From: International Organization/UN Studies Specialization
Date: February 14, 2023
Subject: Int'l Organizations & UN News #5/2023


 
   

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

The IO/UNS team would like to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day and Happy Black History Month in the United States and Canada. As today is a celebration of love and friendship, the IO/UNS urges you to consider those who have lost loved ones in the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

You can find up-to-date information about the ongoing situation in Turkey and Syria at the following links: Associated Press, New York Times, WAPO, CNN. If you plan to make donations for the affected communities, please take into consideration both the major international groups that usually are among the first to coordinate on-the-ground response teams and the trusted humanitarian entities indicated here.

In this newsletter, you will find: 

  • Special Anouncement from SIPA Black Student Union
  • News from the UN
  • Event Recap: Access to Justice and Forced Displacement
  • What We're Listening To: UNiting Against Hate: Does Costa Rica have the answers?
  • IO/UNS Student Spotlight: Tom Jouvet
  • Internship Guide: How to Identify Summer Internships
  • 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.

Daniel, Laura, Asha, & Aurelian
IO/UNS Specialization Team

ATTENTION CLASS OF 2023: Annually, the Black Student Union in partnership with OSA and the DEICE committee hosts Black Graduation to honor and celebrate Black graduates. Along with this, BSU provides personalized graduation stoles, that are hand-woven in Ghana. If you identify as Black, are anticipated to graduate in May or December of 2023, and would like to purchase a stole for graduation, please complete this form by noon February 22nd. Congratulations!

  • In a heartfelt appeal based on his years of visiting the devastated area, as Secretary-General and previously as head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, Antonio Guterres said that what had been a “centre of solidarity is now an epicentre of suffering.” Now is the time to stand up for the people of Türkiye and Syria living in the region of the deadly earthquake disaster, said the UN chief on Thursday, and show them “the same kind of support and generosity” which they have displayed in recent years, aiding millions of refugees and displaced people fleeing conflict. Read the entire article here.

  • Acts of armed violence targeting schools in Haiti have spiked nine-fold in one year amid rising insecurity and widespread unrest, UNICEF warned on Thursday. “Violence continues to take a heavy toll on children’s lives in and around Port-au-Prince, and schools are no longer spared,” said Bruno Maes, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Haiti. “As children reel from the effects of armed violence, insecurity in Haiti shows no sign of abating.” The consequences of these targeted attacks are beginning to cripple the country’s education system, UNICEF said. Read more here.

  • Despite leadership losses and diminished cash reserves, the extremist group ISIL, or Da'esh, continues to pose a threat to international peace and security, the UN counter-terrorism chief warned on Thursday in New York. “Because beyond the headlines and behind the numbers, there are numerous people and communities who were affected by the heinous crimes of Da’esh and other terrorist groups and individuals,” he said. The Da'esh threat remains high and has increased in and around conflict zones where the group and its affiliates are active, he reported. Their expansion in central and southern Africa, and the Sahel, remains particularly worrying. Read more here.

  • Independent UN human rights experts on Friday expressed grave concern over the deaths early last month of two young Black men in the United States, at the hands of police officers. “The brutal deaths of Keenan Anderson and Tyre Nichols are more reminders of the urgency to act,” said Yvonne Mokgoro, Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Council-appointed International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement. “In both cases, the experts stressed that the force used appears to have violated international norms protecting the right to life and prohibiting torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It is also not in line with standards set out under the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.” Read the entire article here.

  • Denmark and Greenland must address the negative impact of a colonial legacy that has led to structural and systemic racial discrimination against the indigenous Inuit community, an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Friday. The development would represent a key measure to tackle past injustices and create a more inclusive society, said UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, José Francisco Cali Tzay, in a statement at the end of a 10-day visit to the two countries. Inuit people comprise nearly 90 per cent of the population of Greenland, an autonomous dependent territory of Denmark that was a colony up until 1953. They still face barriers to fully enjoying their human rights, according to Mr. Cali Tzay. Read more here.

