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Int'l Organizations & UN News #9/2024

Amy Younger - Tuesday, March 26, 2024
 Events   IO/UNS Newsletter 

 International Organizations and UN News #9/2024 - March 26, 2024

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

Yesterday, the UN Security Council finally passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the month of Ramadan. This landmark resolution comes after many months of the use of the veto by members of the so-called "P5", mainly by the United States. UN Security Council resolutions are binding, however there is little enforcement powers and so it remains to be seen what this means in practice.

In this newsletter, you will find: 

  • International Organizations News
  • What We're Listening To:  Building Peace that Lasts: A conversation with Itonde Kakoma
  • IO/UNS Student Spotlight
  • IO/UNS Award Nominations are OPEN!
  • Events at SIPA and Beyond
  • Internship Opportunities

Daniel, Laura, Amy & Akmaral
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 UN Security Council on Monday passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and "the urgent need to expand the flow" of aid into Gaza. There were 14 votes in favour with the United States abstaining. Earlier in the week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited the Rafah border crossing to Gaza. He told journalists it is time for a ceasefire and for an "ironclad commitment by Israel" to allow unhindered aid deliveries into the besieged enclave. 
  • UN OHCHR releases new report on ‘climate of fear’ in Russian occupied regions of Ukraine. The report, based on over 2,300 testimonies from victims and witnesses,  states that Russia is perpetrating egregious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in an attempt to cement its control.

  • General Assembly marks International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with discussions about reparatory justice to tackle the grave human rights violations deeply entrenched in the legacy of colonialism and enslavement. President Dennis Francis said that racism is “morally wrong” and it “has not place in our world and must therefore be roundly repudiated”.
  • Security Council condemns the violence and attacks carried out by armed gangs in Haiti. In a press release, the Council reiterated their full support for a Haitian-led, Haitian-owned political process and urged all Haitian stakeholders to continue to foster the broadest possible consensus to allow for free and fair presidential elections.

  • UN General Assembly has adopts the first global resolution on artificial intelligence to encourage the protection of personal data, the monitoring of AI for risks, and the safeguarding of human rights. The resolution is the latest in a series of initiatives by governments around the world to shape AI’s development amid fears it could be used to disrupt democratic processes, increase fraud or lead to dramatic job losses, among other harms.

Building Peace that Lasts - a conversation with Itonde Kakoma

We invited Itonde Kakoma, the new President and CEO of Interpeace,  to talk about the mission of Interpeace – an organization that had its origins in the UN and works to prevent violence and build lasting peace. Interpeace has over 30 years of experience working in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America.  

In this conversation with the Director of the UN Library & Archives, Francesco Pisano, Itonde Kakoma talks about inclusive peacebuilding, a participatory approach and a vision of peace anchored in the cohesion and resilience of citizens, the diversity and inclusion of communities and the responsiveness and trustworthiness of State institutions. They discuss the obstacles around implementing the strategic aims of rethinking peace, enhancing resilience and embedding peace, as well as the nexus between peacebuilding and multilateralism.

Find the podcast here, or on your usual podcast apps.

IO/UNS Student Spotlight

This week we are excited to introduce: Himadri Ratnayake (MIA, EPD 2025). 

Himadri believes that diplomacy and multilateralism can be used as an avenue for change in our present society and in addressing issues occurring on a global scale. Without multilateralism, making progress on resolving world conflicts and other matters won’t be as effective as working collaboratively in these areas. She is interested in expanding her knowledge of how the development and humanitarian sectors intersect and how both can be applied in conflict-affected/disaster-prone areas. She is further exploring how peace-building methods can be integrated in such areas as well. She is pursuing the Foreign Service Officer path, and intends on cooperating with NGOs and engaging in humanitarian field work to create the change she wishes to see in our world today. Her inspiration and motivation stems from, in part, a MUN conference in Canada where she got to represent a country and collaborate multilaterally with students from other parts of the world through discussions and solutions of indigenous peoples rights and the impact of climate change.

Aside from an international affairs background, Himadri also has a background in art history. When she is not discussing how to save the world with others, she stares at pictures of her four Great Danes on my phone and likes to go to museums. You can follow Himadri on instragram @thisishimadri
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We'd like to shine a light on each amazing member of our IO/UNS family. Please fill out our questionnaire here to be in next week's student spotlight. 

