Background
UNDP works in some 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. It helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.
UNDP helps countries to build and share development solutions in the following main areas:
Sustainable Development
Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding
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.
Launched in 2005 and currently active in more than 20 countries, the UNDP ART Global Initiative – Hub for territorial partnerships is an entry point for all international cooperation actors interested in harmonizing their respective actions in support of national policies for sustainable and local human development. To this end, this UNDP-championed global initiative promotes a programmatic, operational and administrative framework for coordination and institution building.
ART aims at strengthening and expanding the existing alliance between UNDP and Decentralized Cooperation partners in support of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local level. ART also seeks to strengthen the potential and role of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) as development partners and to promote the principles of development cooperation effectiveness and in support of the localization of the SDGs. To this end, ART is collaborating with other UN Agencies and international associations of LRGs to develop tools and to set up enabling environments to support the SDGs implementation process at the local level.
In this framework, the ART Initiative also promotes Local Economic Development (LED) as a means to advance the localization of the SDGs. Every two years, ART co-organizes the World Forum of LED, as a platform to critically review experiences and assumptions that have dominated LED discourse and practices over the past two decades. The Forum provides a space for a critical reflection and aims at promoting creative discussions on how can we do things differently in order to better respond to the key challenges that are presented in the new SDGs and the related post 2015 development agenda. The 4th Forum will take place in Praia (Cape Verde) in October 2017. A regional Latin-American preparatory Forum will be held in Cochabamba (Bolivia) in March 2017.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of ART Initiative Management and team, the intern shall perform the following tasks:
Assist in cataloguing information of UNDP ART / Local Governance and Local Development Country Programmes and the ART Global Coordination;
Draft documents and participate in the elaboration of the ART Initiative’s internal briefing notes;
Provide support in gathering and disseminating relevant documentation for UNDP Country Offices and partners (translation, proof-reading, editing);
Assist in the ART Initiative and events’ related communication, updating relevant information on the internal tools of communication, as well as websites and other corporate tools of external communication (e.g. social media);
Assist in the organization of the World Forum of Local Economic Development and other events, as well as bilateral and multilateral meets with development partners;
Draft related letters, correspondence and other documents;
Assist in updating the list of partners and networks collaborating with the initiative;
Participate regularly in debriefings, staff meetings and others.
Competencies
Strong organizational and research skills;
Excellent analytical, communication and writing skills;
Excellent interpersonal skills;
Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN/UNDP;
Computer proficiency in standard software applications (MS Office, Excel, Word, Powerpoint);
Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modelling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Required Skills and Experience
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. Knowledge of another official UN language (especially Spanish) and/or Portuguese is an asset.
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: Please upload the above in a single file. 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:
(a) requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment;
(b) 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.