Event Recap: Access to Justice and Forced Displacement

On February 3rd, Dr. Agnès Hurwitz, who serves as Senior Development Officer at UNHCR, where she oversees the rule of law, governance and peacebuilding portfolios at UNHCR’s Division of Resilience and Solutions, shared insights from recent justice needs surveys conducted in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso and a joint analysis in Darfur, Sudan. In discussion with Dr. Hurwitz and IO/UNS director Daniel Naujoks, partipants learned about specific barriers for displaced persons to access legal rights as well as what the UN is doing to work with governments to reform justice systems to allow displaced persons to access justice. UNHCR is working with various stakeholders to promote people-centered justice to address the needs of specific and vulnerable groups including IDPs and refugees, invest in data, evidence-based approaches and knowledge production, integrate people's perspectives into data, service and policy models and engage host communities, refugees, IDPs, institutions and development partners.
UNiting Against Hate

UNiting Against Hate: Does Costa Rica have the answers?

Costa Rica is known for its strong democracy, pro-human rights stance, and deep respect of the rule of law, so it was a shock when the 2018 general elections ushered in an unprecedented polarization of Costa Rican society. This shift was accompanied by a sharp rise in hate speech and expressions of discrimination and xenophobia. In the last episode of this season of UNiting Against Hate, Katy Dartford looks at the ways that the country, with strong support from the UN, decided to confront the problem. The UNiting Against Hate Podcast is a new eight-part United Nations podcast, that shows how hate speech manifests itself in different parts of the world, showcasing the work of activists who are bringing about positive change. Find out more about the UN's #NoToHate campaign here. Listen to the final episode here.

IO/UNS Student Spotlight

This week, please meet Tom Jouvet (MPA/EE and IFEP ‘24 and dual graduate student with Sciences Po’s Master in Public Policy).

Tom became interested in multilateralism as a way to drive global governance and address complex global issues from climate change, international security, financial crises, to sustainable development. His strong belief in sustainable development as the cornerstone of policymaking drives his interest in international cooperation to balance planetary boundaries with social safeguards to achieve a desirable future. Over the past few years, Tom has had the opportunity to create a partnership with a Cambodian NGO, as well as conduct internships in Vietnam, Laos, with the French Parliament where he developed the career goal of combining scientific knowledge with socioeconomic concerns to drive effective public policies. More recently, Tom worked as a sustainable finance analyst intern at the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) and is currently working on a World Bank capstone on pension funds greening as well as on a study on voluntary carbon markets with the UN Sustainable Stock Exchange to foster sustainable finance. In the future he wishes to work within the European Union or UN System (UNEP, UNDP, World Bank) on sustainability issues, primarily climate change. 

We are proud of the views and experiences of our IO/UNS specializers. Don't be shy and please fill out our questionnaire here - we'd love to shine a light on you.

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. 

Each week, this newsletter, as well as resources from SIPA's Career Advancement Center, list key internships. However, our listings cannot be comprehensive. For this reason, we are happy to share a short guide on identifying UN-related internships.

Tips & Tricks

  • We strongly recommend doing a significant amount of research before starting any official application process. The following list can represent a valuable starting point, but it is not exhaustive: multilateral organizations usually provide myriads of internship opportunities, and - in some cases - they accept applications on a rolling basis.

  • Internships are usually highly competitive and even if you have a strong profile for a certain position, it's hard to be sure that it will work out.  For this reason, we recommend applying to multiple internships at various organizations. 

  • It's generally advisable to plan ahead and start searching and applying for positions about three or four months before the intended starting date. However, in some cases, internship opportunities open up at short notice and not all internship vacancies for the summer have been published yet. Thus, there is no need to despair. 

  • While certain entities have specialized platforms that bring together internship opportunities from all over their component or partner organizations (e.g., UN Careers), many multilateral institutions prefer to disseminate positions only through their own online/virtual spaces (e.g., official websites and partner websites). We have collected several websites below so be sure to check multiple platforms in your area of interest.

  • Before applying, please make sure that you are familiar with (a) all the requirements of the internship (including visa requirements), (b) the length of the internship, (c) prospective responsibilities, and (d) financial arrangements of the position (i.e., some internship positions offer a small stipend (usually around US$1,000/month), while most at the UN Secretariat in New York are unpaid).

  • When you apply for an internship, treat your application as a job application: Find out what are the key tasks the intern is asked to do. Is this about writing & research? Conference & event management? Social media? In your cover letter, highlight what you have done in the past on this and emphasize how you can support and help the team. The more you can weave in actual work experience, the better it is. The ideal cover letter for an internship is one where the hiring manager says: "We could hire this candidate as a staff member."

Resources

United Nations

  • UN Careers - Various positions across the UN System.

  • UNDP - UNDP ensures inclusive and effective democratic governance by advocating, advising, fostering impartial spaces for dialogue, achieving consensus and building institutions.

  • UNICEF - UNICEF works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Across more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF does whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive and fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

  • UNFPA Internship Programme -  UNFPA offers a small group of outstanding students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNFPA operations. It is designed to complement development-oriented studies with practical experience in various aspects of UNFPA work.

  • UNOPS - They offer exciting internship opportunities in many countries around the world. 

  • UNHCR - UNHCR is looking for talented, motivated and passionate individuals from around the world who bring knowledge, innovative thinking and different ideas to enhance our capacity to support people forced to flee.

  • UN Women - Positions at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
  • IOM Internship Programme 
    • General information
    • For internships in IOM Country Offices, please send your application directly to the specific office in which you are interested in working.
    • For advertised internships at IOM Geneva (Headquarters), please click here for the list of current internships available. Internship vacancies start with “INT”.
    • In addition, please feel free to register your interest for an upcoming internship with IOM by submitting your profile here. Please do not forget to “release” your profile within the system for our review. We review profiles on a needs basis.

  • UNEP - This link is for all jobs and opportunies. You need to search for "intern" on the site to get to internship offers.

  • ILO

    • ILO (Washington D.C.) - The objective of the ILO Office for the United States is to forge excellent relationships and collaboration with government representatives, and workers’ and employers’ organizations, as well as with relevant United States based international organizations in building partnerships for a sustainable and equitable future of work and more generally to promote knowledge and awareness of the ILO and its mandate.
    • ILO (International) - If you want to work within an internationally diverse, globally challenging, highly principled environment and you have a proven track record of high performance, then the ILO is the right place for you.
World Bank and Regional Development Banks 
INGOs
Some international NGOs can be considered "UN-adjacent". The below is not a comprehensive list of such organizations.
Best of luck for your search! And please do let us know if you know of additional resources that we can include in future iterations of this guide.
Events at SIPA & Beyond


Mon, Feb 20, 2023, 1 PM – 2:00 PM EST 
Panel Briefing by UNDPO: The Evolving Nature of DDR
IAB 407

RSVP | EVENT INFO


Mon, Mar 22, 2023, 4 PM – 7:30 PM EST 
International Organizations & United Nations Roundtable Conversations (Networking Event)
IAB 1501

RSVP | EVENT INFO
Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 12 PM – 1:30 PM EST
Online event
Climate Action in Nigeria: Risks, Urgencies, and Opportunities

While international organizations and global financial institutions debate the future of investment in fossil fuels on the African continent, African nations continue to suffer the worst impacts of climate change. The October 2022 devastating floods in Nigeria were the worst in half a century and displaced more than one million people while causing massive damage to agricultural production and industrial activity. Intensifying discussions over Nigeria’s role in adaptation to and mitigation of climatic changes underline the importance of exploring different perspectives–across sectors and different parts of Nigerian society–on what kind of climate action the country should prioritize.

Please join the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs for this panel discussion.

Moderators:

  • Ariwoola Ogbemi, Senior Advisor, Equinor and Adjunct Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
  • Dr. Harry Verhoeven, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA

Panelists:

  • Dr. Ibidun Adelekan, Professor of Geography, University of Ibadan
  • Tariye Gbadegesin, CEO and Managing Director, ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment
  • Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, Head of the Energy Transition Office, Sustainable Energy for All
Click here to register.
Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 3 PM – 4 PM EST
Columbia Law School WJW Room 208
In Conversation with U Kyaw Moe Tun

Join us in conversation with his excellency, U Kyaw Moe Tun. U Kyaw Moe Tun currently serves as the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations. In 2021, while U Kyaw Moe Tun was serving as ambassador, the Myanmar military overthrew the elected civilian government in a coup d’état. U Kyaw Moe Tun remained loyal to the civilian government and resistance and continues to manage foreign and diplomatic affairs on behalf of Myanmar. Hear his reflections and insights on his role, the coup d’etat, and the future of the country.

