Fully Funded 2025 United Nations Regional Course in International Law.

Applications are now open for the 2025 United Nations Regional Course in International Law for Africa. The United Nations Regional Course in International Law for Africa is organized by the Codification Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs in cooperation with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Union, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The Regional Course is scheduled to be held in person at the facilities of the ECA in Addis Ababa, from 20 February to 14 March 2025 and will be conducted in English. The course will accommodate up to 30 participants, including a limited number of spaces for self-funded participants.

Objectives

The Regional Courses provide high-quality training by leading scholars and practitioners on a broad range of core subjects of international law, as well as specific subjects of particular interest in a given region. In addition, the interactive nature of the training allows the participants to share experiences and exchange ideas, which promotes greater understanding and cooperation on legal matters in the region.

The Regional Courses are intended to enable qualified professionals, in particular government officials and teachers of international law from developing countries and countries with emerging economies, to deepen their knowledge of international law and of the legal work of the United Nations and its associated bodies.

The Regional Courses consist of seminars given by prominent international law scholars and practitioners from different regions and legal systems.

Course content

The Regional Courses may include seminars on the following topics:

Introduction to international law
Treaty law
State responsibility
International peace and security
Peaceful settlement of international disputes
Diplomatic and consular law
International organizations
United Nations institutions and law making
The Work of the International Law Commission
African Union law and institutions
Organization of American States law and institutions
International human rights law
Movements of persons
International humanitarian law
International criminal law
International environmental law
International watercourses
Law of the sea
International trade law
International investment law
Legal research
Legal drafting

Requirements

To qualify to be considered for the Regional Courses, candidates must have a legal background with professional experience in the field of international law.
Candidates must also be fluent in the language in which the Course is offered (English in 2025).
The selected candidates are required to certify that they are able to attend the course in its entirety.
The Regional Course accommodates up to 30 participants.

This Regional Course is open to candidates from Member States of the United Nations which are also members of the African Group .

Benefits

For those participants receiving a fellowship, the fellowship will cover travel, accommodation, meals, medical insurance, and training materials. Fellowship recipients will also receive a modest stipend to cover other living expenses in accordance with the policies and procedures governing the administration of United Nations fellowships.
There will also be a limited number of spaces for self-funded participants. With the exception of training materials, self-funded participants bear all costs associated with their participation in the Regional Course (eg travel, medical insurance, accommodation and living expenses).

Selection process

When selecting participants for the Regional Courses, due consideration is given to the candidates’ qualifications, to the scope of their professional duties, to the relevance of the training to their professional duties, and to gender balance. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.