The United Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) is now accepting applications for the 2018 session of the United Nations-The Nippon Foundation Fellowship Programme.

Programme Objective:

The major objective of the programme is to provide funded opportunities for advanced training in the field of ocean affairs and law of the sea, or related disciplines, to Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing states. This will enable them to obtain the necessary skills which will assist their countries in implementing the legal framework set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and related instruments, as well as formulating comprehensive ocean management regimes.

The Fellowship Programme consists of two phases, namely:

• a three-month training phase with DOALOS at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, immediately followed by;
• a six-month research and study phase.  This second phase will be implemented through one of the several partner academic university host institutions with demonstrated competence and expertise in the given field of research.

Applicants should be Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States, dealing directly with issues such as, but not limited to:

• sustainable development of oceans and seas, including the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developments;
• national and/or regional ocean policy;
• establishment of maritime zones and the delimitation of maritime boundaries;
• coastal zone management;
• conservation and management of marine living resources;
• maritime transport and shipping;
• maritime security and
• the protection and preservation of the marine environment, including marine sciences.

To be eligible for selection, applicants must:

1. be citizens or permanent residents of Saint Lucia;
2. be between the ages of 25 and 40;
3. possess a first university degree in a related discipline;
4. demonstrate ability to undertake independent advanced research and studies in an academic context;
5. be mid-level professional who can demonstrate that they work directly on ocean issues;
6. be in a position to accept placement with host institutions for a period of no less than nine consecutive months;
7. be in a good state of health so as to be cleared by the UN Medical Service; and
8. be in a position to obtain all relevant visas, including transit visas.

A detailed outline of the requisite qualifications, along with the application forms, additional programme information, and the current list of participating institutions are available on the Fellowship Programme website (http://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon). Please note the new application package which can be downloaded from the aforementioned homepage must be used.

The completed application must be submitted to the Human Resource Development (HRD) Unit of the Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, 4^th Floor, Francis Compton Building, Waterfront, Castries.   For further information you can contact the department at telephone number 468-5229/5230 or email at hrd@education.gov.lc.

Deadline to submit completed applications is no later than September 15^th, 2017.