UNITAR Human Rights Council Training Programme - September Edition 2025
UNITAR is delighted to offer the September edition of the Human Rights Council Training Programme. This course will run in parallel to the real UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and aims at providing participants with in-depth knowledge on human rights and the functioning of the UN`s key body to promote them.
In line with UNITAR's mandate, this programme aspires to enhance participants' knowledge and skills in the areas of human rights and international affairs. This will empower them to take on leadership roles in their respective environments and thereby continue to promote the respect for human rights in the world.
UNITAR further intends to strengthen the participants’ conviction of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, especially human rights. It lastly aspires to give its participants the opportunity to gain valuable insights into possible employment opportunities in the United Nations system.
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1963 as an autonomous body within the United Nations with the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the work of the UN and its member states.
UNITAR designs and conducts close to 500 different training and knowledge sharing events per year for some 50,000 beneficiaries worldwide. Participants include diplomats, other government officials, non-governmental representatives, and other stakeholders.
At the heart of UNITAR, the Multilateral Diplomacy Programme Unit (MDPU) delivers training workshops to address the needs of these international actors. MDPU’s activities cover a wide range of domains, including training on the UN system and skills development.
The Human Rights Council Training Programme aims to provide participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand the inner workings of the Human Rights Council and situate them within the broader context of the UN system. After completion of the course, participants should be able to:
- Examine key activities and procedures of the UN Human Rights Council
- Identify vital components of the United Nations System and its agencies
- Demonstrate core diplomatic skills in negotiation and drafting resolutions
- Develop essential knowledge and skills to achieve professional growth
- Adapt values and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter
The Human Rights Council Training Programme lasts three weeks and runs on UNITAR ́s virtual learning platform. It is created and facilitated by senior experts working at UN agencies. In addition, UNITAR staff stands ready to interact with participants on a daily basis.
e-Learning Modules:
The backbone of the Human Rights Council Training Programme will be three e-Learning modules. Every module contains reading material, multimedia files, a discussion forum for written exchanges and a multiple choice assessment quiz. The course will contain:
- Module 1 - The United Nations
- Module 2 - Conference Diplomacy
- Module 3 - Human Rights, Climate Change and the SDG's
Expert Webinars:
UNITAR’s professional network across Geneva allows it to organize a series of 1.5 hour live-webinars, in which participants can directly learn from UN experts or other high-level officials. They include webinars on:
- Welcome and introduction to the United Nations
- Current human rights issues
- Group reflection and closing ceremony
E-Workshops:
As its core activity and raison d’être, UNITAR provides several online workshops to the participants. Delivered by experts such as current UN staff or retired ambassadors, this programme includes the following e-workshops:
- Negotiation Skills
- Leadership Skills
- UN Resolution Writing Skills
Virtual Guided Tours:
Geneva is rich in historic buildings important to international affairs. Thanks to its access across the city, UNITAR can provide a series of virtual guided tours. Previous programmes have included virtual tours through the following facilities:
- The UN’ Palace of Nations (3-hours extensive private virtual tour)
- The diplomatic district of International Geneva with its manifold international organizations
Live-Streamed Conferences:
With the real UN Human Rights Council having its session in parallel, it will be possible for participants to attend real human rights council sessions via live-stream. Part of the programme is attending these sessions together and debriefing them with UN experts.
- Live Human Rights Council Session
- Debriefings with UN experts
The Human Rights Council Training Programme will be run from UNITAR's e-Learning platform, where announcements and relevant links to activities will be posted. In addition to the above-mentioned components, the platform will contain online reading material, interactive quizzes, which participants are free to study at anytime.
The expert webinars, e-workshops, virtual guided tours and other live components will mostly be delivered through the online software Zoom. The programme´s agenda is designed in such a way that the live-components do not exceed 3.5 hours a day.
All expert webinars, e-workshops and virtual guided tours will be recorded and made available on the UNITAR platform in case a participant was unable to attend them live. In addition, Human Rights Council sessions can be live-streamed any time the participants wish. The total workload of the course is approximately 40 hours.
UNITAR welcomes a variety of professional backgrounds as well as different degrees of experience among its participants. The Human Rights Council Training Programme is therefore open to all actors related to international affairs wishing to build up knowledge and skills related to the United Nations or International Geneva.
Participants can include public sector officials, private sector professionals and representatives from NGOs, think tanks or academia. Junior professionals and graduate students are equally welcome to apply.
In order to ensure the highest quality standards, registration will be closed after 40 participants. Allocation of slots will be on a first-come, first-served basis. At the end of the programme, each successful participant will be awarded an official UNITAR certificate of completion.
UNITAR will be responsible for the overall design, coordination and implementation of the Human Rights Council Training Programme. It will liaise with participants on a regular basis prior to the activity's implementation in order to ensure a smooth and flawless organization for everyone involved.
The participants are responsible to ensure they are in possession of the basic necessary hardware, software and connectivity to engage in online training activities. For scholarships, kindly email multilateralism [at] unitar.org (multilateralism[at]unitar[dot]org) for further inquiry.