The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) aims to be a robust knowledge hub providing advisory and consulting services to Member States and United Nations entities on South-South and triangular cooperation enabling developing countries to effectively face their leading development challenges and harness global opportunities to address them, in tandem with monitoring progress on implementing the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, New Directions Strategy and the Nairobi Outcome.

UNOSSC engages with Member States globally, regionally, as well as within the UN system to facilitate practical expressions of Southern solidarity towards the achievement of internationally agreed development goals.  UNOSSC works with a wide range of partners including global centers of excellence to intensively explore how building endogenous capacity be encouraged, how broadening and sharing technological advances within the global South will systematically occur, and how emerging innovative financing mechanisms can be harnessed through South-South and triangular cooperation. UNOSSC ensures that our southern constituencies have timely access to high quality analytical planning, mapping, programming, and reporting on data, trends and opportunities that will propel South-South and triangular cooperation in ways that ensure success.

UNOSSC has established an internship programme for young professionals interested in strengthening their understanding of United Nations, UNOSSC, its mandate, mission and its work within and outside the United Nations System. The UNOSSC internship programme provides professional enrichment for young professionals, enhancing their leadership and professional skills as well as broadening their global perspectives.

UNOSSC’s Speechwriter intern is responsible for developing high-impact communications for the Envoy of the Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director, UNOSSC. This internship requires strategic thinking with the ability to deliver consistently high quality, well-written, thought-provoking materials under pressure and tight deadlines.

• Support the Director through drafting of speeches and articles, consistently ensuring a high level of accuracy and flexibility in creating, writing, and adapting content and presentation for a wide variety of audiences;
• Undertaking original research on a range of development topics (including within the context of South-South and triangular financing arrangements, South-South and triangular strategies of UN system partners, socio-economic issues, climate change, peace and security) as needed to substantively inform the speechwriting process;
• Analyzing complex information, including statistics, financial information and other numerical, qualitative and quantitative data, to extract key messages for integration into speeches, and other communications materials as required;
• Researching audience expectations, event agenda and topics, and assist in focusing the purpose of each speech to tailor messages for maximum audience appeal and impact;
• Drafting other substantive written material for the Office of the Directorate as requested, including statements, briefings, op-eds, opinions, articles, talking points, key messages and other written communications. This may include targeted messages for internal communications within the United Nations or for specific stakeholders and partners;
• Maintaining an up-to-date archive of speeches on the UNOSSC website;
• Extracting key messages from speeches/presentations/articles for dissemination through social media channels, in close collaboration with the Strategic Communications Advisor;
• The Speechwriter will be part of a small executive communications team in the Office, and will report to the Director.

• Have a good understanding of strategic communication and how it can contribute to the achievement of specific development goals;
• Possess excellent writing skills;
• Be able to write quickly, clearly and concisely;
• Ability to originate or edit written content for media and the general public;
• Knowledge of analytical tools and methods for undertaking substantive research on various policy related issues;
• Ability to engage with other parties and forge productive working relationships;
• Have an understanding of, and experience with the major social media channels;
• Be familiar with global development issues and the world of the UN.

Education:

• Qualified/suitable intern from the field of journalism, communications, sustainable development, social science, international relations or related field with the following academic qualifications: (a) enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); graduated with a university degree as defined in (a) and (b) above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year after the graduation.

Experience:

• Excellent general understanding of international human development, poverty, human rights and other related issues;
• Experience working collaboratively in a team structure in a multicultural environment;
• Experience working with the Microsoft Office suite, and particularly in development of Powerpoint presentation materials;
• Familiarity with the UN system in general and/or with South-South development cooperation in particular are an asset.

Language:

• Proficiency in English;
• Knowledge of one of the other five official languages of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) would be an asset.

Conditions

• Internships within the UN system are unpaid and subject to conditions with which applicants should become familiar with prior to signing an internship agreement. For information visit www.undp.org/internships/
• UNOSSC accepts no responsibility for the medical and life insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship;
• The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment within the UN System, but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship.
• Interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP. The costs associated 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, visa, etc

Candidates who are shortlisted for an interview must submit prior to the interview the following documents:

• Official letter from the University confirming enrollment in a graduate-level degree programme.

Only a successful candidate will be required to submit the following nine documents:

• A completed UNDP internship application form (http://www.undp-act.org/data/articles/undp_internship_application_form_2008.doc);
• A copy of the applicant’s most recent resume or curriculum vitae;
• A letter from his/her university confirming current enrollment and graduation date;
• A copy of his/her school transcript;
• A letter of recommendation from a professor;
• A signed UNDP Internship Agreement;
• A Medical Certificate of Good Health;
• Proof of medical insurance for the duty station and period of the internship.  Any cost arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.
• Copy of cover page passport and visa for the United States.