LEARNING THE SKILL OF INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATION

As international negotiation becomes more complex and there is increasing cross-over with the fields of environment, trade, economics, politics and security, the Institute’s Executive Education programmes offer practitioners real-world advice on a very important skill.

The Institute has a pool of some 150 faculty and researchers keeping a watching brief on developments in world affairs. Every year, 400 international practitioners from the public and private sectors follow training courses and benefit from this expertise.

International negotiation requires a twopronged approach, a structural approach which deals with the actors and their strategic agendas, and an individual approach which focuses on inter-personal skills and defining influences.

Negotiators need first to understand historical legacies and geopolitical intricacies. An analysis of why a negotiation is taking place at a particular point in history is key to preparation. It also permits an understanding of external factors which may influence the outcome of negotiation. We call this part of our training “Analysis of Global Governance”.

Once the context is established, the actors, processes and issues for discussion need to be addressed. A study of policy analysis and decision-making theory is helpful. It enables negotiators to establish a comprehensive picture of the situation and the processes required, with details of all the inputs or constituent factors which may influence the outcome of the negotiation. We call this phase of the training “Policy-Making”.

Finally, our course looks at the characteristics of individual negotiators. This is particularly important because working with multi-cultural, multi-stakeholders is no easy task. A key to success is exposure and practice. Our training programmes offer this. They provide a neutral space for negotiators to practice their communication and tactical skills through interaction with fellow negotiators drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and negotiating on a whole host of issues. In addition to individual debriefi ngs, this also allows participants in our programmes to join a network of experts. Other activities include conferences, events and policy facilitation through our specialised research programmes and the Center for International Governance. Finally, we welcome participation in our programmes by members of our alumni and take a keen interest in their career paths.

More information: http://graduateinstitute.ch/executive