Posting Title: INTERN – ENVIRONMENT AFFAIRS, I (Temporary Job Opening)
Job Code Title: INTERN – ENVIRONMENT AFFAIRS
Department/Office: Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Duty Station: NEW YORK
Posting Period: 28 August 2023 – 25 November 2023
Job Opening Number: 23-Environmental Affairs-DESA-217108-J-New York (A)
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
Organisational Setting and ReportingThe Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) / Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) internship is for two months with an opportunity for extension to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the department. The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned. The Intern will report to Senior Officers within DSDG. The unpaid internship is designed to be in person and full-time. Depending on the situation of the successful candidates, the internship may also offer a Flexible Work Arrangement to be conducted fully remote, hybrid (in-person and remote), temporary FWA for the purpose of G-4 visa processing, and/or in part-time.
Responsibilities
The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) seeks to provide leadership and catalyze action in promoting and coordinating implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the COVID-19 crisis, DSDG continues to advance on its work, including by providing support to Member States and other stakeholders in responding to the pandemic. The intern will have the opportunity of learning and working in a very dynamic environment, where new approaches and methodologies are being implemented and tested daily. The intern will be able to contribute to virtual activities, including Webinars and online training. The intern will also engage collaboratively in research and analysis as well as in drafting and reviewing documents on several topics as well as engage with stakeholders from different sectors and parts of the world. Duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Provision of general virtual office support (e.g. processing correspondence; maintaining online files and records in Sharepoint; taking meeting minutes for events; etc.).
- Assisting with the organization of virtual events and training sessions, supporting with the preparation of agendas, co-drafting background materials, and meeting reports, providing technical support to the moderator during the virtual event, supporting outreach, preparing summaries, reviewing participants lists and preparing documents to be posted online.
- Supporting the research for the preparation of papers and reports related to the work of the Branch through the collection of data from multiple resources. Assisting in reviewing and analyzing data from multiple resources.
- Researching and organizing information and assisting with analyzing trends.
- Participating in virtual UN Headquarters events, as appropriate.
- Other ad hoc related activities to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Supervisor/Project Manager The intern will work under the supervision of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) who reviews and approves the deliverables. The intern will be able to work with several colleagues in the Division. Regular calls and daily interaction with supervisor will be held via email, MS Teams and calls. Supervisor will continuously review intern workload and priorities and provide constant feedback. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, interns may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel and access to UN premises. The intern must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship. 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.
CompetenciesThe United Nations Core Competencies include:
- 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. The intern is expected to: 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 the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
EducationTo qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:
- 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 such as Master’s degree or equivalent, Ph.D. or postgraduate degree); b) Be enrolled in or have completed the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent). (c) subject to review on a case-by-case basis, applicants within a few years from graduation who could not apply earlier and who are in an early stage of their careers; as a first time entry into the workforce; are changing careers or due to compelling family circumstances.
- Be computer literate in standard software applications.
Work ExperienceNo 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.
LanguagesEnglish 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 additional official United Nations language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
AssessmentPotential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration.
Special NoticeInterns 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. 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.
United Nations ConsiderationsAccording 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 FeeTHE 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.