The Application for the 2026 International Law Fellowship Programme is now Open. The United Nations International Law Fellowship Programme is organized by the Codification Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.

The Fellowship Programme accommodates up to 20 participants from developing countries and countries with emerging economies.The Fellowship Programme consists of an annual summer course at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands. The participants attend lectures and seminars in international law organized by the Codification Division as well as the public international law session at The Hague Academy of International Law.

The lectures and seminars organized by the Codification Division are given by prominent international law scholars and practitioners from different regions and legal systems.

The 2026 Fellowship Programme will be held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 29 June to 31 July 2026. It will be conducted in English.

The topics that will be covered in the seminars and lectures organized by the Codification Division may include:

• Introduction to international law

• Treaty law

• International responsibility

• International peace and security

• Peaceful settlement of international disputes

• Diplomatic and consular law

• International human rights law

• International humanitarian law

• International criminal law

• International environmental law

• Law of the sea

• International trade law

• International investment law

United Nations Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of United Nations Fellowship

• The fellowships cover the fellowship recipient’s travel costs in economy class, accommodation, medical insurance, participation in the Fellowship Programme, the training material and the registration fee for the public international law session at The Hague Academy of International Law.

• In accordance with the policies and procedures governing the administration of United Nations fellowships, participants will also receive a stipend to cover other living expenses.

Requirements for United Nations Fellowship Qualification

To qualify for the Fellowship Programme:

• Candidates must have a legal background with professional experience in the field of international law.
• The selected candidates are required to certify that they are able to attend the Fellowship Programme in its entirety.
• The Fellowship Programme will be conducted in English in 2026. Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Interview date, Process and Venue for United Nations Fellowship

• When selecting participants for the Fellowship Programme, due consideration is given to the candidates’ qualifications, to the scope of their professional duties, to the relevance of the training to their professional duties, geographical distribution and gender balance. Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Due consideration will also be given to candidates from Member States from which there has been no recent fellowship recipient for the International Law Fellowship Programme.

Application Deadline

March 30, 2026

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to United Nations on legal.un.org to apply

Complete the application form in English, typewritten. Answers should be clear and as detailed as possible. If you need extra space, you may attach additional pages. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The “Letter of Transmission” must be completed and signed by a senior official of the institution that is presenting the candidate’s application.

A candidate whose mother tongue or language of instruction is not English must submit evidence of their ability to attend and participate in lectures and seminars conducted in English (e.g., diploma of courses conducted in English, language test certificate, extensive work experience in English). Applications without a valid language certification will not be considered.

The application should be sent by email to: ilfp@un.org

Two versions of the application form must be submitted:
(1) One scanned copy of the signed original (for example in PDF or JPG)
(2) One electronic MS Word version (or equivalent) of the application

The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the application and selection process, and does not require information with respect to candidates’ bank accounts.

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