Background

In December 2015, the international community adopt a post-2020 global climate change agreement during the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December (COP21).

With a presence in more than 170 countries and territories, and long lasting experience of supporting and advising countries in climate change related matters, UNDP is uniquely positioned to offer expertise in low-emission and climate resilient development. UNDP’s work climate change is also strongly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal No.13 and contributes to all the other SDG goals such as health, poverty eradication, improved and inclusive education, women empowerment and gender equality, employment and jobs, resilient infrastructure, cities and human settlements etc.  

The UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub is engaged through regional advisory services to countries within the Europe and CIS region on climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and concrete projects. 
UNDP IRH offers outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNDP’s working with UNDP country offices and governments in the region in the field of climate change international and national policies, including sustainable energy development programming. The IRH hold annual Meeting of Practitioners (MOP), at which experience from the region is shared amongst UNDP exerts in the field.
The Climate Change Intern will work as part of a regional team consisting of around experts within the Energy, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction cluster based in the IRH. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Climate Change Policy Advisor, the intern will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Assist with the programming of UNDP IRH’s climate change portfolio in the Europe & CIS region, including sustainable energy projects in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan;
• Support the organization of the annual Meeting of Practitioners (MOP) taking place in mid-2016 in IRH;
• Support data collection and analyses related to climate change in the Europe & CIS region;
• Support the development of a roadmap that will inform governments in the region on concrete obligations and responsibilities that result from the adoption of the Paris agreement including MRV criteria; 
• Assist in developing new UNDP climate change snapshots for Europe & CIS region; 
• Assist in reviewing UNDP reports and other relevant documents and studies related to climate change and providing comments, where appropriate;
• Support other relevant activities related to UNDP’s climate change mitigation and adaptation programming portfolio.

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
• Ability to plan and organize his/her work, efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Attention to details and ability to solve challenges independently;
• Ability to think and work logically and precisely with attention to detail;
• Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• Currently enrolled in a graduate-level degree programme as a full-time student such as in environmental studies, climate change, social sciences, economics, business administration or in a related field.

Experience: 

• Knowledge of climate change related issues including the terminology is a strong advantage;
• Theoretical and practical knowledge with database management related tasks and analyses is an advantage;
• Practical knowledge of producing factsheets and other data driven communication tools is an advantage. 

Language:

• Excellent writing and communication skills in English

Conditions of Service

UNDP internships are non-paid and travel expenses are not covered. The costs associated with the latter must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her own arrangements for travel, accommodation, etc.
Estimated duration of internship is 4- 6 months. Applicants available for six months are preferred. Applicants must state their availability within their application.

Subsequent Employment

The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies. 
Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.
It is important to note that interns are responsible to arrange for their own visa and residence documents, and need to plan for these well in advance.

Application Procedure

Qualified candidates are requested to send the following application documents in a single pdf file by 26 February 2016.

The application should contain:

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post;
• Current and complete CV in English.

Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.
Selected candidates will be requested to submit official letter from the University confirming enrollment in a graduate-level degree programme and copy of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out. Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.