Call for applications

The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs is now accepting applications for the 2020 session of the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Thematic Fellowship.

The 2020 session of the Thematic Fellowship will focus on the “Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ocean governance frameworks”.

The Thematic Fellowship aims at increasing capacity at the national level through funded advanced training and research in the above thematic area. Following the Fellowship, it is expected that awardees would have obtained the necessary skills to assist their countries to formulate policies towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in conformity with UNCLOS and related instruments.

In 2020, twelve fellowships will be awarded: ten to candidates from developing States, and two to candidates from developed States. The Programme will consist of a four-month training phase with DOALOS at United Nations Headquarters in New York, from mid-August to mid-December 2020.

Required qualifications: Please note that candidates must be between the ages of 25 and 40, possess at least a first university degree or equivalent, and demonstrate a solid background in ocean affairs, including Law of the Sea, and a need for further in-depth training in this year’s thematic area. They must be Government officials or other mid-level professionals dealing directly with issues such as, but not limited to, sustainable development of oceans and seas, including the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Women are strongly invited to apply, with a view to achieving gender balance in the selection process.

A detailed outline of the required qualifications, along with the application forms and additional Programme information is available on the Fellowship Programme webpage.

Please note that candidates are expected to use the application package, which can be downloaded from this homepage.

Completed applications must be transmitted to DOALOS at doalos@un.org, copied to vracar@un.org, germani@un.org and jessica.howley@un.org no later than 20 March 2020. Kindly note that it will not be possible to consider incomplete or late applications.

Awards will be made by mid-May 2020 and successful candidates will begin the Programme in mid-August 2020.