Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Representation Office in Brussels, Belgium has a position for a qualified intern for a period of 6 months, part-time (with a possibility of extension), starting on 15th  August, 2016.

UNDP partners with national governments and people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. Active in more than 170 countries and territories, UNDP offers a global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. UNDP helps countries to build and share development solutions in the following main areas:

1. Sustainable Development
2. Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding
3. Climate and Disaster Resilience

In all its work, UNDP works to ensure the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities and the poorest and most vulnerable.

Parliamentary Development

UNDP focuses on enhancing the capacity of the state to make it more responsive, capable, and inclusive. The genuine participation of all citizens in political processes is a cornerstone of democratic governance. UNDP fosters inclusive participation and civic engagement, placing high priority on under-represented segments of society such as the poor, women, indigenous peoples and minorities. Vibrant and vigorous democracies are developed and sustained through inclusive participation, which also advances achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The presence of an effective parliamentary institution is strongly correlated with the existence of a viable democracy and an open society.

Parliaments are fundamental to representing the people’s will, establishing the rule of law, protecting human rights, overseeing transparent governance processes, and ensuring compliance with international obligations.  UNDP provides technical assistance to more than 70 parliaments around the world in their efforts to build the capacity of legislators and technical staff; promote institutional reform, political dialogue and conflict prevention; strengthen parliaments' relationships with the executive and judiciary branches of government and with civil society; improve access to parliamentary information for the population and the media, and enhance the effectiveness of women’s role and participation among parliaments through internal reforms and exchanges.

AGORA, Portal for Parliamentary Development (www.agora-parl.org)

Globally, web-based social networks invite the exchange of information and ideas. The AGORA online platform (www.agora-parl.org) was created to take up the crucial task of facilitating cooperation, increasing access to knowledge and providing a platform for the exchange of practices and experiences in parliamentary development. The AGORA site aims to centralize knowledge and unite parliamentary development actors and stakeholders in an interactive community of practice that allows for more efficient planning, reduces the risk of duplication, and reinforces the sharing of expertise and experience.  After six years online, AGORA has established a strong presence and continues to experience a steady growth in knowledge content creation, visitor numbers and interactions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the intern shall perform the following tasks:

• Assisting the project team in keeping the AGORA Portal up to date by uploading news, resources, events and partner updates.
• Assisting the project team in its research and drafting tasks, in particular with regard to policy briefs, blog posts and reporting. 
• Expanding AGORA’s social media network (facebook, twitter and youtube) and further increase its interaction rates. 
• Supporting the AGORA team in identifying new and emerging areas of interest and taking appropriate action.
• Supporting the knowledge manager in communication and advocacy efforts by maintaining relationships with partners, affiliated institutions, and existing and potential new members.
• Supporting the AGORA team in developing new design for AGORA outreach and communication materials. 
• Assisting the project team in delivering interviews with relevant actors in the field of parliamentary development.

Competencies

Competencies:

Essential

• Strong communication skills in English.
• Communications experience, in particular the use of social media.
• Computer proficiency, including working knowledge of MS Office products.
• Enrolled in a degree programme in a relevant discipline (social sciences, law, international relations…) with a demonstrated interest in political processes.

Desirable

• Fluent in Portuguese.
• Experience in graphic design and managing web portals is an asset.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills

Education:

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following 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.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English. Fluency in Portuguese is desirable. [AW1] 

Notes

Interns’ Expenses/Arrangements:

Please note that interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP. All costs associated with an intern’s participation in the programme must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the intern, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his/her own arrangements for travel (including to and from the office), visas, accommodation, etc.

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.

Application Procedure:

The application should contain:

• Motivation letter specifying reasons why candidate is seeking the internship and what is expected from the experience;
• Recent Curriculum Vitae;
• Official letter from the University confirming enrollment and specifying expected graduation date (for students);
• Official letter from the University confirming graduation date (for graduates).

(NB: incomplete applications will not be considered)

UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship.
 

Prior to being offered a Letter of Acceptance for Internship, the selected candidate will have to provide the following additional documents:

• A Medical Certificate of Good Health from a recognized physician. If the intern is expected to travel outside the country of their residence, other than to Europe and North America, the physician must indicate whether s/he is fit to travel and has the required inoculations for the country to which they are to travel;
• Proof of valid Medical Insurance cover valid for the duration of the internship programme in Belgium;
• For applicants who are not resident in Belgium, the insurance cover 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.

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.