The United Nations - The Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme
~ Human Resources Development and Advancement of the Legal Order of the World's Oceans ~

*** SELECTION COMMITTEE DECISION FOR 2010/11 FELLOWSHIP AWARDS ***
NOW AVAILBALE BELOW

Fellowship Background and Overview

On 22 April 2004, the United Nations and The Nippon Foundation of Japan concluded a trust fund project agreement to provide capacity-building and human resource development to developing States Parties and non-Parties to UNCLOS through a new Fellowship Programme. The Programme is jointly executed by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). DOALOS serves as the focal point in charge of all substantive elements of the Project. DESA, in its capacity as implementing agency for the Project, is responsible for providing certain administrative services to the Project on behalf of DOALOS.

The main objective of the fellowship is to provide opportunities for advanced education and training in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea, and related disciplines including marine science in support of management frameworks, to Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States, so that they may obtain the necessary knowledge to assist their countries to formulate comprehensive ocean policy and to implement the legal regime set out in UNCLOS and related instruments.

Upon completion of the fellowship, fellows should have an advanced awareness and understanding of key issues and best international practices in ocean affairs and are expected to return to their home-countries to contribute their experience to assist with the effective implementation of UNCLOS and related instruments and programmes. Fellows should be able to design, implement and/or evaluate specific improvement projects in their home countries related to ocean affairs and the law of the sea, develop a core leadership capacity and have an in-depth understanding of legal frameworks, methodologies and tools to further improve implementation of instruments and programmes and to provide for their effective enforcement in conformity with international law.

Programme Structure

The 9-month Fellowship Programme is composed of two consecutive phases which provide Fellows with advanced and customized research and training opportunities in their chose fields:

Programme Information Pages

Selection Committee Decision on 2010-2011 Fellowship Awards ---> click here

Information for Applicants
(Qualifications and Application Materials)
updated: 26 May 09
-- new extended age qualification range
-- new simplified medical clearance process

Information for Successful Applicants and Current Fellows
(Forms, Procedures, Administration, Reporting)
updated: 27 May 09
-- new reporting requirements and thesis template
-- new simplified medical clearance process

Status of Placements
(Matches and Fellows in Session)
updated: 1 Nov 09
-- 8 Fellows have started their second-phase placements with the Division

List of Host Institutions
(39 Institutions from 19 Nations)
updated: 1 Nov 09
-- welcome to the Legal Department for National and European Institutions,
University of Milan-Bicocca (Milan, Itlay)

The Fellows and their Thesis
(Fellows' Profiles and Research Papers and Presentations)
updated: 28 Aug 09
-- updated 2009-2010 Fellows' Profiles
-- all 2008-2009 papers uploaded

Alumni Affairs
(Information, Event Announcements, News Letters)
updated: 1 Sept 09
-- new Alumni Representative

-- new news letter Vol 2.2 (May-July-09)
-- important message regarding user-maintained profiles
-- Asia-Pacific alumni meeting (presentations+photos+video)

Programme News and Developments

News and Media Page (news items including photos and URLs)

2010-2011 Fellowship Programme pamphlet available for download
(print double sided "turn-over")

5 November 2009
Dr. Betsy Baker, Associate Professor, Vermont Law School, on sabbatical at
Dartmouth College, Dickey Center, Institute of Arctic Studies (2009-2010)
provides an informal briefing Arctic Ocean continental shelf mapping and ecosystem-based management

28 October 2009
Mr. Philippe Gautier, Registrar of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
provides a briefing on the Tribunal and various cases relevant to the Fellows' research projects

27 October 2009
Ms. Miriam Sara-Repetto (Peru), 2005-2006 Fellow visits the
Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea

22 October 2009
Mr. Nagamitsu, Executive Director, The Nippon Foundation of Japan
Meets several 2009-2010 Fellows in New York on the occasion of the
2009 Fellowship Selection Committee Meeting

1 September 2009
Ms. Sampan Panjarat (Thailand) 2007-2008 Programme Alumni is appointed as new Alumni Representative

31 Aug - 4 September 2009
Mr. Ahamada Mohamed (Comoros) 2007-2008 Programme Alumni represents the Comoros during the
General Assembly Ad Hoc Working Group of the Whole
to recommend a course of action to the General Assembly on the
Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment,
Including Socio-Economic Aspects

29 Aug 2009
All 2009-2010 Fellows have begun their first-phase placements

19-21 Aug 2009
The Programme Advisor, Dr. Francois Bailet, conducts a site visit to Tulane University

24 June 2009
New News Letter (May-July'09) available on the Alumni Affairs page

22-26 June 2009
2 Alumni and Fellows participate in SPLOS 19 in New York, USA

17-19 June 2009
3 Alumni and Fellows participate in ICP 10 in New York, USA

25 May -5 June 2009
2 Alumni participate in ISA 15 in Kingston, Jamaica

16 April 2009
Alumni establish an Alumni website and commit to publishing a quarterly electronic news letter

15 April 2009
Alumni Leadership and Team-building Challenge won by team "Reza"
congratulations to the team and its leader

13-17 April 2009
Asia-Pacific Alumni Meeting held in Tokyo at The Nippon Foundation of Japan Headquarters,
co-organized by the Ocean Policy Research Foundation, with briefings provided by Academic Host Institution Professors, the Alumni, the Ocean Policy Research Foundation, the University of Tokyo, and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

13 April 2009
Chairman Sasakawa and the Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation meet in Tokyo with the Deputy Director of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea and the Division's Programme Adviser on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Alumni Meeting

12 Feb 2009
United Nations General Assembly once again takes note with satisfaction of the ongoing implementation
of the United Nations - Nippon Foundation Fellowship Programme
in its latest Oceans and the Law of the Sea Resolution ( A/RES/63/111)

The United Nations - Nippon Foundation Fellowship Programme Selection Committee
announces the 2009-2010 Fellowship Awards ---> click here
Successful candidates, including reserve candidates, have been contacted.
The United Nations - Nippon Foundation Fellowship Programme thanks all those who applied.

click here for News Archive

For more information, please contact:

The United Nations - The Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme
Attn. Dr. Francois Bailet, Programme Advisor
Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea
Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations
Two United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-0414
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.

Telephone: +1 (212) 963-3962
Facsimile: +1 (212) 963-5847
E-mail: questions