2021 Virtual Training Series
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to make the implementation of in-person activities under the United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellowship (‘UNNF’) Programmes not feasible until at least the second half of 2021, the Division proposes, after consultation with UNNF Alumni, to implement a new six-month programme of virtual activities to continue to strengthen the capacity of its network of UNNF Alumni and current Fellows in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea.
Building on the 2020 Virtual Training Series, the intended outcome is to better equip UNNF Alumni, as ocean professionals, to address self-identified knowledge gaps in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea. In turn, this will also assist their states to identify and implement practical solutions to concrete problems in relation to international legal and ocean governance frameworks.
Programme Structure and Activities
After a preliminary consultation with a group of Alumni, a survey was issued to all Alumni to identify the most beneficial modalities and topics that would be of immediate practical relevance to their daily work, and where assistance is most urgently required. Based on these consultations, proposed activities are:
Virtual Training and Knowledge-Sharing Sessions
There has been an overwhelming demand for the continuation of virtual training. The virtual training sessions will:
- Be dedicated to targeted topics on which Alumni and Fellows have identified specific knowledge gaps in their day-to-day practical work implementing ocean governance and international legal frameworks
- Consist of small-group interactive sessions
- Provide the necessary knowledge to fill those knowledge gaps, including through:
- presentations on particular topics by experts, followed by Q&A sessions
- collaborative sharing of knowledge among Alumni working in the same field
- seminars to address hypothetical problem-based scenarios
- making available pre-recorded video presentations and other materials
Networking Activities
The virtual sessions will be accompanied by the establishment of a networking platform, strongly supported by survey participants, for Alumni to follow up with specific requests for assistance and knowledge-sharing from fellow experts in the field.
Topics
Photo credit (left to right): Coral Formation in the Republic of Maldives. Photo: UN Photo/Kike Calvo; Secretary-General Visits New Zealand. Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten; Trash Washed Ashore during Rainy Season in Timor-Leste. Photo: UN Photo/Martine Perret; Women Collecting Fish at Sunset in Dili District. Photo: UN Photo/Martine Perret; Water is Vital for Life. Photo: UN Photo/Jeffrey Foxx.
Clean our Ocean. Photo: Vasallo, UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition
Human Interaction: Making a Difference. Photo: Nyberg, UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition
The topics identified by a survey of all Alumni as the most beneficial and of immediate practical relevance are as illustrated (left): 'Science for Ocean Sustainability'; 'Sustainable Blue Economies'; 'Marine Pollution, including Plastics'; 'Shipping and Port Management'; and 'Professional Skills Development'.
'Science for Ocean Sustainability' was successfully implemented in 2021. The report can be accessed here