UN Law and Practice

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to the law, structure, procedures, and practices of international organizations and multilateral diplomacy. Students will represent a UN Member State or other international actor in role playing exercises throughout the course, including the Model United Nations (MUN) conference at the American University of Sharjah (scheduled for 13-15 February 2026, earlier than usual due to this year's Ramadan schedule for 2026). Students will also study the theory and practice of international organizations through academic and policy materials, and there will be a class visit to the International Renewable Energy Agency, an international organization headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Throughout the course, students will develop research, public speaking, negotiation, and consensus-building skills, and will learn to articulate and defend policy positions within the framework of international law and multilateral diplomacy. Students will also develop a deeper understanding of the strengths and limitations of international law within geopolitics and international diplomacy. There are no pre- or corequisites for the course, but it is encouraged to have taken (or at least to be taking concurrently) Public International Law.