In what has become an annual tradition in the degree programme, participants of the Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-Making (INP) attended a day of meetings at the 28th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), to witness live diplomacy in this context and to further understand the nuances of the HRC negotiations process.

Since the Graduate Institute has an official ECOSOC status (essentially an approved membership of civil society organisations for participation in particular UN processes and events), the Executive Master participants were given access to both the Plenary and side events at the Palais des Nations.

The Human Rights Council meets for regular sessions three times each year in Geneva, typically in March, June and September.  The annual March session of the HRC in Geneva aligns with the INP course schedule for Module 3, which focuses on the theory, practice and personal acumen for negotiating and managing multistakeholder engagements.  The annual HRC session allows the Executive Master participants to gain a first-hand account of the HRC as they meet with various actors on site, and to debrief with the programme director about the particular context of human rights negotiations.

As in previous years, various guest speakers addressed the INP cohort (from the leadership of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to individual national diplomats and NGO advocates), with topics rotating each year, depending on the schedule of meetings and events on-site.

More about the Executive Master INP
Each September, about 22 mid-career and senior leaders from across sectors join the Graduate Institute to begin the Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-Making (INP) to gain a mastery of strategic decision tools for policy analysis, and the personal acumen for leading multi-stakeholder meetings and international negotiations.  Each cohort blends participants from international organisations, diplomatic missions, NGOs and private companies.  A flagship programme of Executive Education, the INP degree is delivered part-time in Geneva, at the lakeside Villa Barton.

Applications for the Executvie Master INP are open until June 2015.  Visit the programme website for more details on the curriculum and programme design.