Work Location

In-person/ Hybrid, Nairobi, Kenya

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Org. Setting and Reporting The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate housing for all. It works towards the long-term goal of ensuring sustainable cities and communities as mandated by the Sustainable Development Goals framework (SDG 11). As such, there are targets and indicators developed to this effect as short term guidance to enable monitoring of progress towards the attainment of SDG11, while linking and contributing to other SDG goals such as Poverty Eradication SDG1 with custodian mandate for access to basic services (SDG indicator 1.4.1) and land tenure security (SDG indicator 1.4.2) among others. This internship position will support the Land, Housing and Shelter Section (LHSS) in the Urban Practices Branch within the Global Solutions Division of UN-Habitat. LHSS provides support to the development of norms and standards in conventions, declarations, regulatory frameworks, agreements, guidelines, codes of practice, and other standard-setting instruments, at global, regional, national and sub-national level in support of a) the equitable supply of serviced land at scale; b) efficient and effective land management systems; c) freedom from arbitrary or forced eviction and the protection of the security of tenure for all; d) the progressive achievement of universal access to housing meeting the requirements for an adequate standard of living; e) participatory urban regeneration and slum upgrading. The Land, Housing and Shelter Section (LHSS) hosts the Land, Housing and Shelter Community of Practice (LHS CoP). The LHS CoP has the long-term goal to strengthen UN-Habitat’s normative capacity to deliver adequate housing for all. In the short-term, the objective is to create an open platform bringing together colleagues from across the organization (field offices, country offices, regional offices, and HQ) to exchange and learn in the field of land, housing and shelter. The LHS CoP has a Teams channel to bring together its members of similar interests, through dialogues, meetings, learning sessions, brown-bag sessions, etc., to provide spaces to share new ideas; learn and improve our work; co-create knowledge and collaborate on normative production; drive UN-Habitat’s policy positions; and refine approaches, tools, and products. The intern will be under the co-supervision of the Programme Management Officer and the Programme Coordinator of the Land, Housing and Shelter Section (LHSS) of UN-Habitat. The internship is for six (6) months. Applicants may request to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship in view of constraints regarding visa issuance and international travel. The work hours during the internship shall be determined based on individual discussion between the intern and the supervisor(s) taking into consideration the minimum requirements of the organization and the time difference between the hosting office and the location of the intern. The Internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned. Special Notice Your application for this internship must include: 1. A completed application (Personal History Profile) and Cover Note through the UN careers Portal. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. In your Personal History Profile (PHP), be sure to include all past work experiences, IT Skills, and three references. The Cover Note must include: – Title of the degree you are currently pursuing; – Graduation date; – IT skills and programmes you are proficient in (proficiency in MS Excel is required); – Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship and what you hope to gain from the internship; – Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme, ensure to include all past work experience (if any). 2. Proof of enrolment (if not graduated). 3. A certified copy of degree certificate (if you have already graduated). Due to a high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted. Responsibilities Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period. Under the co-supervision of the Programme Management Officer and the Programme Coordinator, the intern will: Support in the data collection, literature review, analysis, interpretation and writing on land and housing issues globally, including policy mapping. Support in the development, compilation, synthesis and management of knowledge materials developed by the section, including LHS project analysis and monitoring against the mandates. Assist substantive and technical staff in organizing and documenting land and housing related events, training and meetings. Keep track of relevant national/regional/international meetings and events in the thematic area of land and housing – including cross cutting issues on human rights, climate change, gender, etc. Provide research and technical support to resource mobilization activities, including developing concept notes and proposals. Contribute to various land and housing related communication and advocacy activities and initiatives, including the support of LHS Community of Practice (CoP). Support the establishment and management of the LHS knowledge management system and associated tools for the LHS Community of Practice (CoP) to support internal knowledge exchange, learning and communication. Carry out mapping and research on selected topics relevant to the content and management of the LHS Community of Practice (CoP). Perform other related tasks as assigned.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher), b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent), c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent. Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite). Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Preferred areas of study: The preferred subject areas are Land Administration, Land Management, Land Governance, International Development, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Housing Studies, Urban and Rural Development, Migration and Human Mobility, Architecture or related field. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Knowledge of urban development, land management and housing policy is required. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples. Proficiency in Microsoft Office (particularly Excel) is required. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples. Experience in research and technical writing is desirable. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

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.