Int'l Organizations & UN News #3/2025

 International Organizations and UN News #3/2025 - February 4, 2025

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

In this newsletter, you will find: 

• International Organizations News
• Podcast
• Student Spotlight 
• UN Career Video
• Events at SIPA and Beyond
• Internship Opportunities

IO/UNS Specialization Team

UN Career Video: Applying to the UN: How to stand out & succeed

Want to land a job at the United Nations (UN) but not sure how to stand out?  In this video, the United Career Coalition shareed expert tips on how to become a standout candidate for a UN job, how the selection process works, and what UN interview panels look for. Topics covered:

• Is it difficult to get a job at the UN?
• How to make your UN job application stand out. 
• What UN recruiters and interview panels look for.
• Best strategies to increase your chances of getting hired. 
• What is the easiest way to get a job at the United Nations? 

20 January 2025 - 28 March 2025 
Part I of the Annual Conference on Disarmament 
UNHQ, NY

Part I of the Annual Conference on Disarmament begins 20 January. The Conference on Disarmament (CD), is the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. The CD and its predecessors have negotiated major multilateral arms limitation and disarmament agreements such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (CWC) and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Learn more and follow the discussions in the 2025 Conference.

12 February 2025
Civil Society Organization Townhall with the President of the General Assembly 
UNHQ, NY

10-14 February 2025
Third Session of the Preparatory Committee (3rd PrepCom) for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development 
UNHQ

Register here

SAVE THE DATE: 19 February 2025, 5-8pm
United Nations & International Organizations Roundtable Conversations
IAB 1501

10 - 21 March 2025
Sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women
UNHQ, NY

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women. The sixty-ninth session of the Commission will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 21 March 2025. 

15 - 17 April 2025 
2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum 
UNHQ, NY

*Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, February 12 2025 midnight ET: https://lnkd.in/dCXXRk5b * 

The UN Youth Office invites young leaders to be a part of the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum! They will support up to 15 young persons (18-35 years old) to participate in person at the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum from 15-17 April 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York City (USA).The ECOSOC Youth Forum will focus on a theme that aligns with the 2025 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind.” 

Selected young candidates will:
- Engage directly with decision-makers and policymakers at the ECOSOC Youth Forum.
- Share insights and innovative solutions to advance sustainable development.
- Connect with fellow young advocates from diverse backgrounds and regions.
- Contribute to shaping international policies and commitments on sustainable development.
- Play an active role in driving progress toward the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs within the UN system and beyond.

Eligibility and Selection Process:
Selection of eligible young persons will be made by the UN Youth Office with the support of partners, including its Youth Reference Group, with due consideration to gender balance, geographical representation and other under-represented youth groups.

Interested candidates should review the
detailed application guidelines available here: https://lnkd.in/dcPikjB9 

For more information about the ECOSOC
Youth Forum, please visit: https://lnkd.in/dNhzZD2r

30 June to 11 July 2025
63rd Graduate Study Programme: UN80: United for a Better Future
Geneva, Switzerland

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.

This internship announcement is valid for three (3) candidates who will intern in the Dag Hammarskjold Library. The Library is part of the Outreach Division, Department of Global Communications in New York City, which engages and educates people and their communities worldwide to encourage support for the ideals and activities of the United Nations. The Dag Hammarskjöld Library connects Member State delegations, UN staff, researchers and world citizens with trusted information/data, facts and human knowledge about and for the UN. It provides a foundation for facilitation, dissemination, use, access to, engagement with, and preservation of information and knowledge in support for the work, principles and mission of the United Nations. Please visit un.org/library for more information about the Dag Hammarskjöld Library. This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person in New York but could be adjusted based on the request of the successful candidate, the nature of the tasks, needs of the Section, and the discretion of the manager. Full-time interns work five days a week (35 hours) and part-time interns work less than 34 hours a week.

