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~ Information, Instructions and Forms for Fellows ~ |
Fellows
are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the information
presented below and to visit this page regularly as it is periodically updated.
Furthermore, throughout the Fellowship Programme, Fellows will be required to
complete and return to the Programme Advisor various documents which are
available for download by following the respective links below. Fellows will
also find links to web-pages which are maintained by DESA and provide
information regarding certain administrative aspects of the Fellowship
Programme.
United
Nations Fellows are reminded that they understand and have accepted the
following obligations:
(1) To conduct themselves at all times in a manner compatible with my
responsibilities as the holder of a United Nations Fellowship;
(2) To refrain during the period of the award from engaging in political,
commercial and any other activities other than those governed by the fellowship
programme;
(3) To not use their office, knowledge or confidential information gained from
the Fellowship Programme for private gain, financial or otherwise, or for the
private gain of any third party, including family, friends and those they favour. Nor to use the above-mentioned information for
personal reasons to prejudice the position of those they do not favour.
(4) To provide all necessary information in a timely manner to the Fellowship
Programme and Host Institutions so as to ensure the normal administration of
the Fellowship Programme;
(5) To carry out their research and studies in the manner, and within the
period, prescribed by the Fellowship Programme;
(6) To comply with the reporting requirements as stipulated by the Fellowship
Programme;
(7) To follow travel and payment instructions issued by the United Nations;
(8) To bear the cost of all medical expenses for which the insurance company
will not assume specific responsibility; and
(9) To return to my home country at the end of the fellowship.
This
page is organized into the following hyperlinked
sections:
Fellowship Coordination
Award of Fellowships
Placement Process
Visas
Travel and Payment (Stipends – Book Allowance)
Medical Insurance
Housing
OBLIGATORY Reporting Requirements
Fellows' Group Server and Alumni
Website
Fellowship
Coordination top
The United
Nations - The Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme is administered
by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), Office of
Legal Affairs of the United Nations, in partnership with the Training and
Fellowships Section of the United Nations Division for Economic and Social
Affairs (DESA).
The
Fellowship application and selection process is administered by DOALOS, as is
the placement and overall coordination of the Fellows during their tenure with
the host institutions. Travel, stipend payment and insurance services are
coordinated jointly by DOALOS and DESA.
Unless otherwise instructed by DOALOS, Fellows should
communicate directly with the Programme Advisor and all other subsequent
correspondence, for example with DESA and host institutions, should be copied
to the same.
Following
the Selection Committee's decision on the award of Fellowships, DOALOS will
contact successful candidates to inform them of the decision and confirm their
availability to accept the Award. Each successful candidate must duly complete,
sign, and return the “UN-Nippon Fellow Acceptance Statement”. This form is
included with the notice of award sent to successful candidates and is also
available for download
here.
It is
critical that Fellows provide their accurate e-mail, telephone and fax numbers,
as well as their postal address, as the subsequent placement process will
require frequent direct communications between the Fellows, the Programme
Advisor and Host Institution officials. Failure to provide this information,
or to react to communications in a timely manner, may lead to the withdrawal of
the Fellowship award.
NEW Medical
Clearance procedure:
Successfully candidates must
be “medically cleared” by the United Nations Medical Service before their award
is processed. It is thus very important that all successful candidates ensure
that the UN Medical Form is duly completed by a physician and submitted,
including the required supporting documentation, to DOALOS by the deadline. The
UN Medical Form must be completed by a physician no more than four (4) months
prior to the effective date of the award, and all costs related to the medical
examinations are to be borne by the candidates.
Note that the results of the laboratory tests preformed under the “Laboratory”
section of this form must not only be entered in the form, but the original
laboratory results (reports) must also be submitted with the form, along with
the X-ray film. Incomplete UN Medical Forms, including the omission of original
laboratory results and x-rays, will cause delays in the processing of your
application and may result in disqualification.
--> Successful candidates must forward
directly to DOALOS their completed UN Medical Form, along with the original
laboratory reports and x-ray film.
The form can be downloaded here: The UN Medical Form (click to download in Adobe PDF format)
Note that no award will be processed until the
Letter of Acceptance has been returned and Medical Clearance and relevant visa
requirements have been fulfilled.
