ITLOS - Nippon Foundation Capacity Building and Training Programme 2025-2026 (Funded)

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About ITLOS - Nippon Foundation Capacity Building and Training Programme

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.

• Sponsor Organisation: International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

Benefits of ITLOS - Nippon Foundation Capacity Building and Training Programme

Participants’ costs, including travel, accommodation, medical insurance and a monthly subsistence allowance, are covered by the Nippon Foundation.

Participants are responsible for obtaining a visa for Germany for the period of the programme at their own cost, although assistance may be provided in order to facilitate the visa application process. Visas for the study visits are arranged by the programme coordinator and the costs covered by the programme.

ITLOS - Nippon Foundation Capacity Building and Training Programme Requirements

• 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:

1. 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
2. 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 Date and Process

Procedure

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:

1. One scanned version of the signed original; and
2. 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

Conditional acceptance to the programme

Admitted applicants must submit the following documents:

1. A medical certificate issued by a duly qualified physician stating that they are in good health and fit to complete the entire programme (from July 2025 until March 2026). The certificate must indicate that the admitted applicant is able to travel inside Germany and overseas.
2. A certificate issued by the nominating agency indicating that the candidate is granted permission to travel to Hamburg and to participate in the full nine-month programme from July 2025 to March 2026.

Final admission to the programme will be contingent upon submission of the medical and permission certificates. Admitted applicants must submit a copy of the certificates within two weeks of announcing the admission. The original certificates must be submitted on the first day of the programme and must be in either English or French or accompanied by a certified translation.

Application Deadline

06 March, 2025

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