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

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 executed by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs.

The objective of the fellowship is to provide opportunities for advanced education and research 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, 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:

• Phase One: 3-month Research and Training - normally undertaken at DOALOS at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
• Phase Two: 6-month Advanced Academic Research and Study - undertaken at one of the prestigious participating Host Institutions and under the guidance of subject matter expert(s) who have recognized in-depth expertise in the Fellows' chosen field of study.

Programme Information Pages

Application deadline for the 2017 session is 9 September 2016

Download Programme brochure

All 2015 Fellows have commenced the second phase of their programme.

The United Nations - The Nippon Foundation of Japan Alumni contribute to a United Nations publication entitled "How oceans and seas-related measures contribute to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: Local and regional experiences" , launched on the occasion of World Oceans Day 2014.

Chairman Sasakawa and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
share podium (link) and exchanged views (link)
on the occasion of World Oceans Day and an
event to mark the 30th Anniversary of UNCLOS
in New York at the United Nations on 8 June 2012