UNDP Jobs - 88160- Intern - Risk Finance and Insurance, BPPS, Geneva,

Intern - Risk Finance and Insurance, BPPS, Geneva, Switzerland

Location :

Geneva, SWITZERLAND

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

11-Nov-2019

Application Deadline :

30-Oct-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

6 months

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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The scope and ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), together with the important commitments made in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, are far beyond what international organizations, governments and aid flows can achieve alone. The SDGs demand that markets be fundamentally reshaped to be more inclusive, equitable and sustainable while generating profits, innovation and growth.

Private financing of the SDGs will be essential if the goals are to be achieved and there is good evidence of investors realizing the opportunity for example 67 percent of institutional investors report using ESG principles as a component of their investment approach. From 2014 to 2016, global sustainable investment increased 25 percent from US$18.28 trillion to US$22.89 trillion. From 2013 to 2017, green bond issuance increased 14-fold from US$11 billion to US$155 billion. Following the approval of UNDP's strategic plan, UNDP is in the final stages of approving the 'Making Markets work for the SDGs: UNDP's Private Sector Development and Partnership Strategy', which fully supports the implementation of the Strategic Plan and supports governments to align private sector activities and financial investments with the 2030 Agenda. The new strategy recognizes the essential role finance and investors have in achieving the SDGs, while also making it clear that the SDGs are a good business opportunity. The strategy will be implemented in collaboration with other UN agencies and will contribute to the UN development system reform.

UNDP's portfolio of global initiatives on finance and the private sector is diverse in scope and topics and dispersed in terms of where the work is anchored. The decentralized nature of the work provides fertile ground for innovation, but at the cost of building synergies between efforts. Therefore, UNDP launched the Finance Sector Hub which is conceptualized as a finance and innovation platform that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new private sector strategy and other initiatives. The Hub will be an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as part of the Global Policy Network (GPN). The vision of UNDP's GPN is to become the cutting-edge provider of development advice, instantly connecting countries to the world of knowledge, resources and networks of best practice they need to achieve development breakthroughs. A key area for this work is SDG financing and investment.

The Geneva Financial Services Hub team works across a range of work relevant to financing and investment for the SDGs. In particular, it leads on UNDP’s work in insurance and risk financing as well as delivers initiatives that target the ecosystems of investment actors across Europe.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of this internship is to contribute to the work of the team with research, analysis and project management support. The intern will be part of the Finance Sector Hub Team Geneva under the direct supervision of the Special Advisor, Financial Sector hub, and working closely with the team. The intern will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

Maintain and actively update the internal knowledge management database;
Research and analyse critical development issues across insurance and private sector activities, including participation in relevant meetings organized by partners in/around Geneva;
Undertake preparatory and follow-up work for meetings and prepare documentation for records and support the management of the work by contributing to document management, retrieval and overall good practice;
Support team efforts to manage communications and correspondence with key program stakeholders and colleagues in across and beyond UNDP;
Manage and implement online and social media strategies of the team;
Any other activities, as requested.

Competencies

Effective Communication skills with staff at all levels of the organization and initiative taking abilities;
Very good analytical and writing skills;
Demonstrated abilities of sensitivity, tact and diplomacy;
Demonstration of cultural sensitivity and appreciation for different cultures and practices;
Ability to pay great attention to detail and exercise sound judgment;
Ability to work well in a team and project a positive image;
Self-motivation and ability to recommend options for resolution of issues;
Strong service orientation.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Degree programme in economics, development studies, political science, international relations or other related field.
Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
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.

Experience:

Strong computer skills, Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook), experience with using online tools such as Sharepoint, web-based applications, is required.
Knowledge in any of the following areas is an asset: green finance, green bonds, capital markets, impact investment.

Language:

Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required;
Knowledge in another UN official language (Spanish and/or French) an asset.

Internships Conditions:

Interns are not considered staff members of UNDP and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity;
Interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP. The costs associated must be borne by the nominating institutions 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/her own arrangements for travel, accommodation and living.
Interns are not covered by UNDP for medical and life insurance or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during the internship. Interns must have their own international medical and life insurance and show proof of valid medical and life/accident insurance;
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.
Interns are not eligible to apply for positions or consultancies in UNDP during the period of the internship;
The normal duration of an internship is from six weeks to 6 months maximum;
The intern will be evaluated at the end of the contract and due recognition of work will be issued in writing.

In case an applicant is successfully selected, s/he will be requested to provide electronic versions of the following documents:

Copy of the applicant’s most recent resume or curriculum vitae;
Letter from his/her university confirming current enrollment and graduation date;
Letter of recommendation from a professor;
Copy of his/her school transcript;
Copy of national passport;
Completed UNDP internship application form (to be provided upon selection);
Signed UNDP Internship Agreement (to be provided upon selection);
Medical Certificate of Good Health (to be provided upon selection);
Proof of medical insurance (to be provided upon selection).