ITLOS – Nippon Foundation Capacity Building and Training Programme 2025-2026 (Funded) Deadline: 6 March, 2025

Applications are open for the ITLOS – Nippon Foundation Capacity Building and Training Programme 2025-2026. In cooperation with the Nippon Foundation, the Tribunal runs an annual capacity-building and training programme on dispute settlement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (‘UNCLOS’).

The full-time programme, which runs for nine months and begins in July each year, takes place at the seat of the Tribunal in Hamburg, Germany. Contingent upon the availability of funds, a call for applications is generally announced each year during the month of January or February.

The programme is aimed at junior to mid-level government officials and researchers mainly from developing countries who are currently working on issues related to the law of the sea, maritime law or dispute settlement. It provides participants with a unique opportunity to develop their legal skills and deepen their practical knowledge of dispute settlement in the law of the sea under UNCLOS.

Costs

• All participants’ costs, including travel, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly allowance, are covered by the Nippon Foundation.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be between the ages of 25 and 40.
• Applicants must have a first university degree in law and demonstrate a capacity to undertake independent scientific research, study and training.
• Applicants must be:
  • junior to mid-level government officials from an administration or government agency, dealing with ocean affairs or maritime matters as well as legal issues relating thereto; or
  • researchers from an institute (academic or government) dealing with ocean-related or maritime matters as well as legal issues relating thereto.
• Applicants must indicate the research topic which they intend to pursue during the programme. The research topic should address legal issues of relevance to the State concerned regarding the implementation of UNCLOS, in particular Part XV thereof.
• The administration or institute nominating the applicant must indicate on the nomination form the tasks performed by the applicant and explain the extent to which the training programme will benefit the institution/State concerned.
• Applicants must have an excellent knowledge of one of the official languages of the Tribunal (English and French) and a working knowledge of the other language. The lectures and activities of the Programme are mainly held in English.

Application

The following documents must be submitted in order for an application to be processed:  

• Fellowship Application Form to be duly completed, signed and submitted by the applicant.
• Nomination Form to be duly completed, signed and directly submitted by the nominating agency. The submitted form must be typed.

In the case of government officials, the nominating agency should be a relevant governmental body. For researchers, the nominating agency may be the institute or academic department of the university to which they are affiliated.

Nominating agencies are invited to submit two copies of the Nomination Form:

• One scanned version of the signed original; and
• One electronic version.

The Nomination Form may be preferably sent by e-mail to [email protected] or by fax to: (+49 40 35607-245) or by post to:

Office of the Registrar
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Am Internationalen Seegerichtshof 1
22609 Hamburg
Germany

For more information, visit ITLOS – Nippon Foundation.