IO/UNS Newsletter [12/7/21]

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

We are almost to the end of the term and hope that you are staying healthy and well-rested amidst your final projects, papers, presentations, and exams. As we wrap-up our final week of classes, we have two exciting events that we would like to invite you to.

Today, Tuesday, December 7th at 6:00pm, we will be hosting former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a discussion on his new book, Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World. The event is hybrid. If you haven't done so already, you can register here. Additionally, tomorrow, Wednesday, December 8th at 1:00pm we will be joined by set of panelists for an event called, Creating Resilient Futures: Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change Adaptation Agendas. This is an online-only event. You can still register here.

As always, check out our new blog, Multilateralism in Action to stay up to date on our latest publications by multilateralism practitioners and academics. Just last week, we published an article on "How to Start Your Career at the International Organization for Migration". 

Additionally, in this newsletter, you will find: 

• Spring IO/UNS Courses
• What We’re Listening To
• IO/UNS Student Spotlight
• Events at SIPA and Beyond
• Internship Opportunities

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

Cheers,
Daniel, Nate & Yun
IO/UNS Specialization Team

Spring IO/UNS Courses

• INAF U6352 United Nations and Globalization

• INAF U6897 Writing on Policy
• INAF U6762 Risk Management - UN Crisis
• INAF U8176 MIMC 3.0: Migrants, Refugees and International Law: Revising the “Model International Mobility Convention
• INAF U6361 Gender, Conflict, and Peace
• INAF U8785 Gender, Politics, and Development
• INAF U6376 Transnational LGBTI Right
• LAW L6546 Global Constitutionalism
• LAW L9383 Sem-International Humanitarian Law
• INAF U8180 Human Rights Skills and Advocacy
• INAF U6751 International Human Rights Law
• PUAF U6801 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
• INAF U8690 Managing Humanitarian Emergencies

Register here and you can download the full eBook free here.

The regionally-focused World Ocean Summit Asia-Pacific agenda will provide the platform for nuanced conversation and tailored discussion to catalyse the blue economy. The summit will convene 100 speakers and 2000 participants virtually over five days. Dedicated tracks on shipping, marine renewable energy, plastics, aquaculture, and fishing will provide insight focused on the Asia-Pacific. Plenary sessions will centre on pressing concerns for the ocean and cities and seek solutions for climate change mitigation and the dangerous decline of biodiversity in the region. A full track dedicated to finance will bring together executives from across the investment community.  Speakers will share their experience of innovative blue-finance mechanisms to maximise the direction of mainstream finance towards the sustainable blue economy. 

Una invitación a dialogar y explorar las experiencias y los aprendizajes del armado de consensos transversales para el avance de agendas estratégicas de igualdad de genera en Argentina.

Application Deadline: December 8, 2021

UNDP SDG Finance Sector Hub (FSH) supports governments, private sector and other entities in addressing the challenges of financing the 2030 Agenda and maximize new SDG-aligned investemnbt opportunities. The Finance Sector Hub operates as a joint the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and Bureau of External Relations (BERA) platform and serves as a connector, broker and global coordinator among internal and external actors; curates and manages UNDP’s catalogue of service offers to governments, investors and companies to significantly enhance the scale and impact of UNDP’s work.

The Finance Sector Hub works with colleagues from GPN, BERA and across all Bureaux as well as, with external stakeholders and partners. The Hub has multiple functions in advancing finance and the private sector strategy: (i) will serve as corporate “center of Excellence” and support Regional Bureaux and COs, as well as other global programs and units as part of the Global Policy Network; (ii) will host, develop and implement global projects, when appropriate and necessary; and (iii) will perform an external advocacy and representative role in relations with the Member States, donors, academia, civil society, private sector and investors as part of BERA’s partner outreach strategy.  Please visit the UNDP SDG Finance Platform for more information https://sdgfinance.undp.org/ 

UNDP FSH seeks a graduate student with an interest in global development issues and communications to support the effective and efficient communication within the team, UNDP as well as external partners. This post will allow the opportunity to assist in developing communications strategies, communities of practices, and many other creative endeavors as well as supporting UNDP senior staff with their engagements.