Once
the Fellow’s Acceptance Statement has been received, and he/she is medically
cleared by the United Nations Medical Service, the placement process will
begin.
Fellows
should understand that the placement process must take into account a wide
range of factors including host institution availability, research/study
themes, and visa requirements. As such, every effort will be made in order to
ensure that Fellows are placed with the most appropriate host institutions (and
supervisors), as per their stated preferences, and in accordance with their proposed
study/research theme.
However,
the Fellowship Programme reserves the right to make a final decision on all
placements.
Once
an appropriate host institution and possible placement dates have been
identified for the first placement (Phase One: 6 months), the Fellow will be
asked to confirm his/her availability to begin the proposed placement. Upon
receiving this confirmation, the Programme Advisor will place the Fellow in
direct contact with the host institution supervisor so that discussions regarding
the academic programme of study, as well as host institution administrative
requirements, may begin.
The
second placement (Phase Two: 3 months) will normally be with DOALOS (
In
certain cases, Fellows may be placed with an alternate host institution for the
second placement. Although exceptional, such cases may arise, for example, if
an alternate host institution could provide a more appropriate research/study
environment with respect to the Fellow’s research/study theme.
It is
very important that once Fellows receive confirmation of their placement,
they immediately begin applying for visa(s) for the host country(ies). While the United Nations and the host institution(s) may
provide Fellows with certain supporting documents in this regard, the timely obtention of all necessary visa(s) – including transit
visa(s) – is the sole responsibility of the Fellows. Although the Fellows are
also responsible for the costs of obtaining visa(s), it should be noted that
the first month’s stipend rate (“Max Trav” rate) is
higher than the subsequent months (“Max Res” rate) so as to offset such costs.
Fellows
will not be authorized to travel until they have secured the necessary visa(s)
for the first placement, and, in certain cases, they may be required to secure
visa(s) for both placements before commencing the first.
Fellows
should understand that certain visa application processes are very lengthy and
thus they should plan accordingly while considering the timing of their
placements and the overall duration of the Fellowship tenure.
Once
Fellows have secured the required visa(s), they should immediately inform the
Programme Advisor so that their Travel and Payment instructions can be processed.
Fellows are asked not to take family members with
them during the Fellowship placements. The United Nations and the host
institutions will not provide any supporting documentation for visa
application(s) of family members. Also note that the monthly stipend rates are
sufficient only to cover the normal living expenses of one person, and that no
allowances of any kind will be paid for accompanying family members.
Furthermore, the Fellows’ medical insurance, which is arranged by the United
Nations, will not cover any family members accompanying Fellows during their
tenure. Fellows should also consider that, in the course of their award, they
may be required to travel under circumstances that would make it difficult or
impossible for their family members to accompany them.
Travel and Payment (Stipends – Book Allowance)
top
Fellows
will be provided with a return air-ticket in economy class for travels from
their home country to the first host institution, from the first host
institution to the second, and from the second host institution back to their
home country.
Travel
arrangements will be made by the United Nations, in certain cases through local
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices, and in accordance with the
applicable United Nations policies.
Fellows
will receive a stipend during their 9-month fellowship in accordance with the
established United Nations rates for each host Country. These rates are updated
regularly and available on the following URL:
http://esa.un.org/techcoop/fellowships/stipendrates.html
For
the first month of the Fellowship, Fellows will receive their stipend at the
“Max Trav” rate, and all subsequent months will be at
the non-academic “Max Res” rate, unless their Host Institution provides
accommodation, in which case the Fellows will receive a stipend at the academic
“Max Res” rate.
Stipend
paid to Fellows while outside the home country is a monthly allowance intended
to cover the cost of lodging, board and other essentials such as laundry and
local transport. Stipend is normally payable in the local currency of the host
country. Stipend is not a salary or honorarium. It is not intended to cover the
Fellows' continuing expenses at home for themselves, nor their families.
Stipend
is due from the date the Fellows depart from their home countries, and ends on
the date of completion of the Fellowship, including a maximum travel time of up
to two days by the most direct air route.
Whenever
possible, the first month’s stipend will be paid to the Fellow in advance. This
payment will be organized in conjunction with travel arrangements, both of
which may be facilitated by a local UNDP office. Specific information regarding
the travel and payment instructions will be provided to the Fellow, as early as
possible, but not before all medical, placement and visa procedures have been
completed.
During
the first phase of the Fellowship placement, namely the 6-month tenure with the
first host institution, Fellows will be entitled to a Book Allowance of US$100
per month. This allowance will be transferred to the Fellow either as a
lump-sum payment with the second month’s stipend payment, or on a monthly basis
with each stipend payment.
Once
the Fellows have started their tenure with the first host institution, they
should open a local bank account, and complete and return a "Funds
Transfer Form" (F249) to the Programme Advisor without delay. This form is
available for download
here.
Subsequent
payments will be made through direct bank transfers to the bank account as
stipulated in the Funds Transfer Request Form filed by the Fellow. If Fellows
are unable to open a bank account due to local banking policies, they are
requested to contact the Programme Advisor as soon as possible.
As international financial transactions are strictly
regulated, Fellows are strongly advised to open a local bank account and
communicate their banking information to the Programme Advisor immediately upon
arrival so as to avoid delays in the transfer of subsequent stipend payments.
Fellows
are automatically enrolled in a medical insurance scheme for the duration of
their Fellowship award. This coverage is provided by J. VAN
Fellows
should familiarize themselves with their coverage levels and claim procedures, before
traveling to their first placement, by consulting the following URLs:
http://esa.un.org/techcoop/fellowships/policies_III_medical.html
and
http://www.vanbreda-international.com
Fellows
are responsible for securing their accommodations for both placement locations.
In certain cases, it may be possible for Fellows to make the appropriate
arrangements through their host institutions. Nonetheless, all such
arrangements are the sole responsibility of the Fellows. The United Nations, as
well as the Host Institutions, will not act on behalf of the Fellows, serve as
guarantors, or accept any liabilities or responsibilities in this regard.
United
Nations Headquarters Internship Programme Housing Information download here.
Fellows are strongly encouraged to research local
housing markets as soon as possible, and secure their accommodations as early
as possible.
Fellows
are required to complete several reports during the Fellowship Programme. These
reporting requirements are mandatory, and if Fellows do not meet these
requirements, they will not be granted a confirmation of completion for the
Fellowship Programme and the United Nations will take all appropriate actions
including informing the Fellows’ nominating authority and Government.
Please
note that the Fellowship Programme reserves the right to make modifications to
these reporting requirements during the course of the Programme, and the
fulfillment of such modifications by Fellows will also be mandatory.
The
current requirements are outlined in the "Fellowship Reporting
Requirements" document which is available for download
here. It is also the Fellows' responsibility to discuss these requirements
with the host institution supervisor when elaborating the programme of work.
The mandatory thesis structure template is available for download here.
Fellows' Group Server and Alumni Website top
Incoming
Fellows must join the UN-Nippon
Fellows Group which is a group-server established with the following
vision:
"This group is dedicated to the United Nations and the Nippon Foundation
Fellows on the Law of the Sea. The group email will be the platform for the
Fellows to exchange their views and discuss issues related to the Law of the
sea and to associated subjects. The group will be open to Fellows who have
completed their programmes as well as the incoming
Fellows. In this way, the new Fellows might take advantage of the experiences
of the previous Fellows. The group email will be used also to keep in touch,
given that the Fellows come from the four corners of the world. It will be a
good place to share experiences and giving little briefs on the type of
projects or work being undertaken once the Fellows have returned back to their
own country."
Fellows
may join the group-server by registering with the moderator (an alumnus of the
first Fellowship Programme session). This procedure is simple and can be
started by following the "Join this Group" link on the group
homepage.
New
Fellows are encouraged to make use of the group-server to discuss with the
alumni substantive and administrative topics, including information regarding
experiences with visa requirements and housing. However, it should be noted
that the group-server is an initiative of the Fellows, and not an official
website of the Fellowship Programme. As such, the information posted on the
group-server and its associated e-mail list should be accurate and useful, but
does constitute an official source of information for the Fellowship Programme,
and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, The Nippon
Foundation of Japan, or that of the Programme Host Institutions.
The Alumni website is also a rich source of information
and the gateway into the international community of Fellowship Alumni. Fellows
are provided with unique access to a range of information and media pages as
well as services and a @unfalumni.org e-mail address. Fellows are also required
to maintain their own profile page on the Alumni website.