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Int'l Organizations & UN News #19/2023

Nisha Karki - Monday, October 2, 2023
 Events   IO/UNS Newsletter 

 International Organizations and UN News #19/2023 - October 3, 2023

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

Last week we all braved the heavy rainfall, which led to flash flooding across portions of New York City. We hope you all are safe, and also quite settled with your curriculum and schedules, now that the first month of the semester has officially concluded.

As many of you may be aware, today the Carnegie Distinguished Fellows and other global leaders, including several UN experts and high-profile leaders will join Dean Yarhi-Milo and Secretary Clinton for the Inaugural Summit of SIPA's new Institute of Global Politics (IGP). You can attend via livestream and in the events section below, we share more details about the event and the distinguished fellows.

In this newsletter, you will find: 

  • International Organizations News
  • What We're Listening To: UN General Assembly Recap - The Just Security Podcast
  • IO/UNS Student Spotlight
  • Events at SIPA and Beyond
  • Internship Opportunities

Daniel, Laura, Amy & Nisha
IO/UNS Specialization Team

**Please note this message is clipped. You can open the message in a new browser to see full event and internship listings.

  • Karabakh crisis: 'People have questions about what will happen to them'. The refugee emergency in Armenia is escalating as tens of thousands have poured into the country from the Karabakh region in less than a week. On Sunday (Oct 1), a mission led by a senior UN official arrived in the region, which is the global body's first access to the region in about 30 years. In this audio interview, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) representative in the country, Kavita Belani, underscores the gravity of the situation and urges the global donor community to stand in solidarity with the people of Armenia. You can learn about the Karabakh crisis in depth here.

  • UNDP launches innovative e-Learning Programme on Sustainable Finance. In response to the increasing global need to support and enhance sustainable finance, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched an open-access e-Learning Programme. This initiative of the Sustainable Finance Hub's SDG Finance Academy is poised to share UNDP's vast knowledge on sustainable finance with global practitioners, and is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. You can learn more about the Programme here.

  • The HeForShe summit discussed gender bias in AI and how to encourage male feminist allies. At UN Women's recent HeForShe Summit, Leaders from the public and private sectors discussed the potential risks of AI, and the need to develop the technology safety. At the summit, leaders discussed factors that are shaping dominant narratives around masculinity today, and offered concrete positive alternatives for men to foster allyship and leadership in the pursuit of gender equality under the call to be respectfully disruptive. Read more here.

  • New UN framework to protect the environment from harmful chemicals. A new global framework to reduce environmental risks from chemicals and waste was adopted at a UN conference on Saturday (30 Sep 2023), with countries committing to phase out the most harmful chemicals. The Global Framework on Chemicals and the Bonn Declaration sets concrete targets and guidelines across the lifecycle of chemicals, and provides a vision for a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste. Read more here.

  • European Union and WFP join hands to tackle hunger amidst conflict in Northern Mozambique. A contribution of €8.6 million from the EU, via its Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), allows the WFP to sustain the critical provision of food through cash-based transfers to 400,000 people, in efforts to address food insecurity among conflict-affected individuals in northern Mozambique. Since 2018, the EU has contributed over $52 million to WFP Mozambique to alleviate hunger and improve the lives of people affected by the prolonged crisis. Read more here.

U.N. General Assembly Recap - The Just Security Podcast

The world leaders arrived in New York for the 78th U.N. General Assembly's High-Level meetings in Septemeber 2023. The High-Level Meetings are organized to increase awareness and consensus among heads of state on important global issues for the good of people worldwide. In this year's High-Level Meetings, the world leaders debated the response to Russia's continued full-scale invasion of Ukraine, made some progress on sustainable development, and considered how to regulate artificial intelligence.

In this podcast, Richard Gowan, the U.N. Director at the International Crisis Group, discusses big take-aways from the UN's High-Level week. International Crisis Group is an independent organization working to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world.

If you want a succinct summary of what happened during the High-Level week at the U.N., listen to the podcast here, or at any podcast apps.

IO/UNS Student Spotlight

This week, we are excited to introduce Izza Qayyum (MPA, EE 2025). 

Izza has advocated for education reform in Pakistan during her collaboration with Teach for Pakistan. At SIPA, Izza shifted her attention to Pakistan's energy deficit and climate change impacts. Izza is passionate about exploring the disparate impacts of climate change on the northern and southern hemispheres, employing a core-periphery framework.

Izza believes, as policy choices made in one corner of the globe reverberate globally, fortification of global governance's role in world politics is imperative for counterbalancing the self-interests of powerful nations. The fate of humanity hinges upon the collaborative efforts of nations in tackling unconventional global security threats, such as climate change. The developing nations, such as Pakistan, often bear the brunt of natural disasters exacerbated by industrialized nations' historical emission, as evident from the country's devastating flood in 2022. While pledges of over $10 billion were received at COP27, the specter of more frequent climate crises looms unless global leaders unite to facilitate transition to expensive emission reducing technology in less-developed nations. Such commitment and transformation is crucial given the urgent need to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degree Celsius, as stipulated by the Paris agreement.

Now more than ever, multilateralism and global governance are necessary in forging political consensus towards a just and sustainable solution.

You can follow Izza on Instagram @izzaqayyum

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We'd like to shine a light on each amazing member of our IO/UNS family. Please fill out our questionnaire here.
Events at SIPA & Beyond

Spotlighted Events

Tomorrow 4 October | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM 
The Limits of Humanitarian Assistance in Contested Regimes: A Discussion with Former Assistant Secretary General of the UN

In-person & online

RSVP | EVENT INFO

04 October | 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM

Book Talk: Climate Change, Disasters, and the Dynamics of Armed Conflicts
RM 1302, IAB

RSVP | EVENT INFO
05 October | 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM

Diplomacy for Peace: The 75th Anniversary of Special Political Missions
UNHQ Conference Room 11
 

RSVP | EVENT INFO
Today 03 October | 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Livestream

Institute of Global Politics (IGP) Inaugural Summit

Today IGP is hosting a cohort of Inaugral Carnegie Distinguished fellows - 14 global leaders who will visit Columbia University over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year. These Fellows- including former head of state, high-ranking policy officials, diplomats, activists, and other distinguished leaders from across the globe- will partner with SIPA faculty to produce policy papers on urgent and rapidly evolving global issues.

Some of the Inaugural IGP Distinguished Fellows to participate (at 1:30pm) are:
  • Michelle Bachelet, Former President of Chile and Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and former Executive Director of UN Women
  • Hon. Henrietta Fore, Former Executive Director of UNICEF
  • David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee; 74th UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Tune in at 3:00pm to tune in for a conversation on Women Shaping Diplomacy, moderated by Errin Haines, Editor-at-Large, The 19th. This panel features five speakers including:
  • Hon. Henrietta Fore, Former Executive Director of UNICEF; Former USAID Administrator; IGP Distinguished Fellow
  • Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Representative of the United States to the United Nations

For the full schedule of the events, click here.

05 October | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
IAB Room 802
Argentina’s Presidential Election: A Political and Economic Turning Point

Argentina is approaching this presidential election as a three-way race that broke traditional political cleavages amidst a decade of weak economic performance and a recent spike of high inflation. This roundtable will discuss the conditions behind this change and the political, social, and economic consequences of the election for Argentina.

More information here

05 October | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM 
Harriman Institute Atrium 12th Floor, IAB
Surviving Bucha and Telling the World About It

Join Ukrainian Film club in discussion with Oleksandr Shchur, the writer and producer of the forthcoming war drama Bucha.

RSVP here.
05 October |  7:00 PM - 8:00 pm
Earl Hall Auditorium, 2980 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

Yoga Class

Take a break to relax and refresh with Yoga in Earl Hall. Free Yoga classes (open level) will be offered in the Auditorium in Earl Hall every Thursday evening during the fall 2023 semester.

No pre-registration required. please bring your own mat and arrive 10 minutes early.

More Information

10 October |  12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
IAB Room 1219

The Corrosive Effect of Genocide Denial in Post-Genocide Societies

The scope of the discussion will address the following: “Genocide denial not only abuses history, including contemporary history, but it also insults the survivors and extends the original crimes. Denial is the final act that never ends for the survivors. This discussion seeks to dive into contemporary genocide denial in the Balkans and beyond in discussion will also examine some of the parallels of contemporary genocide denial and its parallels to Holocaust distortion that is sweeping Europe and beyond.

More Information

Most SIPA students are not only required to participate in a specialization-related internship, UN-related internships are often critical to further develop skills and knowledge, build a hireable CV, and create or expand a meaningful professional network. Feel free to consult this document for tips and tricks for Sourcing Internships.

Programmes and Management Service Unit Team (UNCDF) Internship
Application Deadline: 15 October 2023
Location: New York

UNCDF is seeking an intern to be part of the Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) in its Headquarters located in New York, United States. Working under the guidance and supervision of the Data Analyst in the PMSU Unit, the intern will support the ongoing workplan and goals of the unit, including but not limited to maintaining existing Power Platforms Applications, deploying automatic tools, testing data before the migration to the new ERP, preparing technical and functional documentation.

This intership will provide a modest monthly stipend, and is open for a duartion of 3 to 6 months.

Apply Here.

Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Public Information Intern
Application Deadline: 30 October 2023
Location: New York

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)/ Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) interns will gain first-hand experience with regard to the UNDESA's and DISD's activities in the area od public information and media relations.

The internship is for a minimum of two months with an opportunity for extension to a maximum of six months, UNPAID and full-time. 

Apply Here

Office of the Victims' Rights Advocate - Political Affairs Intern
Application Deadline: 06 November 2023
Location: New York

This position is located in the Office of the Victims' Rights Advocate (OVRA).  The mandate of the Victims' Rights Advocate was created as part of the four-pronged strategy set out in the 2017 report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on special measures on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse: a new approach (A/71/818). Its mandate is directed to ensuring that the rights and dignity of victims are at the forefront of all elements of the United Nations system-wide response to sexual exploitation and abuse alleged to be perpetrated by United Nations uniformed or civilian personnel and non-United Nations troops serving under a Security Council mandate. 

The intern will support the work of the Office of the Victims' Rights Advocate and work under the supervision of the Human Rights Officer. 

This is an UNPAID, full-time internship for an initial period of three months, with an opportunity for extension up to a total period of six months.

Apply Here

Data Research Intern at Department of Operational Support
Application Deadline: 13 November 2023
Location: New York

The Office of Supply Chain Management includes the Office of the Assistant Secretary General for Supply Chain Management, Logistics Division, the Procurement Division, the Uniformed Capabilities Support Division, Global Service Centre, Aviation Safety Section and the Enabling and Outreach Service. OSCM is committed to building efficient, agile, responsive, accountable, end-to-end uniformed capabilities and supply chain solutions for all our global partners and clients.

The interns work as full members of our team, pursue projects that are designed to make a significant difference in OSCM, and have opportunities to learn about the United Nations overall.

Apply Here

UN Women - AWLN Project Support Intern
Application Deadline: 8 December 2023
Location: New York

The African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) was launched in June 2017 in New York. The AWLN seeks to enhance the leadership of African women in the transformation of the continent, in line with the Africa Agenda 2063 and the Global Sustainable Development agenda 2030. AWLN serves as a continental platform to galvanize women’s leadership towards lasting peace and sustainable development, the promotion of gender equality, and women’s empowerment in all sectors and at all levels, building on, and working with, existing women networks. 

The Project Support Intern will work closely with the AWLN Policy Analyst; as a person supporting the implementation of a women's leadership project, the intern’s duties and responsibilities would be crucial in ensuring the success and impact of the initiative.

Apply Here
International Rescue Committee - Refugee Resettlement Intern
Application Deadline: 31st December 2023
Location: New York

This is a part time internship, The Resettlement Intern will assist case management staff in providing reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees as they adjust to their new lives in the US. (S)he will play a key role in helping refugee families access needed benefits and services within their first to six months in the United States. The intern will also perform a series of clerical and administrative duties to ensure client files are kept up to date. 

Apply Here

Follow the IO/UNS Specialization on
CampusGroups, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp.

Feel free to reach out to us:
Daniel Naujoks, IO/UNS Director, daniel.naujoks@columbia.edu
You can book office hours here.

Laura Mercado, IO/UNS Coordinator, ld3071@sipa.columbia.edu
Amy Younger, Program Assistant, ay2564@columbia.edu
Nisha Karki, Program Assistant, nk2960@columbia.edu