10 July 2011: The UN and Nippon Foundation of Japan have announced a fellowship programme enabling ocean-focused government officials and mid-level professionals from developing countries to receive advanced education and training in ocean affairs and the law of the sea, so they can assist their governments in formulating comprehensive ocean policy and implementing the legal regime set out in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related instruments.

Participants are expected to return to their home countries to design, implement and/or evaluate specific improvement projects related to ocean affairs, including implementation of UNCLOS. The first phase of the programme will be spent with a participating academic host institution, and the second phase will be spent with the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) or another host institution.

DOALOS and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) are jointly executing the programme. The fellowship programme is funded by a trust fund project agreed by the UN and Nippon Foundation to provide capacity building and human resource development to developing States parties and non-parties to UNCLOS. [Fellowship Information]