Org. Setting and Reporting

The Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division (MPFD) Internship is for a minimum of three months and a maximum of six months. The Division currently has openings for interns in two areas: 1) macroeconomic policy and analysis; and 2) financing for development, details of which are highlighted below. Please indicate in your application for which of these two areas you wish to be considered.

MPFD provides a combination of normative-analytical and capacity-development activities to 53 member States and 9 associate members of ESCAP, taking into account the significant variation in their geographic, demographic, and socio-economic conditions. The Division undertakes analytical studies and policy-oriented research, provides capacity building, and facilitates policy dialogues on medium- to long-term macroeconomic and financing for development issues facing the region.

More details are available from www.unescap.org/our-work/macroeconomic-policy-financing-development.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member.

Responsibilities

Under the general guidance of the Section Chief and the direct supervision of a responsible officer, the intern will contribute to the research work of the Division and support capacity development activities and the organization of workshops and other meetings. While responsibilities vary over time according to the needs of the Division, typical tasks include the following:

Macroeconomic policy and analysis:
• Undertake research and analysis in such areas as: monetary policy, fiscal policy, tax cooperation, efficiency and governance of public finance, econometric analysis for policy evaluation.
• Identify key short- to medium-term risks to sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Prepare summary tables, graphs, and other inputs, as needed, for ESCAP publications such as the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, working papers and policy briefs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Financing for development:
• Undertake research and analysis on green financing modalities such as green bonds, guarantees, debt-for-climate swaps, blended finance models, and other possible topics such as capital market development, digital finance, digital taxation, and integrated national financing frameworks (INFF).
• Support the implementation of national- and regional-level projects in the areas listed above, including through tracking trends and documenting case studies and best practices.
• Support the implementation of demonstration projects, such as the issuance of green bonds and other financing mechanisms.
• Support technical consultations, events, and workshops to assist government stakeholders in the implementation of green finance strategies.
• Prepare summary tables, graphs, and other inputs, as needed, for ESCAP publications such as the Financing for Development Series, working papers and policy briefs
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

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.

Planning and organizing: Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.

Education

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

• Have studied areas such as macroeconomics, international economics, development economics/studies, political economy, applied econometrics or statistics, finance, environmental finance, business administration, engineering/physics/mathematics or related areas;
• Computer literacy in standard software applications and in statistical packages such as Stata, Eviews, SPSS and R is desirable;
• Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and
• Have demonstrated the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

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.

Your field of study closely related to the type of internship you are applying for is desirable.

Ability to interact well with people of various social and cultural backgrounds in an occasionally stressful environment is desirable.

Ability to comfortably working as part of a larger team is desirable.

Ability to work under tight deadlines and multitask is desirable.

Good drafting and oral communication skills is desirable.

Experience in reference research is desirable.

Having studied statistical methods is desirable.

Having familiarity with or experience in data analysis is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the Internship Programme. Knowledge of another 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

REMOTE INTERNSHIPS (COVID-19): In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel and access to UN premises. Applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship.

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

The Cover Note must include:
• Title of degree programme (What are you currently studying or what have you studied?);
• Graduation date (When will you be graduating or when did you graduate from the programme?);
• List of IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in;
• List of your top three areas of interest;
• Explanation about why you are the most suitable candidate for this specific internship; and
• Explanation of your interest in the ESCAP Internship Programme, especially with MPFD.
• Indication of the area (macroeconomic policy or financing for development) for which you wish to be considered.
• Indication of your available period for internship, i.e. when and how long (note: the minimum duration of an internship is three months and can be up to six months).
• Indication of interest in travelling to Bangkok if it becomes possible or preference for an online internship.

In your online Candidate Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, language skills, and three names of references and contact information.

Please note that due to the large number of applications, the Division is 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.

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.