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Int'l Organizations & UN News #25/2024

Hanh Minh To - Wednesday, November 20, 2024
 Events   IO/UNS Newsletter 

 International Organizations and UN News #25/2024 - November 20, 2024

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

We hope everyone had a successful class registration day! Between yesterday and today, the 2024 G20 Summit is taking place at the Musuem of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, spanning between 18-19 of November. It is the 19th meeting of the G20, and the first to be held in Brazil.  

In this newsletter, you will find: 

  • International Organizations News
  • Podcast - The Lid Is On - Will COP29 deliver the trillions needed to halt the man-made climate crisis?
  • IO/UNS Student Spotlight 
  • IO/UNS Spring 2025 Courses 
  • New MiA blog post
  • 2025-2026 UNA Board Application
  • Spotlighted Events 
  • Events at SIPA and Beyond
  • Internship Opportunities
Daniel, Laura, Angela & Himadri 

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.
https://news.un.org/en/audio/2024/11/1157011

The Lid Is On - Will COP29 deliver the trillions needed to halt the man-made climate crisis?

"COP29, this year’s UN Climate Conference, is being called the “climate finance COP”, because delegates are expected to sign off on a beefed-up funding target to replace the existing $100 billion per year commitment. The final figure the negotiators arrive at remains to be seen and it could be anywhere from a few hundred billion, to over a trillion dollars per year.

On this episode of The Lid Is On, we explain what has been achieved so far, and why the deal gavelled through on carbon markets is important. We also find out what the UN is doing to prevent the rush for the minerals needed for the climate transition turning into a “stampede for greed.’

  • Correspondents in Baku: Nazrin Babayeva and Lara Palmisano.
  • Music by Joachim Harris (all rights reserved)
  • UN News coverage of COP29: https://news.un.org/en/events/cop29"

You can listen to this podcast here or on Apple Podcasts here.
               IO/UNS Student Spotlight 

This week, we are excited to introduce Hannah Barry (MPA-DP, 2025)! 

She has always been passionate about work that provides relief and actively protects at-risk civilians from the impact of conflict and disaster. She believes that multilateral bodies, at their core, should exist to serve and protect the world's most vulnerable. Considering the challenges these systems face today, she believes that young professionals have a significant role to play in turning the tide back towards effective multilateral action that ensures international peace and security. Until then, the international community must do more to meet the needs of civilians experiencing humanitarian crisis.

Prior to SIPA, she spent four years working with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. She contributed to emergency response operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Afghanistan's takeover by de facto authorities. During her time with WFP, she held positions across various functional units including donor relations, reporting, communications, and social protection programming using cash-based transfers and livelihoods training in urban areas. In Afghanistan, she led the Operational Information Management and Donor Reporting portfolio for WFP's largest global operation as it scaled to feed 23 million people in 2022.

Over the summer, she completed an internship at UNHQ in New York, serving as Protection of Civilians Intern on Policy and Guidance within the UN Department of Peace Operations (UN-DPO). She is currently completing the MPA-DP program to strengthen her skills in development programming, social enterprise and innovation, which she hopes to bring back to the humanitarian sector. She also works as a Programme Assistant for SIPA's United Nations Partnerships Initiative (UNPI).

Outside of school, she loves traveling, hiking, and spending time with my dog Ollie. Her Instagram is hannahb.yyt

____________________
Help your classmates get to know you more. If you would like to be featured in our spotlight, please fill out our questionnaire here!

Registration for Spring 2025 SIPA courses have already opened as of Monday, November 18, and they will continue until Friday, January 31. Any Concentration and Specialization restrictions will be lifted on Monday, November 25. Below is a list of classes accredited by the International Organization and UN Studies (IO/UNS) specialization, that we hope can help you decide the final composition of your next semester. IO/UNS specializers need one required course and 6 elective credits to qualify for the specialization.

Required course:

INAFU6352 United Nations & Globalization (3 credits). This is a one of the required courses for specializers, taught by IO/UNS director, Professor Naujoks. Initially, registration is limited to students who have declared IO/UNS as their specialization. However, in all likelihood there will be a few spots for other students.

Electives that count toward both IO & UN Focus Area:

Highlighted course: INAF U6341 UN Development System in Action: Governance, Funding and Country-level Results (1.5 credits). Professor Gülden Türköz-Cosslett, a SIPA alum, has 30 years of experience in the UN Development system, most recently, as Deputy Director of UNDP’s Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy and as Regional Director of UN Women. Her short course in the second half of the Spring semester has students work with the UN on specific projects and is a great opportunity to learn about the intricacies of the UN’s work to promote sustainable development. 

