The Resident Coordinator (RC) system encompasses all organizations of the UN system dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country. The RC system brings together the various UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level. RCs are leaders of the UN Country Teams (UNCT) in over 130 countries and are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General at the country level. Working closely with national governments, RCs advocate the interests and mandates of the UN system while drawing on the support and guidance of the entire UN family.

In Belarus, the UN country team (UNCT) consists of 8 agencies and supports Belarus’ efforts for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supports the government’s efforts to achieve international commitments. The Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) provides policy and secretariat services to the RC and the UNCT in order to promote strategic support for national plans and priorities, make operations more efficient and reduce transaction costs for governments, and advocate for the UN’s norms and standards. 2020 was be the final year of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) implementation, and the year of finalization of the new UN-Belarus Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025. All these requires enormous amount of work, including online and offline dialogues in as many communities and countries as possible, and across borders, sectors and generations.

In this context, the RCO is looking for an intern who has a strong interest and passion in working for the UN development system and its reform and is willing to learn a wide range of areas which the RCO deals with on a daily basis, including partnership building, human rights, data, communications and advocacy, resource mobilization, among many others.

Under the overall supervision of the RCO Advocacy and Communications Officer, the intern will work with the RCO to collaborate with RC staff to arrange, plan, manage, support, and follow up on meetings, events, and various other activities. The intern is also expected to work with colleagues from various UN agencies.

The intern will:

• Assist the RCO with strategic communication and public outreach specifically on issues related to the UN-Belarus Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025 and joint UN communications;
• Assist in developing design, multimedia products, stories and content for the UN in Belarus website;
• Assist in updating the website; research and suggest new and interesting content, draft content;
• Assist in creating digital communication materials to support and drive online audience engagement;
• Assist with planning, preparation and implementation of campaigns and public events, such as exhibitions, rallies, workshops and others related to the issues highlighted above;
• Proactively contribute ideas for projects and media stories that will help to promote communications on the work of UN agencies in Belarus;
• Assist with monitoring media to determine trends, when necessary;
• Participate in meetings of the UN Communications Group, RCO meetings, events and campaigns;
• Translate UN materials (English, Russian), if required;

Perform any other duties as requested by the supervisor.

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations in Belarus Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:

Interns are selected on a competitive basis. Applicants must at the time of application meet the following academic requirements:

• (a) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• (b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
• (c) Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Education:

Preferred fields of study are journalism, communication, public relations or any other related field

• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the UN Charter. Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individual of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views;

Language skills:

• Written and spoken proficiency in English and Russian and Belarusian.

Work Experience

Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme. Solid writing and analytical skills, experience with web and social media content production and management are desirable. Experience with design software (Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Canva) and literacy in standard software applications (including Powerpoint, Excel and Word) are desirable.

Application process:

• UNDP internship application form: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/UNDP-Internship-Application.doc
• A Curriculum Vitae (CV). 
• Motivation statement

Note: UNDP internship application form, CV and cover letter need to be combined in one PDF document for upload.

Selected candidates will be requested to submit the following documents prior to joining:

• Letter from the university confirming current enrolment and graduation date;
• Copy of passport;
• A Medical Certificate of good health from
• Proof of medical insurance and a medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship ( the cost is not reimbursed)

Conditions:

• Interns are entitled to receive a monthly stipend throughout the whole period of internship at the level set by UNDP at duty station in accordance with the UNDP Internship policy.

• Interns will accrue leave at the rate of 1½ days per month. Any accrued leave days not used by the end of the internship will be forfeited.

• Any unjustified absences during the internship period exceeding a total of nine days, will be deducted from the monthly stipend.

• Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internships in the duty station and must provide a medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship. 

• Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern. For applicants which are non-residents of the duty station, the insurance must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship duration which:
• -Requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment;
• -Results in death and requires preparation and return of the remains to the home country, or country of residence-

Subsequent Employment:

The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNDP/UN but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.

Other Relevant Information:

• Interns cannot apply for any UN vacancies during the period of internship.
• Should an offer of employment be envisaged, a 3-month break from the end of the internship must be respected.
• Interns must keep confidential any and all unpublished information made known during the course of the internship and not publish any reports or paper on the basis of information obtained except with the written approval and authorization of UNDP/UN.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

• Interns are considered gratis personnel. They are not staff members.
• Interns may not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against authorized posts.
• Interns may not represent UNDP/UN in any official capacity.
• We are 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.