Apply to the Trust Fund

The Human Rights Council (HRC) holds three regular sessions each year: in March, June and September. The HRC meets in Room XX of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Who can apply

As a rule, only a government official/civil servant from a LDC/SIDS who is based in their home country is eligible to apply. Candidates can apply to participate in any of the three regular HRC sessions.

Duration

Programme I covers the participation of a government official in a regular HRC session:

• March – up to 4 weeks
• June or September – up to 3 weeks

Scope of the financial coverage

Based on applicable UN rules on travel, the Trust Fund covers one round-trip ticket in economy class per session per Member State, and daily subsistence allowance for the duration of the mission in Geneva (not exceeding the duration of the regular session).

The delegate is responsible for arranging her/his own temporary accommodation in Geneva and covering it with the daily subsistence allowance. The Trust Fund does not cover health insurance costs or other expenses, including personal expenses, during the delegate’s stay in Geneva.

How to apply?

Government representatives from interested LDCs/SIDS should submit their applications through their permanent missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva (when applicable) or to the United Nations in New York, along with the following documents:

• A Note Verbale endorsing the candidature of a government official ( example;
• Certificate of completion of the e-Learning course tool for LDCs/SIDS delegates participating in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms developed by the LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund;
• A scanned copy of the passport of the candidate. The passport must be valid for at least six months after his/her return to his/her home country or official duty station;
• A detailed curriculum vitae in English or French (MS Word format);
• A completed Visa Information Form to indicate whether or not the candidate needs a Schengen visa.

ONLY FULLY COMPLETED APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE (1 April 2021) WILL BE ACCEPTED.

THE ATTENTION OF CANDIDATES IS DRAWN TO THE FACT THAT THE PROGRAMME MAY BE CHANGED OR CANCELLED DUE TO THE EVOLVING SITUATION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RELATED RESTRICTIONS TO BE IMPOSED BY THE SWISS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES AS WELL AS UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA CLOSER TO THE 47TH OR 48th SESSION CONCERNED.

Deadline for application

The Fellowship programme runs once a year, from September to November. The dates of the Fellowship Programme enable the fellow to attend a regular HRC session in September, a session of the UPR Working Group in November, and relevant meetings of other human rights mechanisms.

Who can apply?

As a rule, only a government official/civil servant from a LDC/SIDS who is based in her/his home country is eligible to apply.

Scope of the financial coverage

The Trust Fund financially supports the selected fellow in the form of a monthly stipend for the duration of the Fellowship Programme (3 months) and covers the cost of a round-trip ticket in economy class (based on UN rules on travel).
The fellow is responsible for arranging her/his own temporary accommodation in Geneva and covering it with the monthly stipend. The Trust Fund does not cover health insurance costs or other expenses, including personal expenses, during the fellow’s stay in Geneva. The fellow is responsible for obtaining any necessary visa and health insurance.

How to apply?

At the time of application, the candidate must have:

• an advanced university degree in law, political science, international relations or a related discipline. Significant relevant experience may be considered in lieu of an advanced university degree;
• a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the government of her/his home country with relevant experience in the field of human rights. Experience in intergovernmental affairs is an asset.
• fluency in English. Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset;
• commitment to sharing the knowledge and experience gained during the Fellowship with their colleagues.

Interested and qualified candidates must submit applications through their permanent missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva (when applicable), together with the following documents:

• completed application form;
  
• Note Verbale endorsing the candidature of a government official (sample note verbale) ;
• Certificate of completion of the e e-Learning course for LDCs/SIDS delegates participating in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms developed by the LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund of LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund Secretariat;
• a scanned copy of the passport of the candidate. The passport must be valid for at least six months after their return to their home country;
• a detailed curriculum vitae in English or French (pdf and Word formats);
• a personal letter of motivation explaining concrete follow-up actions that will be undertaken upon return to the capital (2 pages maximum);
• completed Visa Information Form , indicating whether or not the candidate needs a Schengen visa;
• photograph of the candidate in jpeg format.
  

Only fully completed applications that are submitted prior to the deadline will be considered. Applications should be sent to: Important notice: Only fully completed applications (including 8 documents listed above) sent in one email message that are submitted prior to 1 May 2021 will be considered by the Secretariat of the Trust Fund. Applications should be sent to: sidsldc@ohchr.org and registry@ohchr.org with the following reference in the subject line of the email message: LDCs/SIDS Fellowship Programme 2021: (name of your country, name of the delegate).

THE ATTENTION OF CANDIDATES IS DRAWN TO THE FACT THAT THE PROGRAMME MAY BE CHANGED OR CANCELLED DUE TO THE EVOLVING SITUATION OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND RELATED RESTRICTIONS TO BE IMPOSED BY THE SWISS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES, AS WELL AS THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA CLOSER TO THE PERIOD OF THE FELLOWSHIP.