INAF U8537 Climate Change Policy  (3 credits)

INAF U6776 Mediation in a World in Flux (1.5 credits) 

INAF U8358 Foreign Policy - Thinking Outside the Box (1.5 credits)

INAF U6183 Innovation for Development (1.5 credits)

INAF U6442 Failures and Successes of Three Decades of Peacemaking  (3 credits)

INAF U6736  Innovations in Development Finance (1.5 credits)

INAF U6751 International Human Rights Law  (3 credits)

INAF U6897 Writing on Policy  (3 credits)

INAF U6348 Engaging Non-State Armed Groups: Lessons from the UN and Beyond (1.5 credits)

INAF U6762 Risk Management for UN Crisis ＆ Post-crisis Responses (3 credits)

INAF U8785 Gender, Politics, and Development: Theory, Policy ＆ Practice (3 credits)

INAFU 8180 Human Rights Skills ＆ Advocacy (3 credits)

LAW 9383L International Humanitarian Law (2 credits)

PUAF U6801 Negotiation ＆ Conflict Resolution (3 credits)

HRTS 3601BC  International Law & U.N. in practice (3 credits)


Electives that only count toward the IO Focus Area:

REGN U6315 Politics in the European Union (3 credits)

INAF U6425 Energy Transition in Europe (1.5 credits)

IAIA U6310 Diplomacy in Practice: the EU ＆ the World  (3 credits)

The EU and Democracy: Challenges and Perspectives for the Next Decade (1.5 credits) 

If you find a course that you think should be recognized but is on this list, please send the course information, including the syllabus to IO/UNS director, Professor Daniel Naujoks.

Dual degree students, please note: we can recognize up to one course from your first year of the dual degree program, for consideration, please send the class syllabus to Professor Naujoks.

 
As COP29 is in full swing in Azerbaijan, Thomas Beloe, Director of UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub and Christopher Lilyblad, SDG Finance and NDCs Policy Specialist at UNDP, argue that despite a growing recognition of the inexorable link between financing and the achievement of the Paris Agreement’s climate targets, emerging economies face difficulties generating the financing needed for climate action and investments in renewable energy. In Multilateral Action for Country-led Climate and Energy Financing, they highlight the need for systemic change to build a sustainable financial architecture and to link Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement with endeavors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Open access to training in sustainable finance through UNDP’s SDG Finance Academy demonstrates how the knowledge developed through multilateral action can be shared as a global public good. Beloe and Lilyblad highlight that crucial role of international financial institutions (IFIs), including their function as “impact multipliers”, collaborating with investors and insurers to de-risk investments in sustainable energy and climate-smart initiatives and call upon IFIs to join in the multilateral, multi-disciplinary commitment to build a sustainable finance architecture that benefits all people and the planet. This is particularly relevant in preparation of the 2025 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. 

Read the full think-piece here and feel free to engage with this think-piece's announcements on BlueSky, X/Twitter, or LinkedIn. 

2025 United Nations Association (UNA) Board Applications 

If you are looking to get more involved with UN-related activities and events, and if you are interested in being a part of the upcoming 2025-2026 UNA Board, now is your chance to join the board. Please fill out this Google form to be considered for any of the positions by 11:59 pm, Saturday, 30th November, 2024. We look forward to hearing from you! 

11 - 22 November
COP29 UN Climate Change Conference Baku 
Baku, Azerbaijan & Virtual

The Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is held annually, with the Presidency rotating between the five recognised UN regions. This year, Azerbaijan has been selected as the Presidency of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), to be hosted in Baku this November. COP has adopted the Paris Agreement and will assess the status of the world's progress toward climate change mitigation and adaptation and adopt new measures and procedures. 

Schedule and Public Webcast, see here
General UNFCCC COP info, see here
Host country website, see here

11 - 22 November
Countdown to COP 29: In Solidarity for a Green World
Baku, Azerbaijan & Virtual

The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, commencing on 11 November 2024. In preparation, COP 29 has launched a virtual platform that allows registered participants to join and view conference proceedings. Additionally, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan has invited Heads of State and Government to attend the World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WLCAS), on 12 and 13 November 2024. Stay updated with the latest on COP 29.

2 - 13 December
COP 16 of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Virtual

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024. The conference will highlight the interconnectedness of the three Rio Conventions—on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification—underscoring that combating land degradation is crucial for achieving broader climate, environmental, and Sustainable Development Goals. Visit the website to learn more.