The Communications Intern will work in close collaboration with all FSH team members under the supervision of the Knowledge Management and Communications Analyst and FSH Director.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

Application Deadline: January 13, 2022

UNCDF (UN Capital Development Fund) is the United Nations Capital Development for local development finance, inclusive finance and the promotion of Women and Youth empowerment in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) whose main objective is to facilitate access to public and private capital for the most underserved people. Its expertise enables it to develop «last mile» financial models in areas where infrastructures, access to basic services, financial and non-financial services are lacking to unlock public and private resources at the national level. The expected impact is to reduce poverty and encourage economic local development. UNCDF’s work is based on two approaches:

• Financial inclusion – New technologies and saving-based approach allowing individuals, households and small businesses to better participate in the local economic development by providing the tools and financial services they need to escape poverty and manage their financial situations;
• Localized Investments – Thanks to fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal financing and structural financing of projects –, which contribute to promote public and private financing to boost local economic growth and sustainable development.  

Context:

The Intern will support the Local Development Finance Practice (Localized Investments) in West and Central Africa office of UNCDF to implement the portfolio of projects for the achievements of its goals in various domains of its mandate. These projects aim at boosting very small businesses namely in the whole agricultural value chain-, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, and at strengthening the capacities of municipalities - particularly in rural areas – for the implementation of their development mandate through improving their access to financing. The achievement of these objectives will be possible through capacity building programs, the development of innovative financial mechanisms, and the identification, structuring and financing of projects with high local impact.

More specifically, the Intern will support UNCDF teams in the implementation and development of their programs by:

• Providing analytical support for conducting research on financing local development in the region;
• Developing communication tools;
• Drafting of project/framing documents, technical reports, performance reviews and country annual reports;
• Elaborating annual work plans, powerpoint presentations, 2-pagers, etc.;
• Participating in and organizing working meetings and consultations with project stakeholders and writing and sharing of minutes;
• Supporting UNCDF's resource mobilization efforts by supporting the team in the conception and drafting of project proposals.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

The position is located in the Africa Section of the Communications Campaigns Service in the Strategic Communications Division, and is for a period of three (3) months with an opportunity for extension for an additional three (3) months depending on the needs of the department.

Through its Africa Renewal platforms, the Section is focused on providing solutions-oriented content about Africa, taking advantage of the continent's evolving digital communications landscape for maximum reach, in line with the UN's global communications strategy. We also disseminate Africa and UN-related content for publication at no cost to hundreds of media outlets around the world.

We provide external communications support to our designated clients, namely the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and collaborate with other UN and external entities to advance a factual, balanced and non-stereotypical narrative of Africa.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the office to which they are assigned.

Due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions the internship may be conducted remotely.
 

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) has corporate responsibility for UNDP’s corporate crisis-related work and driving UNDP’s vision and priorities for crisis prevention, response, and recovery, to support the strategic results, outcomes and outputs of UNDP's Strategic Plan. CB teams provide technical advice to Country Offices; advocate UNDP corporate messages; represent UNDP as required, including at multi-stakeholder fora, public-private, and government-civil society dialogue initiatives; promote and support South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives; and engage in UN interagency coordination in the areas of work the Strategic Plan – building resilience to shocks and crises, in order to safeguard development gains.

Within the CB, the Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions (CPPRI) team works on the integration of governance, conflict prevention and peacebuilding interventions. The CPPRI team leads and coordinates UNDP's corporate, global approach on how to prevent violent extremism (PVE) from a development perspective. This approach continues to evolve and develop in response to the changing strategies of violent extremist groups, government responses and development of new policy frameworks. In support hereof, UNDP commissions new research, identifies best practices and promote knowledge sharing across multiple stakeholders supporting the prevention of violent extremism. The communication and dissemination of these results are essential for enhancing the quality of programming, building and maintaining partnerships, and facilitate knowledge exchange across a community of practice.

