The International Law Fellowship Programme is an annual summer course run by the Codification Division of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands. It is part of the UN Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law. Each year it accommodates up to 20 funded participants — in particular government officials and teachers of international law from developing countries and countries with emerging economies — who deepen their knowledge of international law through lectures and seminars. Participants attend the public international law session at The Hague Academy of International Law alongside sessions organized by the Codification Division, covering topics such as treaty law, international responsibility, human rights, humanitarian law, international criminal law, environmental law, and the law of the sea. Instruction is conducted in English or French.
Benefits & funding
- For funded fellows, the fellowship covers economy-class travel, accommodation, medical insurance, participation in the programme, training materials, and the registration fee for the public international law session at The Hague Academy of International Law.
- Funded fellows also receive a stipend to cover other living expenses, in accordance with UN fellowship policies. (No specific monetary figures are published.)
- Up to 20 funded places are offered each year, prioritising developing and emerging-economy countries.
- A self-funded track is also available: self-funded participants attend the same lectures, follow the same selection criteria, and receive the same certificate, but pay all their own costs (travel, accommodation, living expenses, and the Hague Academy registration fee). Training materials are provided free to all participants.
Eligibility
- Open to professionals with a legal background and professional experience in the field of international law — the programme is not open to students.
- Candidates come from government, academia, and intergovernmental or non-governmental organisations working in international law. Current UN staff are ineligible unless self-funded on an exceptional basis.
- Fluency in spoken and written English is required; non-native speakers must provide evidence of their ability to follow lectures and seminars in English. Instruction is delivered in English or French.
- Selected candidates must be able to attend the entire programme, without exceptions.
- Funded fellowships prioritise nationals of developing countries and countries with emerging economies, and preference is given to Member States from which there has been no recent recipient. The self-funded track is open to applicants from any country.
- No government nomination is required — candidates who are not government officials may be nominated by the institution they work for or are affiliated with.
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Application process
- 1Complete the official application form in English (typewritten) and provide an editable MS Word version.
- 2Have the Letter of Transmission completed and signed by a senior official of the institution presenting your application.
- 3Non-native English speakers attach evidence of English proficiency (e.g. a language test certificate or diploma of courses taught in English).
- 4Email the signed application (scanned PDF or JPG) together with the MS Word version to ilfp@un.org before the deadline. Incomplete or late applications are not considered.
Program timeline
Application deadline (2026 cycle)
Mar 30, 2026
Programme begins (Peace Palace, The Hague)
Jun 29, 2026
Programme ends
Jul 31, 2026