We seek a motivated intern to support the work of the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC) Front Office. The UNOCC provides decision-making support to UN senior leadership as part of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. The UNOCC is an integrated information and crisis hub providing cross-pillar analytics, situational awareness, and support to risk and crisis management, and its products are oriented towards supporting senior-level decision-making. The Intern will report to full-time professional staff in the UNOCC Front Office and support the work of the office. - Support monitoring, research and analysis of political and security developments, human rights, economic and social developments, and humanitarian issues aligned with UN system-wide activities and priorities - Assist in preparing visual slides and analytics for senior UN leadership using standard methodology and templates; help process, organize, and transcribe structured surveys to support evidence-based decision making - Assist in the preparation of briefing notes, reports and other documents for senior UN leadership - Assist in the preparation of talking points and other senior-level correspondence; participate in meetings and prepare summaries - Assist in the research and review of policies and guidance documents - Maintain and develop data sets, dashboards, and standard briefing material - Support delivery of presentations to Member States, including by compiling, processing, and visualizing information in a collaborative setting under time pressure. 

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environment sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UN Environment Programme/New York Office is responsible for strategic linkages with the UN system, key partners, and stakeholders in the context of the interagency and intergovernmental processes based on UN Headquarters. Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Management Officer of UNEP New York Office, the intern will: • Attend and summarize key discussions on interagency meetings in New York and on-line. • Research and summarize key developments related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and UN Development system reform, including coverage of discussions in relevant UN inter-agency fora such as the High Level Committee on Programs; the UN Sustainable Development Group and others.  • Assist the work of the New York Office to support UNEP in interagency discussions and fora by collecting information and briefing notes that can support the further integration of the environmental pillar of the 2030 Agenda in the work of the UN system. • Assist with logistics and organization of UNEP interagency events and/or side events for the UN General Assembly, follow up on Agenda 2030 and other environment related events at UN Headquarters in New York. • Assist the interagency team with communications, briefings, team organization as needed. • Contribute to the communication activities of UNEP’s New York Office from an inter-agency perspective.

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. This internship is located in the Information Management Unit in the in the Department of Peace Operations at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) provides political and executive direction to UN peacekeeping operations around the world and maintains contact with the Security Council, troop and financial contributors, and parties to the conflict in the implementation of Security Council mandates. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) focuses primarily on five action areas in international peace and security, ensuring sound analysis and early warning, preventing conflict and engaging in peacemaking, managing political crises and violent conflicts, sustaining peace, and enhancing partnerships. The Department's mandate is to prevent and resolve conflict through inclusive political solutions. Information Management Unit oversees the information management systems, policies, and processes for the DPPA-DPO, supporting analysis, solutions development and advisory services. Under the overall supervision of the Chief Information Management Officer, the incumbent reports directly to the Project Manager of the Peace and Security Data Hub. Our interns work as members of the Peace and Security Data Hub team in the IMU, pursuing projects that are designed to make a significant difference in the whole department, and have opportunities to learn about the United Nations overall. We are looking to fill two distinct intern profiles: 1. We encourage applicants with experience in Political, Human Rights, or Humanitarian Affairs, as well as a background in client-facing, user-centric design processes. 2. We are also seeking candidates with strong technical skills to support the operational side of our projects. Both profiles are expected to develop business process solutions that address shortfalls in the peace and security data ecosystem of the United Nations.

The Global Strategy and Policy Division of the Office of Human Resources/DMSPC seeks enthusiastic and dedicated interns to join our team. The prospective intern must have a strong interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly in promoting geographical diversity; excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills; effective communication and interpersonal skills; capable of working collaboratively in a team environment; ability to handle multiple tasks and projects simultaneously with attention to detail and proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). The intern will support the workstream responsible for coordinating efforts to increase geographical representation in the UN Secretariat by developing partnerships with Member States, undertaking targeted talent outreach campaigns to draw the broadest pool of candidates for Secretariat positions, and focusing on attracting candidates from unrepresented and underrepresented Member States. The team develops innovative talent outreach initiatives to attract and retain a diverse workforce in the Organization. The workstream also supports the implementation of purposeful partnership arrangements with Member States. The intern will report to the Human Resources Officer. Be sure to read through the intern's responsibilities on the website. 

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.

This internship is with the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The Division provides leadership in promoting and coordinating implementation of the sustainable development agenda of the United Nations and serves as the global secretariat for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and provides substantive inputs to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. For more information, please visit our website at http://sdgs.un.org 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 a Senior Officer 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.

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.

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