Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the Security Sector Reform Unit (SSRU) in the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), Department of Peace Operations (DPO), United Nations (UN) Secretariat in New York. The intern reports to the Team Lead for Western and Central Africa.

The internship is for a period of six (6) months. The internship is unpaid and full-time.
Interns work five days per week (35 hours).

Responsibilities

Within the delegated authority, the intern will be responsible for the following duties:

¿ Support country- and/or regional-level backstopping activities.
¿ Assist in the development of knowledge and guidance tools, including the collection, development and management of good practices and lessons learned.
¿ Support strategic engagement efforts with external parties.
¿ Gather, research, analyze and present information from various sources.
¿ Assist in the drafting of various official documents (e.g., minutes, briefing notes, …etc.);
¿ Assist in data and information management.
¿ Support the organization of meetings.
¿ Perform other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism:

¿ Basic knowledge of international peace and security issues.
¿ Basic Knowledge of Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSR/G concepts and terminology) would be an advantage.
¿ Excellent research and analytical skills.
¿ Ability to plan work and manage conflicting priorities.
¿ Commitment to promoting gender equality and to respecting diversity.
¿ Basic knowledge of the work and the institutions of the UN and commitment to its ideals.
¿ Proficiency in text processing and presenting software as well as in standard office tasks (scanning, printing…etc.).

Communication:

¿ Speak and write clearly and effectively.
¿ Listen to others and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately.
¿ Ask questions to clarify and engage in two-way communication.
¿ Tailor language, tone, style and format to match the audience.
¿ Demonstrate openness in sharing information.
¿ Interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds.

Teamwork:

¿ Work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve team goals.
¿ Solicit input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise.
¿ Learn from others.
¿ Place team agenda before personal agenda.
¿ Support final group decision that may not entirely reflect own position.
¿ Share credit for team accomplishments and accept joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Education

At the time of application, candidates must be enrolled in, or have completed the final academic year of at least a first university degree program (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent) in security, politics, international relations, or a related field.

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Fluency in another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Shortlisted candidates may be contacted by SSRU for interviews.

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

The United Nations does not financially remunerate interns. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. For internships in the United States of America, interns who are not United States citizens, permanent residents, or not currently in the United States on a non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a G-4 visa. If already in the United States of America on another non-immigrant visa status other than G-4, interns will be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa and, if required, employment authorization, allowing them to undertake the internship. For internships outside the United States, interns who are not citizens of the country, permanent residents, or not currently in the country’s non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a valid visa and work permit, allowing them to undertake the internship.

Applicants who are children or siblings (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of a staff member and sons or daughters-in-law may not be engaged as an intern.

In your Motivational Statement, please indicate when you would like to start your internship. Please note that start and end dates are flexible.
A completed online application is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The Motivational Statement must also include:
• Title of degree you are currently pursuing.
• Graduation Date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the programme?)
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme

In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Due to the high volume of applications received, we can ONLY contact successful candidates.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.