More information here

 

2 December 2024
Call for Panels: Financing for Development Dialogues: From Evidence to Action
UN HQ New York, NY

As part of the preparatory activities for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), to be held in Sevilla, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025, we invite think tanks, universities, research networks and other relevant academic stakeholders to submit proposals for panels to be presented during an Academic Day on Monday 2 December 2024 at UN Headquarters in New York. The event will take place immediately before the second session of the preparatory committee for FfD4, and will bring together academic researchers, think tanks, and delegates to discuss evidence-based solutions and innovative ideas on financing for development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The academic day will include high-level discussions between researchers and policy makers alongside more technical sessions focusing on specific financing policy issues. The event will also serve as a platform to present initial findings from the report of the International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development.

More information, please go here.

Internship Opportunities

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.

Political Affairs Intern

Application Deadline: 22 November 2024
Location: New York

*Flexible (in-person preferred/hybrid)*
*Desired start date 30 December 2024 or sooner* 
This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. We seek a motivated intern to support the work of the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC). The UNOCC is a multi-party entity reporting to the Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) and on peacekeeping matters to the USG for Peace Operations in the Department of Peace Operations. The UNOCC supports UN senior leadership decision-making through the delivery of situational awareness, cross-pillar analytics, preventive engagement, and crisis and risk management. This position is located in the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC). The incumbent reports to the Head of the UNOCC Watch Room. The UNOCC Watch Room provides rapid situational awareness and analysis of events in the field, in order to enable informed, coordinated and timely decision-making and strategic engagement on operations and crisis management at UN Headquarters (UNHQ) through 24/7 support to senior managers across the UN system. Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Head of UNOCC Watch Room, and in consultation with a Coordination Officer, the Intern will over the course of the assignment: • Support the Watch Room in analysis and visualization of structured and unstructured data extracted from UNOCC Data Repositories; • Support the drafting and formatting of meeting minutes, outcome notes, briefings, country profiles, visual aids and/or presentations to UN senior leadership; • Conducting open-source monitoring and research; • Support with the organization of enhanced monitoring and crisis management meetings; and • Undertake other assignments as required. Be sure to read more about this position on the website! 

Apply Here

Intern - Information Systems & Communication Technology

Application Deadline: 23 November 2024
Location: New York

This internship is located with the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT), under the Policy, Strategy, and Governance Division, Open Source Team. The internship is for 6 months with an opportunity for extension, depending on the needs of the Office. The internship is unpaid and can be part time or full time. Onsite presence is highly desirable, however, a hybrid of remote can be considered as well. Interns work four to five days per week (20-35 hours), with supervision and support of a staff member. Under the supervision of the Open Source Team Lead, the Social Media Intern's duties will include the following: • Use Trello Boards to plan, create, and curate social media content on a daily basis, maintain and update weekly editorial calendars, collect and collate multimedia information from different departments and organizations; • Monitor various sources for new content and information about what is happening in and around the UN any given week; • Edit and subtitle news videos for the Open Source Teams social media channels, using dedicated software (such as Adobe Premiere Pro); create visuals, quote cards and other materials as requested using online tools (such as Canva or Adobe Photoshop); • Attend press conferences and events at UN and other venues to gather quotes, take photos and videos which can be used in social media posts; • Take photographs and make short videos at various events at UN and other venues and beyond; • Draft posts for X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; • Research trends and posts from partners and suggest reposts; monitor our social media accounts for followers' comments and questions; • Conduct weekly analysis of best performing posts and suggest improvements; • Draft visual monthly reports on performance of social media accounts, and fill in monthly statistics reporting in Excel; • Attend biweekly press briefings, and prepare summaries of such briefings; • Carry out other tasks as requested by the Open Source Team.

Apply Here

Intern - Public Information

Application Deadline: 23 November 2024
Location: New York

*Desired start date in December 2024*
DOS provides end-to-end operational support, advisory services, and other solutions to the operating entities across the Secretariat, including other departments, offices-away-from headquarters, field missions, and regional commissions. CDOTS provides operational training, language and communications training, training on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, knowledge management, and leads as the main facilitator of business process management activities in the UN Secretariat. This internship is located within the Knowledge Management Team in the Capacity Development and Operational Training Service (CDOTS), Department of Operational Support (DOS) at UN Headquarters in New York. The intern will work closely with CDOTS' Communications, Outreach, and Digital Media lead, who also manages the UNTold: Behind the Scenes of UN Operations initiative. UNTold is a key feature of the UN Knowledge Gateway, an internal platform that offers guidance on administrative and operational support. This initiative takes an innovative approach to sharing best practices by using mini-documentaries and virtual global discussions to highlight operational support projects and the unsung heroes behind them. By showcasing these solutions, UNTold connects headquarters with the field, encouraging the replication of successful projects to save time and resources, while fostering collaboration between project implementers and potential replicators for more efficient service delivery.

Apply Here

Political Affairs Intern - Policy Planning 

Application Deadline: 28 November 2024
Location: New York

*Possible start dates between February and June 2025*
This internship is UNPAID and is designed to be in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise (New York, USA). This internship can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. A fulltime internship is for an initial period of two months, and a part-time internship is for an initial four months. Internships may be extended up to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the Division. This internship is located in the Policy Planning Team in the Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS), Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training (DEPT) in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). The Policy, Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) is mandated to develop and disseminate the policy and doctrine guiding the work of Peacekeeping Operations. In addition, the division has the responsibility to evaluate, at the request of the heads of the departments, how those policies are being applied, gather lessons learned and best practices, and use that information to guide the development, coordination and delivery of standardized training, so as to complete the learning cycle. DPET is also responsible for developing and maintaining strategic cooperation with various UN and external partners. The Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS) is part of the Policy Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) of the Department of Peace Operations. It provides support to both DPO and DOS. The core function of PBPS is to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations through the exchange of good practices between missions, the development of guidance material that reflects lessons learned, and thematic policy support in selected areas. PBPS also leads several reform processes.

Apply Here

Policy and Research Intern: In-depth Research and Data Analysis for Evidence-Based Policy Recommendations  

Application Deadline: 4 December 2024
Location: New York

*Flexible (in-person, remote, or hybrid)*
Two positions are available for this internship opportunity. These internship positions are located in the Policy, Advocacy, Donor Relations and Outreach Section of United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) within the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) in New York. Established in 1997, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) works to eliminate the threat posed by mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices by coordinating United Nations mine action, leading operational responses at the country level, and supporting the development of standards, policies and norms. As a specialized Service of the United Nations located within the Department of Peace Operations, UNMAS operates under UN legislative mandates of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. UNMAS also responds to specific requests for support from the UN Secretary-General or designated official. For more information on UNMAS please visit www.unmas.org. The two internship positions will be undertaken during two different periods: from April 2025 to October 2025 and from October 2025 to April 2026. The intern will support the Policy Team and duties may include, but are not limited to: 1. Assist in researching, drafting, and preparing documents and policies; 2. Conduct background research and provide support to concept papers on mine action policy; issues, relevant conventions, and researching States compliance with mine action relevant treaties; 3. Identify, review and monitor key documents by UN legislative bodies; 4. Assist in researching and elaborating draft strategies and policies; 5. Provide support to the planning and organization of events; 6. Assist in outreach to UNMAS programmes to gather, synthesize and analyze data/information; 7. Other duties as assigned by Supervisor.

Apply Here

United Nations Population Fund - Global Internship Roster (Multiple Locations)
Application Deadline: 31 December 2024
Location: New York

The UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

Apply Here
Environmental Affairs Intern 
Application Deadline: 30 March 2025
Location: New York

The Intergovernmental Policy and Review Branch (IPRB) in the Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development (OISC), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is accepting applications for internships. The prospective intern should have a background in international relations, economics, sustainable development, or a related and relevant social science, including web-based applications. The selected intern(s) will be responsible for one or more of the following duties in general for specific activities. The intern(s) will provide substantive support and assistance to OISC/IPRB's support to United Nations intergovernmental deliberations of the General Assembly (GA), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) especially to sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Apply Here
Economic Affairs Intern 
Application Deadline: 13 April 2025
Location: New York

This internship is with the Regional Commissions - New York Office under the Economic, Social, and Development group. Daily responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:-Attend (in-person) and take notes of intergovernmental and UN inter-agency meetings; (e.g. meetings of the General Assembly Committees and of the Economic and Social Council);-Draft official documents (e.g. background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.) and weekly reports to be disseminated to the Regional Commissions;-Conduct analysis and research of regional trends and regional dimensions of sustainable development;-Logistical assistance during conferences/meetings of the Regional Commissions; -Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

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
Angela To, Program Assistant, hat2123@columbia.edu
Himadri Ratnayake, Program Assistant, hr2574@columbia.edu