It is within this context that UNDP is seeking a Communication Intern to support the visualisation of data, dissemination, and communication of the PVE work by supporting the communication strategy development and implementation of the CPRRI PVE team. The intern will engage with the PVE Team in New York as well as colleagues in Country Offices and Regional Hubs to enhance communication across the practice.

This position will expose the intern to unique insights on implementation of peacebuilding and prevention of violent extremism programmes across the 42 countries in which UNDP implements PVE projects. Furthermore, the nature of the tasks will offer the intern great opportunities to develop analytical skills, strategic writing and communication within international development. The intern will have a unique opportunity to operate in a diverse and dynamic global workspace and expand personal and professional networks. The supervisor will work closely with the intern to identify and track learning objectives, provide quality assurance and feedback.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is seeking for qualified interns for a maximum internship of 6 months, depending on the needs of UNODA and the willingness of applicant.

UNODA advises and assists the Secretary-General in the discharge of his responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations and the implements mandates given by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other organs of the United Nations system, in the area of disarmament and related security. For more information, please refer to: https:www.un.org/disarmament.

The internship is unpaid and full-time opportunity. Interns will be assigned to a primary supervisor and must adhere to the established official working hours five days per week with one hour for lunch break.

Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background; the intern’s assigned Branch within UNODA as well as the internship period. Interns shall undertake the following duties which may include, but are not limited to:

• Assistance in drafting and preparing official documents, summaries, talking points, speeches, remarks and web content.
• Document, media and internet research.
• Assistance during conferences and meetings.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

This internship position is located in the Budget, Financial Management and Reporting 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.mineaction.org/unmas.
 

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

The United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFFS), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is accepting applications for internships.
The UNFFS provides leadership in promoting the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) and the achievement of its Global Forest Goals, and the effective implementation of the UN Forest Instrument. It provides substantive secretariat support to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), which is composed of all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies.

In 2015, the UNFF established the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network under the UNFFS to facilitate access to and effective use of funding for forests, sharing data and best practices on forest financing and contributing to the achievement of the Global Forest Goals of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. More information on the UNFFS and the GFFFN can be found at www.un.org/esa/forests.

The prospective intern should have a background in economics, environmental issues, data science, or computer science-related areas. Experience or knowledge of IT-related work is desirable. The internship is for three months, with an opportunity for extension up to a maximum of six (6) months, depending on the needs of the Office.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

This internship is located in the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism United Nations Headquarters, in New York. The intern will work under the supervision of the UNOCT Gender Adviser.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 38 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

The Gender Unit has the responsibility to provide technical assistance and advise on UNOCTs gender responsive mandate implementation.

This internship is for an initial period of two months and may be extended up to six months depending on the needs of the UNOCT Gender Unit.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

This internship is located in the Regional Support Section (RSS) in the Policy, Knowledge Management and Coordination Branch (PKMCB) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
UNOCT was established to: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates entrusted to the Secretary-General from across the United Nations system; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 38 (currently 43) Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact (former CTITF Task Force) entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counterterrorism across the United Nations system and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.
The intern will report to the Political Affairs Officer responsible for the selected region.

This internship is for an initial period of minimum three months and may be extended up to six months depending on the needs of the Branch. Once selected, the intern must begin your internship either prior to or within one year of graduation. United Nations interns are not paid. All costs related to travel, insurance, accommodation, and living expenses must be borne by either the interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns must show a proof of a valid major global insurance coverage during the internship and are responsible for its costs.

Interns must be discreet and keep confidential any and all unpublished information obtained during the course of the internship and may not publish any documents based on such information.
The intern may get academic credit from their institution of higher education for the internship. Interns should check with their university to confirm their academic credit policy for internships.

To apply, please visit the job posting here.

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

Feel free to reach out to us:
Daniel Naujoks, Interim Director, daniel.naujoks@columbia.edu
To book office hours, click here.

Yun Liang, Program Assistant, yun.liang@columbia.edu
Nate Edwards, Program Assistant, nke2113@columbia.edu