Org. Setting and Reporting

This profile is for the sole purpose of the Internship Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva. There should be no expectation of employment within the UN after an internship. Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, positions at the professional level and above carrying international recruitment status in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship. UN internships are unpaid and full-time, i.e. an intern is expected to work five days per week, eight hours per day. Interns at the United Nations Secretariat are not paid. All costs of travel and accommodation, Medical insurance including living expenses, must be covered by the intern .

The Intern will be posted to the Debt and Development Finance Branch (DDFB), Debt and Financial Analysis Unit (DFAU) in the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies in UNCTAD. The internship will be four months in (ideally commencing 21 August – 20 September 2023).

The main purpose of the DFAU’s work is to perform the three pillars of UNCTAD’s contribution – research, consensus building and technical assistance- as related to debt and development finance issues. The unit prepares the UN Secretary General’s annual report to the UN General Assembly on external debt sustainability and development and provides Secretarial support to UNCTAD’s Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Financing for Development. It conducts research and provides technical assistance on the mobilization of external and domestic, public and private, financial resources for development, debt and debt sustainability issues and the Sustainable Development Goals, systemic issues underlying developing countries’ debt vulnerabilities and reform proposals to improve the global financial and debt architecture from a developmental perspective. For further information on our work, see https://unctad.org/debt-and-finance/home and, for a recent example of our technical cooperation work, https://mobilizingdevfinance.org/

Responsibilities

The successful intern will assist the Unit in its work relating to finance for development and analysis of sovereign debt in developing countires.

This will involve assisting the head of branch and/or senior members of the team in the preparation of reports and events, including assistance with meeting organization, in particular the 7th Intergovernmental Group of Expert on Financing for development, taking place in November 2023.

The intern will be required to assist with the co-ordination associated with the Development account project: Mobilizing external financial resources beyond COVID-19 for greener, more equal and sustainable development in selected vulnerable SIDS in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The intern will be required to produce short pieces of research, involving data and presentation, relating to the work of the branch, and will be required to update data for at least one paper for publication by the branch.

The intern will have access to the Unit’s research materials and work, as well as gain insights into its comprehensive intergovernmental work within the UN system and its technical cooperation projects. The allocation of his/her time between the above-listed proposed activities will be determined at the beginning of his/her internship. Final output will be a briefing of the work undertaken during the internship.

More generally, interns shall:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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;

4. 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.

5. 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

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 input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others.
– Places team agenda before personal agenda.
– Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.
– Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
– Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated.

CLIENT ORIENTATION:
– Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view.
– Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect.
– Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions.
– Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems.
– Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects.
– Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

The United Nations internship programme is intended to expose students or recent graduates to the United Nations in order to enhance their educational experience and to help them to gain experience in the work of the Organization. Therefore, applicants to the programme must at the time of application 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).

Moreover, interns should:
• Be computer literate in standard software applications;
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and
• Have a demonstrated 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.

The university degree must be in the area of economics, development finance and related fields.

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

Fluency in spoken and written English is required for this position. Knowledge of French is an asset.

Assessment

Candidates will be assessed based on their Personal History Profile (PHP). Individual interviews may be conducted by the Hiring Manager directly for further consideration.

A complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The cover Note must include:
– Title of degree you are currently pursuing;
– Graduation date (when will you be graduating from the programme);
– List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in;
– Explain why you are the best candidate for the internship position.

In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experience, if any; IT skills and three (3) references.
Due to high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.

Special Notice

Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/or skills and expertise. Applicants are asked to please indicate preferences which best match his/her suitability and do so carefully in order to enhance the value of the internship for both the intern and the receiving UN department.

A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. For purposes of this instruction, “child” means (i) the child of a staff member; (ii) the child of the spouse of a staff member (stepchild); and (iii) the spouse of a child of a staff member or a staff member’s spouse (son- or daughter-in-law). “Sibling” includes the child of both or either parent of a staff member and the child.

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations and are responsible for all internship-related expenses that they can incur. All costs of travel and accommodation, including living expenses, must be covered by the intern. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship. Therefore, upon award of an internship, interns are responsible for securing and acceptance of these conditions of service.

There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations upon completion of the internship. Interns may not apply for or be appointed to any position in the Professional or above categories and for positions at the FS-6 and FS-7 levels in the Field Service category during the period of their internship and for the six months immediately following the expiration date thereof.

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.