As part of the Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-Making (INP) programme, participants spent a full day observing various informal meetings, consultations, and side events during the 31st Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.  The visit was designed as a direct complement to theories and practices of negotiations introduced and later simulated in the classroom during the Executive Master INP programme.

Since the Graduate Institute carries ECOSOC status at the United Nations, the INP sponsors participants with passes to the annual HRC session (whose calendar aligns with the course schedule each March), so participants can witness first-hand the various advocacy and diplomacy initiatives that take place between official diplomats and NGOs, independent experts and other officials from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) who engage at the HRC.

Now in its 10th year since it was established by the UN in Geneva, the Human Rights Council builds upon the city’s longstanding legacy as a major hub for official multilateral negotiations.  For first-time visitors—both representatives and observers alike–-the Human Rights Council can be an overwhelming experience.  Held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, each day’s activities can include a broad range of topics across a wide spectrum of topics related to human rights, some of which are highly politicized.  Combinations of public and private meetings, formal and informal negotiations, and multiple concurrent meetings on any given date, the HRC sessions bring together actors from around the globe for intense daily schedules of 2 to 3 weeks in duration.  The March 2016 session included more than 30 resolutions negotiated and adopted by the Council.

The INP group's visit at the HRC began with a formal introduction to the background, rules of engagement and practices of the Council, after which the INP cohort was able to observe various formal and informal meetings and events related to topics on the HRC Agenda.  Participants attended sides events led by Japan and Russia, respectively, about DPR of Korea’s human rights situation and the integrity of the judicial system.  The schedule of the day also included an informal consultation on a Draft Resolution on “human rights in peaceful protests” organised by the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica, Switzerland and Turkey; a side event on the “pathways toward internationally binding instruments on business and human rights” organised by the Permanent Mission of Ecuador; and a side event on “Migrants in Transit” organised by the OHCHR and the Governments of Mexico and Greece, for example.

The Executive Master INP curriculum includes extensive training on international negotiations, from facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues to the official contexts of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.  It advances skill sets focusing on both formal negotiation processes as well as informal methods of influence in negotiations, from early-stage advocacy to preparation strategies to common tactics often used in live negotiations.

The full Executive Master INP includes modules on International Governance, Policy-Making and Negotiations, combining academic perspectives in each area with practical tools and hands-on training.  Designed for mid-career professionals from across sectors, the INP programme has been a flagship programme of Executive Education since 2009.

The next intake of the INP is in September 2016.  Applications for the 2016-17 Executive Master INP cohort now open, through June.  Learn more on the INP home page.