Org. Setting and Reporting

This internship is located in the Human Rights Unit, Human Rights and Gender Section, of the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism United Nations, in New York.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates entrusted to the Secretary-General across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

Interns will work under the supervision of a Human Rights Officer, under overall guidance from the Chief of Section.

Applicants should indicate their present matriculation status and period of availability in the application cover letter.

This internship is for an initial period of three (3) months and may be subject to extension up to six (6) months based on the needs of the Section. The start and end dates will be decided upon mutual agreement. Both New York-based and remote opportunities are available.

This internship is UNPAID and is designed to be in person and full-time (35 hours per week). It can be adapted for remote and/or part-time (20 hours per week) upon request. A full-time internship is for an initial period of two months and a part-time internship is for an initial of four months. Internships may be extended up to maximum six months depending on the needs of the Division.

Responsibilities

Interns are expected to perform various tasks in support of the implementation of UNOCT’s Global Human Rights Programme. Daily responsibilities of interns will depend on the individuals’ background and may include:

• Assist in drafting, editing, and preparing background documents such as reports, briefings, presentations, talking points and outreach material, including social media content, etc. in the field of human rights in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism (CT/PCVE).
• Take notes at relevant meetings and prepare meeting reports and summaries.
• Assist in conducting research and analysis on topics related to human rights and preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism, including on international and country-specific human rights trends, developments, policies, initiatives and/or legislation in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
• Provide support in organizing meetings, conferences, side events, etc. to strengthen strategic engagement with partners (Member States, UN entities, other international and regional organizations, civil society, academia, etc.).
• Assist in preparing training and learning events and other capacity building initiatives.
• Perform other related duties as required.

More generally, interns shall:

• Observe all applicable rules, regulations, instructions, procedures and directives of the Organization notwithstanding their status as described in section 4 of the UN Internship Programme Administrative Instructions ST/AI/2000/9 & ST/AI/2005/11;
• Provide the receiving departments/offices with a copy of all materials prepared by them during the internship. The UN shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material which bears a direct relation to, or is made in consequence of, the services provided under the internship. At the request of the UN, the interns shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to the UN in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law.
• Respect the impartiality and independence required of the UN and of the receiving department/office and shall not seek or accept instructions regarding the services performed under the internship agreement from any Government or from any authority external to the UN.
• Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the receiving department/office, they may not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or any other external source any information which has become known to them by reason of their association with the UN or the receiving department/office, that they know or ought to have known has not been made public. They may not use any such information without the written authorization of the appropriate official, and such information may never be used for personal gain. These obligations also apply after the end of the internship with the UN; and

• Refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the UN or on the receiving department/office and will not engage in any activity which is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the UN.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits colleagues’ advice, ideas and expertise when needed; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

CONTINUOUS LEARNING: Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession. Actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally. Contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates. Shows willingness to learn from others. Seeks feedback to learn and improve.

Education

This internship is located in the Human Rights Unit, Human Rights and Gender Section, of the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism United Nations, in New York.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates entrusted to the Secretary-General across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

Interns will work under the supervision of a Human Rights Officer, under overall guidance from the Chief of Section.

This internship is for an initial period of three (3) months and may be subject to extension up to six (6) months based on the needs of the Section. The start and end dates will be decided upon mutual agreement. Both New York-based and remote opportunities are available.

This internship is an unpaid and full-time engagement that provides a framework through which the selected candidate gains exposure to the work of the United Nations by way of their service within the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism.

APPLICANTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAMME.

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.

Knowledge of human rights and the rule of law issues in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism, as well as experience in undertaking research, drafting background notes and reports, would be desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

A completed online application (Motivation Statement and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The Motivation Statement must include the following information:
• Title of degree you are currently pursuing or have recently graduated from.
• Graduation date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the programme?).
• List the IT skills and programmes in which you are proficient.
• Explain your interest in human rights in the context of preventing and countering terrorism/ violent extremism and your motivation for undertaking this internship.
• Specify your period of availability and earliest commencement date.
• Specify your preference for New York-based or remote internship.
In response to the Job Requirements questionnaire, candidates with a preference for a New York-based internship should indicate if they are able to cover the cost of travel including visa, accommodation, health insurance and other living expenses for the duration of the internship. Candidates opting for completing the internship remotely should specify their option and indicate that they are able to cover applicable living costs for the duration of the internship.
In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences and three references.

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.