At the end of the semester, the IO/UNS Specialization will name several awardees. For five award categories, we are soliciting award nominations from IO/UNS Specializers like yourself. We ask that you write-in the names (first and last and CU email address) of your colleagues for whom you wish to nominate in each respective category below. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 pm on Monday, 29th April. We will then have a vote to determine the award-winners ahead of our end-of-year celebration on Friday, May 3rd. More details on this to follow!

You can nominate using this form.

Events at SIPA & Beyond

Spotlighted Events

27 March | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Using World Bank’s WBL 2024 Report to Drive Gender Equality

IAB 420

RSVP | EVENT INFO

5 April  | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Briefing with Ambassador of the European Union to the United Nations Stavros Lambrinidis 

EU Delegation to the UN

RSVP | EVENT INFO

15 April  | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Economic Issues in the European Union

IAB 404

RSVP | EVENT INFO

2024 Human Rights Career Panel
TODAY 26 March, 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Online

Please join us for ISHR’s Annual Career Panel! Human rights professionals will discuss their current work and offer insights and advice to students interested in pursuing a career in human rights. 

RSVP here.

HRHP Professional Development Series: Workshop 4 
TODAY 26 March, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
IAB 409

HRHP is excited to continue the new Professional Development Series with Workshop 4 led by Professor Sarah Holloway who will provide an overview of core financial and managerial skills that are especially relevant to students who want to go on to establish, manage or work in nonprofit organizations or social enterprises.

Sarah Holloway has worked in the public and nonprofit sector for 25 years. She is currently a full-time member of the SIPA faculty where she teaches Nonprofit Financial Management, Social Entrepreneurship and Design for Social Innovation. In addition to teaching, she runs the school’s Leadership, Innovation & Design Specialization—a set of courses and activities that support knowledge and skill building in non-profit, for-profit and social enterprise leadership and management.

RSVP here.

Using World Bank's WBL 2024 Report to Drive Gender Equality 
27 March, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Online

Join Women, Business and the Law Manager Tea Trumbic and SIPA alumnae Alexis Cheney ‘22 and Nayantara Vohra ’21 to discuss the main findings of the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2024 Report and the report production process. This year's report, the 10th in the series, finds that women worldwide enjoy less than two-thirds of the legal rights that men do, and that the weak implementation of laws exacerbates gender gaps. For the first time, the report analyzes not only the pace of legal reforms to create equal economic opportunity for women, but also countries’ efforts to implement those laws. The report finds a shocking implementation gap in all 190 economies measured. 

RSVP here.

Global Careers Supporting International Diplomacy 
2 April, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Discover diverse career paths supporting the United Nations mission in a dynamic panel discussion. Professionals at various career stages will share personal highlights and challenges, offering unique insights. Join us for an inspiring session delving into the multifaceted world of global careers in support of the United Nations. Lastly, you will have an opportunity to network with the panelists at the end of the session. 

RSVP here.

Briefing with Ambassador of the European Union to the United Nations Stavros Lambrinidis 
5 April, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
EU Delegation to the UN,  666 3rd Ave, New York, United States

Join CEUSA for a briefing with the newly appointed Ambassador of the European Union to the United Nations Stavros Lambrinidis at the European Union Delegation to the UN

RSVP here.

"Economic Issues in the European Union" with Debora Revoltella (European Investment Bank)
15 April, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
IAB 404

Join the Center on Global Economy and Governance and the MPA in Economic Policy Management for the series: “The World Economy: Views of Chief Economists," presenting world renowned economists from the private and public sector to discuss current global economic challenges and their perspectives of the future.

On April 15, 2024, Debora Revoltella, Director of the Economics Department of the European Investment Bank (EIB), will deliver the lecture: "Economic Issues in the European Union".  

RSVP here.

Columbia Global Energy Summit 2024 
16 April, 8:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Online

The Columbia Global Energy Summit 2024, hosted by the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, is an annual event dedicated to thought-provoking discussions around the critical energy and climate challenges facing the global community.

This year’s day-long Summit will address myriad issues at the heart of today’s complex geopolitical, environmental and economic landscape, including the impact of climate change and the energy transition on geopolitics and security; the outlook for clean energy deployment in the face of growing policy support, as well as challenges such as interest rates, permitting reform and trade conflict; pathways to mobilize finance for clean energy in emerging and developing economies; energy justice imperatives; and the impact for energy and climate policy in key elections around the world in 2024. 

Speakers include:
  • Selwin Hart- Assistant Secretary-General, Climate Action Team. Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change
  • Avinash Persaud- Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President, Inter-American Development Bank

RSVP here.

