Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Italy - Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellowship - Building Lasting Capacity in AOSIS Member Governments

Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition (
Government
)
#SDGAction46544
Description
Description
Since 2017, the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition and Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) have developed a lasting partnership to increase the capacity of AOSIS member countries to engage in international negotiations, diplomacy, and international and domestic policy development on climate change, oceans, and sustainable development. The Italy - AOSIS Fellowship Programme provides young professionals with the unique opportunity to gain real-world UN experience while participating in a world-class training programme. The curriculum covers climate change, environmental protection, oceans, and sustainable development. For 2022–2024, 10 Fellows are annually chosen from the three regions of AOSIS.
Implementation of the Project/Activity
The Fellowship is implemented by the AOSIS Chair, Fellowship Directors and AOSIS Permanent Missions to the United Nations. For 2022 - 2024, at the Ministry’s suggestion, the focus of the Fellowship expanded to include oceans and sustainable development issues and the annual number of Fellows expanded from 4 to 10 in 2022- 2024.The Fellowship Directors manage the entire fellowship from conducting the thrice-weekly fellowship seminars, creating and providing feedback on assignments, coordinating with AOSIS for the fellow’s work, and working with the Missions. The Italy - AOSIS Fellowship Programme was designed and has been implemented as a complete educational experience recognizing the context of the SIDS and consisting of three mutually reinforcing elements: 1) The Training Component – the SIDS-designed curriculum consists of more than 200 hours of advanced substantive and skills instruction in climate change, sustainable development, environmental protection, and international negotiations. The Fellows participate in lectures from renowned experts, in-depth research and writing projects in an assigned area of specialization, and a custom-designed international negotiation. 2) The Work Experience – based in their country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the Fellows undertake the normal work of a diplomat focussing on environmental issues, which including significant experiences in drafting materials, making interventions, research, briefing, and participating in bilateral and multilateral negotiations. 3) The International Negotiations – as part of their national delegations and supporting the AOSIS thematic coordinators, the Fellows participate in international environmental negotiations. In addition to their work, the negotiations are used an educational tool to understand negotiation strategy, power dynamics and their effect on SIDS and international processes.
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
The Fellowship focusses on both skills and substantive knowledge in climate change, sustainable development, oceans and the relevant international law and politics. The curriculum is generally divided into three trimesters. The intent is to move from classroom style academic instruction in the first trimester to practical experience as a full AOSIS negotiator by the final trimester. In the first trimester of the programme, the Fellows receive intensive classroom instruction on multilateral negotiation processes, and the science, law and politics of climate change, oceans, and sustainable development also attending classes in global environmental governance at university. The second trimester begins the Fellows engagement with international negotiations as they prepare and attend the UNFCCC negotiations. In the weeks leading up to the sessions, each Fellow is assigned a thematic area (e.g. marine protected areas, mitigation, adaptation, finance, or a specific SDG) and conducts research and analysis on issues pertinent to their thematic area working closely with AOSIS thematic coordinators. In the latter half of the trimester, the Fellowship Directors and external experts conduct a tailor-made 4-week negotiation simulation. The third trimester is focussed on applying the skills and knowledge learned to the process of actual negotiations. The trimester is centred around the negotiation of resolutions in the General Assembly, specifically the sustainable development, macroeconomic and oceans clusters, and the annual UNFCCC COP which serves as the “final exam” of the Fellowship Programme. By this point in their training, Fellows are able to engage fully in the negotiations representing their country and AOSIS. Throughout the year, Fellows attend twice-weekly Fellowship seminar sessions led by the Fellowship Directors. During these meetings, Fellows receive assignments and readings; discuss developments on relevant climate change, sustainable development, and ocean issues; and complete curriculum activities, ranging from lectures by guest speakers to skills trainings and group projects. To date, twenty-eight Fellows have participated in the Fellowship Programme. All of the Fellows that have completed the programme have continued to work on climate change and sustainable development issues, either at the United Nations in New York or in their home country.
Coordination mechanisms
The partnership was designed jointly between the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Chair of AOSIS to meet the expressed needs SIDS to build lasting capacity to continue the engagement in international environmental negotiations. The Fellowship is implemented by regular consultation between the AOSIS Chair and the Italian Ministry, and through consultations between the AOSIS Chair, AOSIS Bureau (representing the three regions of AOSIS), and then the AOSIS Plenary (consisting of the Permanent Representatives of all AOSIS Member States). Fellowship candidates are nominated by their national governments and selected by the AOSIS Bureau. Through regular reporting, all partners are kept-up-to-date on the implementation of the Fellowship and future plans. A Monitoring and Evaluation framework was jointed developed by the Partners and is the basis of reporting between the partners. Annually, the partners meet to evaluate the Fellowship over the previous year, assess the effectiveness of the M&E framework, and plan for future changes to the Fellowship. The Italian Ministry’s commitment to multi-year funding of the Fellowship has allowed incremental and progressive changes to the implementation of the Fellowship.
False
Action Network
Small Island Developing States
Share
FacebookTwitterLinkedIn
Timeline
01 January 2022 (start date)
31 December 2024 (date of completion)
Entity
Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition
SDGs
More information
Countries
N/A
SIDS regions
  1. Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea
  2. Caribbean
  3. Pacific
  4. Other (including Global)
Samoa pathway priority area
  1. Climate Change
  2. Sustainable Energy
  3. Disaster Risk Reduction
  4. Oceans and Seas
  5. Sustainable Transport
  6. Management of Chemicals and Waste, including Hazardous Waste
  7. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
  8. Means of Implementation, including Partnerships
  9. SIDS Priorities for the post-2015 Development Agenda
Contact Information

Alessandro, Director General of the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition