From: International Organization/UN Studies Specialization
Date: February 7, 2023
Subject: Int'l Organizations & UN News #4/2023


 
   

Dear IO/UNS Community, 

The IO/UNS team sends its deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the Kahramanmaras earthquake in the Middle East.

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: 

**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

  • On Monday, February 6, UN Secretary-General António Guterres briefed the General Assembly on Priorities for 2023. Time is running out as the world inches closer to meltdown and countries must change course before it is too late, Guterres warned the General Assembly in New York. He appealed for urgent action now to achieve peace, economic rights and development, climate action, respect for diversity, and inclusive societies – both today and for generations to come. The UN chief mentioned the symbolic Doomsday Clock - developed more than 75 years ago by atomic scientists to measure humanity’s proximity to midnight, or self-destruction - was just 90 seconds away from that hour. Read the entire article here and the full speech here.

  • The UN’s humanitarian affairs chief warned the Security Council on Monday, February 6, that efforts must improve to reach nearly 18 million in need in war-torn Ukraine, since Russia’s full-scale invasion last year. “On the eve of the horrific one-year milestone, we have a lot to do and we can do better,” said Martin Griffiths, who also serves as the Emergency Relief Coordinator. Nearly 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population needs assistance, against a backdrop of more than 7,000 civilian deaths and widespread devastation, he said, briefing the Council on the current humanitarian situation on the ground. For its part, the UN provides 15.8 million people with assistance, including 1.3 million outside the Ukrainian Government’s control. Read more about this topic here.

  • Roughly one million Tibetan minority children in China have been separated from their families and placed into Government-run boarding schools, forcing their assimilation into the dominant culture, three independent UN human rights experts said on Monday, February 6. Residential schools provide educational content and an environment centered around Han culture, according to the independent experts: Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education, and Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. They said children from the Tibetan minority are forced to complete a “compulsory education” curriculum in the Mandarin Chinese language, or Putonghua, with no access to traditional or culturally-relevant learning. Read more here.

  • Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an “abhorrent violation of fundamental human rights” said the UN Secretary-General on Monday, February 6, marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance against the scourge, which remains a threat for a staggering 4.2 million girls this year. António Guterres said that the practice of genital cutting, prevalent in some cultures for more than a thousand years, causes lifelong damage to both the physical and mental health of women and girls. With more than four million girls at risk this year alone from the pernicious act of gender-based violence, urgent investment together with action is needed, so the world can reach the SDG target of eliminating female genital mutilation by 2030, the UN chief said. Read more here.

  • After a massive earthquake hit southern Türkiye and northern Syria in the early hours of Monday, February 6, prompting fears of a humanitarian crisis, UN aid agencies have scrambled to help many thousands of reported victims, including those still believed to be buried under the rubble. The initial 7.8 magnitude quake struck close to Gaziantep, followed by another 7.5 magnitude earthquake several hours later. "My heart goes out to the people of Türkiye and Syria in this hour of tragedy" said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement. "The United Nations is fully committed to supporting the response. Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance." Read more here.

  • The IO/UNS team recommends this short quiz about Africa, the African diaspora, and the United Nations created by PassBlue and the ICAN (International Civil Society Action Network). This game will allow you to better understand a small fraction of Africa's immense legacy within the UN System. Access the quiz here.
UNiting Against Hate

The Lid is On - Filling the 4 trillion dollar development gap

$4.3 trillion: that’s the estimated cost of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a blueprint for a fairer future, covering all of the big issues facing the world, from eradicating poverty and hunger, to building societies free from fear and violence, and taking urgent action on climate change. To help bridge that funding gap, UN chief António Guterres set up the Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD) in 2019, made up of prominent business leaders from across the world. To get a sense of the scale of the task, Conor Lennon speaks to Navid Hanif, the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Leila Fourie, CEO of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and co-chair of the Alliance. The Lid is On Podcast is the flagship podcast series from UN News that takes its name from the words that correspondents at UN Headquarters in New York hear each night, at the end of the working day. It highlights the in-depth human stories behind the UN’s work and the way that it touches and impacts ordinary lives around the world. Find out more about the The Lid is On Podcast here. You can listen to the last episode here.

IO/UNS Student Spotlight

This week, please meet Savina Savova (MPA/EPD ‘24).

Savina considers that multilateralism and global governance are all around us; they are intertwined with every aspect of our lives. They sometimes seem broad and abstract, but they are important to every one of us. This particular reason made her interested in global governance. Moreover, a key issue that interests her is how the international community can keep the multilateral system in place when people have lost their belief and think it is no longer beneficial to them. In addition, Savina had the opportunity to be part of a UN summer intensive program organised by her undergraduate school, during which she met over 20 representatives of various UN Permanent Missions and agencies that sparked her interest towards international organisations and their endeavors. 

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.

In “How UNDP catalyzes Innovative Public-Private Partnerships that reduce Carbon Emissions,” Alexandra Soezer, Carbon Technical Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) shows how UNDP is paving the way for businesses to invest in climate action under the Paris Agreement. Drawing on the experiences with UNDP’s Carbon Payments for Development (CP4D) Facility, Soezer shows how multilateral agencies can catalyze innovative public-private partnerships (PPPs) that reduce carbon emissions while contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. Under the right conditions, PPPs can be vital to accelerate a green transition to combat climate change and UN entities can be instrumental in designing and facilitating the implementation of appropriate rewards-sharing instruments. Read the full think-piece here.

Most SIPA students are not only required to participate in a specialization-related internship, UN-related internship are often critical to futher develop skills and knowledge, build a hireable CV, and create or expand a meaninful 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 to do a sigificant 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 competive and there 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 to apply to multiple internships at various organizations. 

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

  • While certain entities have specialized platforms that bring together internship opportunities from all over their component or partner organizations (e.g., UN Careers), man 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 and 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 Secretatriat in New York are unpaid).

  • When you apply for an internship, treat your application as a job application: Find out what are they 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


Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 1 PM – 2:00 PM EST 
Student Roundtable: Working Toward the Just Transition: A Conversation with Thilmeeza Hussain
Center on Global Energy Policy

RSVP | EVENT INFO
February 8-10, 2023, 9 AM - 1:30 PM ET
Online
3rd Open Science Conference

Register now for the 3rd United Nations Open Science Conference by the UN Library, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) & UNESCO! From 8 to 10 February 2023 – in the lead-up to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science –, the 3rd Open Science Conference will bring together policy makers, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, researchers, scholars, librarians, publishers and civil society. Under the theme Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals, Democratizing the Record of Science they will engage in a dialogue about the opportunities and challenges of practicing open science and explore initiatives, themes and perspectives into the open scientific method and the digital scholarly communications cycle. More details here.

Click here to register.
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