UNITAR Global Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) Fellowship Programme, Spring 2024 Cohort
19 Apr 2024 - 28 Jun 2024
Deadline: April 17

NB: This is a fellowship that participants have to pay for. 

Programme Area: Climate Change, Governance, Migration, Peace Security and Diplomacy, Peacemaking and Conflict Prevention, Multilateral Diplomacy

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has created an innovative curriculum that offers a transformative learning experience focused on diplomacy. This cutting-edge program provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from seasoned diplomats who are actively shaping international relations and politics. It is specifically designed for students enrolled in disciplines such as Political Science, International Relations, Urban Affairs, or related fields, as well as those who aspire to pursue a career in diplomacy.

With a strong emphasis on gaining a comprehensive understanding of global affairs, this program equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the international landscape. By directly interacting with diplomats and experts in the field, students can gain valuable insights, firsthand experiences, and practical perspectives that go beyond traditional classroom education.

The curriculum offered by UNITAR reflects a forward-thinking approach to education, empowering students to envision a brighter future through diplomacy. It is tailored to foster a deep appreciation for the dynamics of world affairs and cultivates a passion for making a positive impact on a global scale.

The Global Diplomacy Initiative Program is comprised of 3 hour duration courses, held once a week for 3 months. This program will be conducted two times a year: Spring and Fall.

These courses will be taught by distinguished Ambassadors and high level UN Officials. This program is designed for students pursuing political science, international relations, global studies or related programs and are in their senior year in undergraduate, and any in Masters/ Graduate program. Research students and professionals can also apply. Students of the program will earn a Certificate of Completion. Sessions are tentatively scheduled to take place every Friday from 10:00 am – 01:00 pm EST (TBC).

This programme will take place online and costs $2,000
Please email reem.ebid@unitar.org with your resume/CV and a cover letter for your interest in this programme. More information here and in the brochure that is attached to this newsletter. Event Focal Point: hannah.gana@unitar.org. 

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.

SIPA International Organizations Internship Stipend
Deadline: April 15

Please apply for a SIPA International Organizations Internship Stipend. We will support a few self-organized internships at international organizations that take place (or begin) in the summer of 2024. Internships must be unpaid, and in-principle should be full-time. To apply, you must have an official acceptance letter. Due to funding requirements, the fellowship is limited to SIPA students enrolled in the summer and fall of 2024. 

Apply here

Political Affairs Intern: Data analysis, mapping and visualization
Application Deadline: 26 March 2024
Location: New York

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 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.

Apply Here

DDR Programming Support Intern

Application Deadline: 28 March 2024
Location: New York

The Internship is located in the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Section of the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). The DDR Section (DDRS) provides planning and operational support to DDR programmes and community violence reduction in the following peacekeeping operations: United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). Within delegated authority the Intern for Security Institutions will be responsible, among others, for:

  • Assistance in drafting of Briefing Notes, reports, and other internal documents;
  • Conduct of specific research on current developments related to Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) in assigned countries;
  • Support to the work of the Inter-Agency Working Group on DDR, including on the review process of the Integrated DDR Standards;
  • Assistance in the development and dissemination of communication and public information material;
  • Upkeep of fact sheets and other information repositories on peacekeeping missions;
  • Attending conferences and meetings of interest to the DDR Section and provide verbal or written briefings;
  • Assistance in any administrative work of the DDR Section, including the organization of meetings

Apply Here

Internship Opportunity with the Partnerships, Policy and Communications Unit (UNCDF)
Application Deadline: 30 March 2024
Location: New York

UNCDF is seeking an intern to be part of the Partnerships, Policy and Communications Unit (PPC) in its Headquarters located in New York, United States. Working under the guidance and supervision of the Head of PPC, and working closely with PPC staff, the intern will support the ongoing workplan and goals of the unit, including but not limited to expanding partnerships; preparing policy briefs for high level meetings; supporting the launch of major initiatives on blended finance and enterprises in Africa; and building and maintaining a base of knowledge about Member States.
Summary of Key Functions: 1) Support to Strategic advocacy and partnership development; 2) Support for creation of new innovative finance vehicles and instruments; 3) Support to mobilization of core and non-core resources; 4) Support to effective Internal and External Donor Relations; 5) Support to facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Apply Here

Political Affairs Intern- Research Analysis 
Application Deadline: 31 March 2024
Location: New York

This internship is located in the Northeast Asia and the Pacific Team, Asia and the Pacific Division, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. DPPA plays a central role in United Nations efforts to prevent and resolve deadly conflict around the world. The Intern reports to the Team Leader. Responsibilities of this internship will encompass many aspects of the Northeast Asia and Pacific Team’s work. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Assistance in conducting research on issues related to UN peacebuilding efforts in Asia and the Pacific; • Assistance in preparing reports, concept papers, policy documents, talking points, articles and other materials related to the work of the team; • Assistance in the development of strategic communications, presentations and visualizations; • Attending and taking notes at conferences and meetings; • Assistance in servicing conferences and meetings; • Assistance in data collection and information management; and • Assistance with project management development.

