OHCHR Indigenous Fellowship Programme in Switzerland

Indigenous
Fellowship Programme

English
language programme

The English language
component of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP) was established in 1997.
It takes place at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland and lasts for 4 weeks, usually coinciding
with the annual meeting of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (EMRIP).

The objective of
this training programme is to enhance the knowledge of indigenous peoples on
existing international human rights instruments and mechanisms, so they can use
them to more effectively advocate for the rights of their communities and raise
their concerns at the international level. At the end of the Programme, trained
fellows are also in a better position to share and give training sessions on
the knowledge gained to their indigenous communities and organizations.

The training
combines theoretical sessions with briefings on the UN system, OHCHR mandate
and activities, international Human Rights instruments (Treaties, Conventions,
Declarations) and mechanisms (Human Rights Council, Treaty Bodies, Special
Procedures) – including those more specifically dealing with indigenous issues
(UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169, the
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, EMRIP). Practical assignments and
exercises also help better integrate the theory. Fellows are also given the
opportunity to actively participate in the annual meeting of EMRIP.
Additionally, they get introduced to the work of other UN and specialized
agencies (ILO, WIPO, UNESCO, UNICEF) and of Geneva based Human Rights NGOs,
including DoCip. You can have a better idea of the type of sessions included in
the agenda by clicking on: 2014training programme.

Participants of the
Fellowship Programme are entitled to the following: a return ticket (economy
class) from their country of residence to Geneva; a daily or monthly stipend to
cover their basic needs in Geneva, including modest accommodation, food and
transport; a basic health insurance for the duration of the Programme. OHCHR
will not cover any additional expenses such as visa fees and travel insurance.

New: Candidates selected to
participate in the 2016 English language training programme are: