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Int'l Organizations & UN News #20/2023

Nisha Karki - Monday, October 9, 2023
 Events   IO/UNS Newsletter 

 International Organizations and UN News #20/2023 - October 10, 2023

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

This weekend, global headlines featured horrific conflicts further disrupting global peace and security. The United Nations has been pivotal in various conflict zones, including the Middle East, and continues to address humanitarian crises, including conflict, climate-related distress, refugee issues, and lagging SDG goals. Now more than ever the need for international and multilateral cooperation to address and tackle these pressing issues is prevalent.

In this newsletter, you will find: 

  • International Organizations News
  • What We're Listening To: The Quest for Social Justice: The Role of Research and Dialogue - World of Work Podcasts by the ILO
  • IO/UNS Student Spotlight
  • New MiA Blog Post: Inclusive Global Migration Governance: Embracing Non-State Actors and Cities for Multilateral Solutions
  • 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.

  • "The Secretary-General of the United Nations has no power and there's no money," says the UN Secretary-General. The U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in his conversation with CNN underscores that we are lagging behind in terms of meeting the SDG goals, especially with the developing countries. When asked how much executive power he has in the Security Council, Guterres responds that " the SG of UN has no power and there's no money. What we have is a voice. And that can be loud [....] At the same time, we have some convening power [...] the power is in the member states." Watch the full interview here. 

  • Middle East crisis: UN engages parties a Security Council meets. As the 15-member Council prepared to meet, UN agencies were reporting that hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured following the early Saturday morning rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian militants. The ensuing Israeli response to the Hamas attacks included airstrikes in Gaza, where the UN agency operating there, UNRWA, had reported massive damages alongside rising death tolls.

    The UN agency is currently sheltering almost 75,000 internally displaced people in 64 of its schools in all areas in the Gaza Strip. A UNRWA school sheltering 225 people was "directly hit" and severely damaged, but no casualties were recorded. Read more here.

  • Amy E. Pope of the United States has begun her term as the new Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The first woman to become Director General in IOM’s 72-year history, Pope was elected in May 2023 for aa 5-year term. Pope’s term began on 1 October 2023. She takes over from António Vitorino of Portugal, who had served as IOM Director General since October 2018. If you're interested in her vision for IOM, read her recent Multilateralism in Action think-piece Human Migration needs a New Multilateralism and read here for more information on the IOM's new DG.

  • UN authorizes a second malaria vaccine, costing about $2 to $4. The World Health Organization authorized a second malaria vaccine on Monday, a decision that could offer countries a cheaper and more readily available option than the world’s first shot against the parasitic disease. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency was approving the new malaria vaccine based on the advice of two expert groups, recommending its use in children at risk of the disease. Research suggests it is more than 75% effective and that protection is maintained for at least another year with a booster. Tedros said the shot would cost about $2 to $4 and could be available in some countries next year if funders agree to buy it. Read more here.

  • Russia seeks return to the UN human rights body. Russia is seeking re-election to the United Nations' top human rights body next week in what is seen as a crucial test of Western efforts to keep Moscow diplomatically isolated over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Amid creeping signs of Ukraine war "fatigue", some diplomats say Russia has a reasonable chance of getting voted back onto the U.N. Human Rights Council in Tuesday's secret ballot, 18 months after it was ousted in a U.S.-led drive. Read more here.

  • Extreme weather displaced 43m children in past six years, UNICEF reports. At least 43 million child displacements were linked to extreme weather events over the past six years, the equivalent of 20,000 children being forced to abandon their homes and school every single day, new research has found. Children Displaced in a Changing Climate is the first global analysis of the children driven from their homes due to floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires, and comes as weather-related disasters are becoming more intense, destructive, and unpredictable due to fossil-fuel-driven global heating. Overall, children accounted for one in three of the 135 million global internal displacements that were linked to more than 8,000 weather-related disasters between 2016 and 2021 – and the toll is likely to get much worse, according to the report. Read more here.

  • The UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti. Adopting the historic resolution with a recorded vote of 13 in favor and 2 abstentions (Russia and China), ambassadors in New York authorized the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to help secure critical infrastructure and transit hubs such as the airport, ports, schools, hospitals and key intersections and support the distribution of humanitarian aid. Speaking after the adoption, Jeffrey DeLaurentis (MIA '78), Representative of the United States, said the Council had “made history” by authorizing the multinational support mission, and stepping up to “create a new way of preserving global peace and security”.
    See here for more information on the resolution and for background, see Mourad Wabha's Multilateralism in Action think-piece The Crisis in Haiti: Can a Nexus Approach Help towards a Solution?

The Quest for Social Justice: The Role of Research and Dialogue - World of Work Podcasts by the ILO

Advancing social justice is an idea that’s getting new attention these days. One of the main areas where the need for social justice is growing as something people want is the world of work. Achieving that will be a tall order, given that more and more people are looking for jobs and more and more jobs looking for people to fill them. In this challenging environment, what role can research and dialogue play? This podcast asks two top experts, Sangheon Lee, Director of the ILO’s Employment Policy, Job Creation & Livelihoods Department, and Mikel Landabaso, Director, Fair & Sustainable Economy of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC).

Listen to the podcast here, or at Apple podcast

IO/UNS Student Spotlight

This week, we are excited to introduce Alana Linick (MIA, HRHP 2025). 

Alana has been passionate about diplomacy and interested in the UN system since undergrad, where she interned for the UK Mission to the United Nations on their International Development and Human Rights team. During this internship, Alana focused on sustainable development, global health, and working with UNICEF and UN Women Executive Boards. Alana also has experience with the United Nations Foundation, where she was an Advocacy and Engagement Intern in Washington D.C. as well as the Human Rights Policy intern in New York City for six months following graduation. These experiences highlighted firsthand the value and essential work of the UN and have contributed to reaffirming Alana’s UN-focused career aspirations.

"The world is more interconnected today than at any point in history, and the global challenges facing society cannot be solved by just one country alone. By working together, it is possible to create lasting peace, prosperous economic systems, and a more inclusive environment. Alana is interested in multilateralism because she believes it can make a real positive difference in the livelihood and well-being of people around the world.

Alana is specifically interested in international cooperation for humanitarian and human rights issues. Multilateralism is crucial for creating conditions of lasting peace, without which would lead to larger and more frequent humanitarian crises. Developing international norms and standards for human rights is also only possible through multilateral discussions. "When states come together to pursue a common goal, everyone benefits.”

You can follow Alana on Instagram @alanalinick

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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.

In Inclusive Global Migration Governance: Embracing Non-State Actors and Cities for Multilateral Solutions Raphaela Schweiger, global governance expert and Director of the Migration Program at the Robert Bosch Foundation, argues that processes of global migration governance must further embrace stakeholder inclusion. Drawing on her book Beyond States. The Global Compact for Migration and the role of non-state actors and cities, Schweiger emphasizes that by recognizing the role of non-state actors and local authorities and leveraging their expertise, we can drive meaningful change in migration policies and create a more inclusive and effective multilateral system. 

Schweiger shows that the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) that was adopted in 2018 owes much of its content to the input and expertise of non-state actors, as well as an inclusive consultation process. Going forward, Schweiger urges us to improve this evolved migration system to make it more effective and ready to respond to the great challenges of our time. For that, we need to establish a systematic and institutionalized role for non-state actors and local authorities within the UN system and empower these actors – including with resources – to meaningfully participate in and contribute to UN debates. It is through our collective efforts that we can navigate the complexities of migration and create a more just and sustainable world for all.

Read the full think-piece here and feel free to engage with this think-piece's announcements on BlueSky, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Events at SIPA & Beyond

Spotlighted Events

TODAY 10 October | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM 
Assessing Israel's Next Moves: An IGP Rapid Response Webinar

Online

RSVP | EVENT INFO

17 October | 1: 00 PM - 2:00 PM

Afghanistan and the Taliban Takeover: A View From the Ground on How the UN Adapted its Approach
IAB Room 407

RSVP | EVENT INFO

17 October | 5: 00 PM - 7:00 PM

Book Talk: Good Rebel Governance
IAB Room 707

RSVP | EVENT INFO

20 October | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM 
Tour of the UN - In-Person
United Nations Headquarters
Limited Seats, RSVP soon to secure a spot

RSVP | EVENT INFO
09 - 15 October 
Online

The WB and the IMF Annual Meeting 2023

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)  will be streamed live from Marrakech beginning Oct 09, 2023. Join the live conversations to interact with central bankers, ministers, private sector executives, civil society representatives, youth leaders, academics, and others on issues facing our world today.

Watch Live Events here 

11 October | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Online

International Justice and Accountability for War Crimes in Ukraine

During the war on Ukraine, allegations have been made that the Russian army and government have committed numerous violations of human rights and the laws of war, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, brutal executions, and forced relocation and re-education of Ukrainian citizens. Join the panel of human rights experts and political scientists online to discuss what we know about Russia’s transgressions so far, how these crimes can be documented and investigated, and what real options exist for the international community to hold the Russian government and military responsible.

RSVP here
11 October | 1:15 PM - 2:30 PM
Live - UN Web TV

Women's Political Participation and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in Colombia.

Ahead of the annual Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security, the Permanent Missions of Colombia and Switzerland to the UN in New York together with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and the New York University Center for Global Affairs (NYU-CGA) are hosting a High-Level Policy Briefing on Women's Political Participation and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in Colombia.

You can watch the event live on UN Web TV find the Concept Note for the event here.
12 October | 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM 
Low Library, Rotunda

Human Rights Economy Inaugural Symposium

Join Columbia President Minouche Shafik, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Volker Türk, SIPA Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo, and Attiya Waris, independent expert on foreign debt, international financial obligations, and human rights at the UN, in a conversation presented in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

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.

Strategy and Analysis Intern UNDP
Application Deadline: 13 October 2023
Location: New York

The Strategy and Analysis Intern will work closely with the Strategic Analysis and Corporate Engagement (SACE) team, which is located in the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) Directorate and works closely with different teams within the Bureau. SACE also collaborates with the Executive Office, UNDP’s central and regional bureaus, and other agencies and partners.

The intern will carry out various analytical and strategic support to the SACE team in relation to funding sensitivity analysis, resource mobilization strategy, funding dialogues, strategic foresight, and innovative finance.

This internship is for a duration of 6 months.

Apply Here.

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 work 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 internship will provide a modest monthly stipend and is open for a duration 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 of 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 for 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 a 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 the 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, the Logistics Division, the Procurement Division, the Uniformed Capabilities Support Division, the Global Service Centre, the 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