Apply Here

Internship Opportunity- Data Science and Information Technology 
Application Deadline: 2 April 2024
Location: New York

This position is located in the Analytics and Visualization Team of the Analytics and Project Management Section (APM) of the Business Transformation and Accountability Division (BTAD) of the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The focus of this job is to support the design, development, delivery, and maintenance of data-driven products. The incumbent reports to a Senior Data Scientist. As part of the DMSPC/BTAD Analytics and Visualization team, the intern will be expected to 1) contribute to the development of a custom analytics and visualization framework, library, and training program; 2) develop reusable code and components that can be integrated into other projects; 3) transform data sources for analysis and visualization purposes;4) develop analytic algorithms and visualization layouts (graphs, trees, maps, charts, etc.); 5) optimize applications for maximum performance, speed, and scalability; 6) configure a sustainable environment to efficiently manage ongoing framework/library development; 7) support client requests using the aforementioned approaches; 8) perform other duties as required.

Apply Here

Internship Opportunity- UN Statistics Division (UNSD), DESA 
Application Deadline: 2 April 2024
Location: New York

The Statistics intern positions are in the various Branches within the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), based in New York. Statistics interns typically report to the Chief of a Section or to a Statistician. The DESA/SD internship is for two months with an opportunity for extension, depending on the needs of the department. For more information about the Office, please visit https://unstats.un.org/home/. Under each substantive area within the Statistics Division, including Economics Statistics, Demographic and Social Statistics, Environment and Geospatial Information, Development Statistics (Sustainable Development Goals) as well as Statistical Capacity Development, the Statistics Interns will be responsible for the following duties in general for specific projects: •Assists in designing, organizing, planning and managing the collection, evaluation, analysis, compilation and dissemination of statistical data; •Assists in developing, implementing and managing statistical database(s); •Assists in training and technical support on data collection programmes, country practices and other related information •Performs methodological research as inputs for technical documentation; •Prepares draft technical documents for international, intergovernmental and expert group meetings and assists in drafting relevant reports; •Assists in the organization of seminars, working groups and expert meetings; •Assists with communication, data storytelling and data visualization (infographics) and outreach efforts; •Performs other duties as assigned.

Apply Here
PAID Doctors Without Borders Internship Scheme 
Application Deadline: 31 May 2024
Location: New York

MSF offers an internship program through the New York office that takes place three times a year. Interns are paid an hourly salary and can apply to work in a variety of positions, including advocacy, marketing and multimedia, finance, access campaigns, research, and more. Interns must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship and are responsible for obtaining their own accommodation.

Apply Here
Political, Peace and Humanitarian Intern
Application Deadline: June 9 2024
Location: New York

Within the limits of delegated authority the Intern will be required to perform the following: •Support monitoring of relevant developments regarding efforts to end violence against children; •Assist with routine administrative tasks related to the work of the Office of the SRSG-VAC; •Assist in organizing conferences, events, and meetings; •Assist with note-taking and writing summaries/action points of internal and external meetings; •Assist members of the team with research and other related tasks; •Assist regional focal points in research at national, sub-regional and regional levels, updating country profiles and preparing country visits in the affiliated region. •Assist the team members in strengthening child participation in the work of the Office, including in preparing and translating child friendly documents, collecting and documenting child and youth-led initiatives to eliminate all forms of violence at local, national, sub-regional, and regional levels, and helping grow the network of organizations encouraging children’s participation in vulnerable settings; •Accompany team members to online and/or in-person meetings with delegates from Permanent Missions to meetings with other Secretariat offices and to sessions of the Security Council, General Assembly and other multilateral meetings; •Assist with the preparation of the 15th Anniversary of the establishment of the Mandate and with the preparation of public information (such as press releases, social media material, presentations and documents); and •Perform any other functions as requested 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
Amy Younger, Program Assistant, ay2564@columbia.edu
Akmaral Bekbossynova, Program Assistant, ab5420@columbia.edu

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