Click here to register.
Thursday, February 16, 2023, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
1201 International Affairs Building
In-person meeting & virtual
What Makes Ukraine Resilient in an Asymmetric War?

Please join the Ukrainian Studies Program at the Harriman Institute for a presentation by Oleksandra Keudel.

Ukraine revealed puzzling resilience in the face of the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February 2022. Local authorities, in particular, continue to provide public services and respond to crises arising from Russian attacks on critical civilian infrastructure and housing and massive internal displacement. This survey illuminates how local authorities ensure the effectiveness and legitimacy of their emergency responses using elements of collaborative and anticipatory governance.

These findings also highlight a shifting social contract in Ukraine towards partnership between authorities and citizens as a foundation for democracy more broadly. The study was commissioned by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and co-authored with Oksana Huss (Bologna University). The event will be moderated by Mark Andryczyk (Harriman Institute).

Click here to register.
Friday, February 17, 2023, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Online
Youth Briefing on Our Common Agenda Implementation

With the purpose of informing and updating youth about the progress with the implementation of Our Common Agenda and all its associated proposals, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth will host a Youth Briefing on Our Common Agenda Implementation in collaboration with the Executive Office of The Secretary-General.

As you register, we also invite you to consult the following links for more details on Our Common Agenda:

Simultaneous translation will be provided. More information on the agenda and ways for youth to contribute to the discussion will be provided to registered participants. 

Click here to register.
Friday, March 3, 2023, 09:30 AM - 6:00 PM EST
United Nations Headquarters (Conference Room 3, 405 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, United States) and online
UNIDIR Invitation: The 2023 Cyber Stability Conference

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is pleased to invite you to the 2023 Cyber Stability Conference (CS23), titled “Use of ICTs by States: rights and responsibilities under the UN Charter”. Nearly a decade ago, States agreed that international law is applicable and essential for a secure, stable, peaceful information and communications technology (ICT) environment. The remaining question is how international law applies to the use of ICTs by States. To facilitate focused future deliberations and therefore meaningfully contribute to the advancement of multilateral negotiations, CS23 will focus on the first source of international law that States agreed on as being applicable in cyberspace – the Charter of the United Nations (UN). Specifically, CS23 will investigate the rights and obligations of the UN Charter applicable to cyberspace, including legal principles and thresholds related to the topics such as the use of armed force; armed attack and self-defence; role and powers of the UN Security Council; and peaceful settlement of disputes.

You are kindly requested to specify if you will be attending in person or connecting remotely. Early registrations are encouraged. The link to access the online broadcast of the conference will be provided by email to the registered participants one day prior to the event. Please contact sectec-unidir@un.org if you have any questions.

Click here to register.
Internship Opportunities
ADB Internship Program
Application Deadline: 15 February 2023

The Internship Program is a project-oriented learning opportunity for graduate students to gain experience through research assignments based on ADB’s current operational needs.

ADB advertises internship assignments twice a year and welcomes motivated, open-minded, and self-directed individuals to apply.

The internship program offers the opportunity to:

  • work in a major international development organization;
  • work collaboratively with experienced professionals from over 50 different countries;
  • gain a deeper understanding of development finance and the impact of the work ADB does; and
  • contribute to ADB's business through research outputs.

Apply Here

African Development Bank Internship Program
Application Deadline: 22 February 2023

The African Development Bank’s internship program aims to deliver on the strategic focus of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy. These priority areas are commonly referred to as the High 5s:

  1. Light Up and Power Africa
  2. Feed Africa
  3. Integrate Africa
  4. Industrialize Africa
  5. Improve the Lives of the People of Africa

Objectives of the Internship Program

The Bank’s Internship program aims to:

  • Provide students with the ability to work in an international environment;

  • Provide the Bank with a pool of potential candidates in the future; and

  • Enhance the visibility of the Bank and its development activities.

