The Minorities Fellowship Programme (MFP), established in 2005, is OHCHR’s most comprehensive training program for human rights and minority rights defenders from national or ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities.
Fellows should have a comprehensive understanding of the United Nations system, international human rights treaties and mechanisms in general, and those related to minorities in particular, by the end of the MFP. Fellows should also be capable of providing additional training to their communities/organizations.
The Programme further serves as an opportunity for human rights activists working towards the protection and promotion of minority rights to expand their partners’ base. They do this by building a strategic dialogue with fellow activists from across the globe, the United Nations, and relevant Geneva-based NGOs, amongst other partners.
The Programme is offered in three linguistic components: English, Russian, and Arabic.
Benefits
The MFP takes place in Geneva, Switzerland. Fellows are entitled to:
- A return ticket (economy class) from the country of residence to Geneva;
- Basic health insurance for the duration of the Programme; and
- A stipend to cover modest accommodation and other living expenses for the duration of the Program
Requirements
- The candidate must belong to a national, ethnic, linguistic or religious minority group (persons who do not belong to a minority group will not be taken into consideration, even if they have close links with minority communities and/or organizations).Note: If your community identifies as indigenous, please do not apply to this programme but to our Indigenous Fellowship Programme. Please note that the Indigenous Fellowship is a separate programme and has different application forms and deadlines.
- Formal education should not be a limitation to participation in the Minorities Fellowship Programme, if relevant experience can be demonstrated.
- Candidates should have ability, willingness and possibility to train other persons belonging to minorities upon return to their respective communities/organizations, and should agree to do so.
- Candidates must have good working knowledge of the language in which the programme is imparted.
- The candidate should be proposed—and his/her candidacy supported—by his/her organization and/or community. It is desirable that the sponsoring organization
• has a firm constituency or membership in the minority;
• is representative of minority issues;
• undertakes work on minority issues; and
• is composed of persons belonging to minorities. - The overall goal of the Minorities Fellowship Programme is to offer persons belonging to minorities the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the field of international human rights in order to assist their organizations and communities in protecting and promoting human and minority rights. Therefore, it is important that the candidate proposed and nominated by a minority organization or community be someone who will return to his or her NGO to work in this field.
An advisory group composed of OHCHR staff undertakes the selection of successful candidates.
The selection of fellows reflects a gender and regional balance. We also take into consideration the general human rights situation in the respective regions/countries, and the situation of the minority community to which the applicant belongs.
In view of the large number of applications, we regret to inform that only successful candidates will be contacted.
Method of Application
Fellowship application forms are available in English | Russian | Arabic.
Both parts I and II of the application form must be filled in and signed. In addition, application forms need to be accompanied by an official recommendation letter from the nominating organization or community. Fellowship applications will only be taken into consideration if they are fully completed.
Interested candidates should submit their application indicating “Application to the 2024 Minorities Fellowship Programme” as subject either by e-mail* to ohchr-fellowship@un.org or by post to:
Mr. Morse Caoagas Flores
Coordinator, Indigenous & Minorities Fellowship Programmes
Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
48, Avenue Giuseppe-Motta, Office 2-05
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
For More Information,
Visit the Official Webpage
Application Deadline: December 8, 2023.
