Org. Setting and Reporting

The Section on Countries in Special Situations internship is for 4 to a maximum of 6 months.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time.

Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the division or office to which they are assigned.

The Section on Sustainable Development and Countries in Special Situations, comprising least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, is based in the Office of the Executive secretary and coordinates the work of relevant ESCAP divisions to support these countries as well as coordinating the annual Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. With a focus on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and the need to improve the capacity of policymakers in the region to develop implementation strategies in an integrated manner.

Responsibilities

To support data analysis, research and compilation of literature review for the SDG Partnership Report and coordination of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development related to implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The intern will be working within a dynamic team and their duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

– Assist in data collection, compilation and analysis for the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership report or other reports as necessary
– Assist in background and preliminary research for the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership report or other reports and analysis with a particular focus on SDGs 1, 2, 10, 13, 16 and 17.
– Assist in developing related data work and analytical knowledge products to support the delivery of trainings, learning events and other capacity development initiatives
– Provide logistical support to meetings and events being organized by the section, specifically preparatory meetings for the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership report and Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development and its related events
– Provide support in updating the related websites with relevant material; and
– Support the team in their day-to-day activities and tasks.
and other duties, as required.

Competencies

• Communication: Ability to draft clearly and concisely, good written and oral language skills.
• Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills, ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different national and cultural backgrounds to achieve organizational goals.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be ‘clients’ and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view.

Education

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or
b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent).

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 United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Assessment

Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration.

Special Notice

A completed online application (Cover Note and Candidate Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The Cover Note must include:
• Degree Programme (What are you currently studying or what have you studied)
• Graduation date (When will you graduate or when did you graduate from the programme?)
• Data analysis and research skills and experiences you have
• Knowledge in using data analysis programmes/software including Excel, Stata, Tableau would be an advantage
• Knowledge in using infographic software would be an advantage
• List of your top three areas of interest
• Explanation about why you are the most suitable candidate for this specific internship
• Explanation of your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme

In your online Candidate Profile, be sure to include all past data and research work experiences, IT skills, infographic work if any, and three references.

Please note that due to the large number of applicants, divisions are not in a position to reply to each application and that only short-listed applicants will be contacted for further consideration.

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.