Apply Here

Executive Office of the Secretary-General - Interns
Application Deadline: 11 April 2023

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is seeking  motivated interns to support the work of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. The interns can take up assignments with any team in the Office, including the Strategic Planning and Monitoring Unit; the Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Human Rights Unit; the Rule of Law Unit; the Sustainable Development Unit; the Policy Advisor’s Office; or other units.

Interns report to full-time professional staff and focus on one of the three tracks set out under Responsibilities.

Apply Here

Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Social Sciences Interns
Application Deadline: 05 May 2023

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) / Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) internship is for two months with the opportunity for extension up to a total of six months, depending on the needs of the Division.

For more information about the Division, please visit here.

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.

Apply Here
UN INTERN - Management and Programme Analysis
Application Deadline: 13 May 2023
This internship is in the Analytics and Project Management Section of the Business Transformation and Accountability Division of the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMPSC).

The DMSPC/BTAD Analytics and Project Management team develops dashboards and other online platforms to support monitoring and reporting on performance; promotes business innovation and new ways of working, taking a long-term view of how the UN’s business model is aligned with evolving mandates, changing operational environments, as well as changes in the workplace and society-at-large; coordinates portfolio of transformational projects, ensuring projects are designed, communicated and implemented according to best practices in change and project management.

The internship is for a period of four months with an opportunity for extension up to six months, depending on the needs of the department. The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work up to five days a week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the office to which they are assigned.

Apply Here

Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Economic Affairs Interns
Application Deadline: 04 June 2023

The internship with the Inter-organizational and Inter-institutional Support Branch (IISB) of the Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development (OISC) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) is for two months, with an opportunity for extension, pending on the needs of the Department.

The internship is UNPAID and full time.

Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in IISB to which they are assigned.

Apply Here

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Human Rights Intern
Application Deadline: 29 June 2023

The intern shall support OHCHR in fulfilling its mission: to work for the protection of all human rights for all people; to help empower people to realize their rights; and to assist those responsible for upholding such rights in ensuring that they are implemented.

This internship is an UNPAID and full-time engagement that provides a framework through which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the work of the United Nations by way of their service within Secretariat entities. 

Based in New York, United States of America, under the overall leadership of the High Commissioner, the intern reports to the respective Chief of Section or Human Rights Officer in the area of assignment. This internship will be offered for an initial period of two (2) months, renewable for a combined period of six (6) months.

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 Dankowski Mercado, IO/UNS Coordinator, ld3071@sipa.columbia.edu
Asha Jhanay Richards, Program Assistant, ajr2264@columbia.edu
Aurelian Dragos Mohan, Program Assistant, aurelian.d.mohan@columbia.edu

International Organizations and United Nations Roundtable Conversations ( Networking Event ) on Wednesday, 22 March 2023 At 4:00 PM. No image description provided

EVENT

International Organizations & United Nations Roundtable Conversations (Networking Event)

clock Wednesday, March 22, 2023
4:00pm - 7:30pm
Location pinPrivate Location (sign in to display)
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*Please ensure you only register for 1 ticket. Also note that the roundtable tickets count toward the reception; therefore, please do not register for a reception ticket if you have registered for a roundtable ticket. Thank you

Building on the success of the previous years' event, this year's in-person International Organizations & United Nations Roundtable Conversations gives students the opportunity to speak with 20+ staff members from a range of international organizations in intimate small group discussions. Invited experts represent UNDP, IOM, DPPA, World Bank, UNFPA, DESA, OCHA, OECD, ILO, and many others.

Unlike other networking events, the virtual roundtable conversation format will ensure that students have significant facetime with three IO officials, opening the door for meaningful relationship building. About six students will share a roundtable with one of our featured experts to discuss their work and experiences on the role of international organizations to foster development, cooperation, peace, human rights, climate change, and prosperity. Students will spend 30min each at three roundtables to enable them to have a range of conversations.

After 3 rounds of structured roundtables, all participants are invited to join the reception on the 15th floor that allows participants to connect with other experts.

REGISTER