally receive an overarching certificate for the full series

Participants in the Executive Education Programme Series on AI and Negotiation will gain access to a range of professional, academic, and networking benefits designed to support their leadership development and career advancement in an increasingly AI-enabled global environment.

• Joint Columbia SIPA–UNITAR Certificate: Earn a Joint Certificate from SIPA and UNITAR--two of the world’s leading institutions in multilateral diplomacy, public policy, and international affairs--upon the successful completion of each programme. Participants who complete all three programmes would additionally receive an overarching certificate or the full series.
• Access to World-Class Faculty and Practitioners: Learn from leading academics, policy experts, diplomats, negotiators, and practitioners from Columbia SIPA, UNITAR, and the broader international community who are shaping the future of AI governance and multilateral cooperation.
• Membership in a Growing Community of Practice: Become part of a global network of professionals, diplomats, government officials, international civil servants, and regulators focused on AI, governance, negotiation, and decision-making, creating valuable professional connections that can support future collaboration, policy dialogue, and professional opportunities.
• Peer Learning and Cross-Sector Exchange: Expand perspectives through engagement with participants working at the forefront of AI policy, diplomacy, and governance from different sectors and regions and gain practical insights into how AI challenges and opportunities are being addressed across different national and institutional contexts.
• Practical Skills and Applied Learning: Acquire hands-on experience with AI-enabled tools and policy frameworks as well as immediately applicable skills through case study analysis, negotiation simulations, real-word policy exercises, forecasting tools, and scenario planning.
• Enhanced Professional Credentials: Enhance your expertise and competencies in AI, negotiation, governance, and decision-making and gain insights into emerging international norms, regulatory developments, governance frameworks, and geopolitical dynamics that are shaping the future of artificial intelligence worldwide.
• Alumni Engagement Opportunities: Receive invitations to select thought leadership events, policy forums, and networking opportunities organized by Columbia SIPA and UNITAR, to remain engaged with evolving developments in AI and international affairs.
• Exposure to Global Centers of Diplomacy: Gain Exposure to the global centers of diplomacy in New York City and Geneva.

For further information, please contact Ms. Anouk Reilly (anouk.reilly@unitar.org) and Mr. Konstantinos Stravoravdis (konstantinos.stravoravdis@unitar.org).