INTERN – CIVIL AFFAIRS

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.

The intern will be assigned to the OCHA Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (OCHA ROSEA). The internship will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and it will be offered for a minimum period of two (2) months, with an estimated starting date as early as October 2022.

Responsibilities

The intern’s daily responsibilities will consist of supporting the work of the Emergency, Preparedness and Response (EPR) unit at OCHA ROSEA, specifically regarding Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord), including with respect to matters related to International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
In consultation with the supervisor, the intern’s duties may include but are not limited to: supporting the team on matters related to the application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including as it pertains to engagement with armed actors (State and non-state armed groups (NSAGs)); contributing to the drafting of messages that support the work of the team to open and sustain humanitarian access; assisting in the design of training material to facilitate Humanitarian Access and CMCoord work; researching, analyzing and presenting information gathered from diverse sources on assigned topics/issues, including related to Access/CMCoord and IHL; assisting with the preparation of various written documents; assisting with the maintenance of reference/resource information on specific topics or policy-related issues, including Access/CMCoord and IHL; and performing other tasks as required and requested by the Head of Unit.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge/study of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related humanitarian issues, preferably on IHL, humanitarian access and CMCoord; analytical capacity and in particular the ability to analyses and articulate legal advice and messages that informs humanitarian work; Ability to conduct research and to communicate it effectively; ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in sensitive topics; Pride in daily work and persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges.

COMMUNICATION: speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication, tailors language, tone, style, and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

TEAMWORK: works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Education

Applicants must be enrolled in a Bachelor’s (final year), post-graduate, Master’s or Ph.D. programme or equivalent, preferably in political science, social science, international studies, law (especially international law), public administration, economics, earth science or a related field is a requirement. Applicants that have successfully completed an academic programme in a discipline mentioned above must commence the internship within period of one-year i.e. twelve months from date of graduation.

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Any academic and/ or practical experience in humanitarian affairs issues including humanitarian access, CMCoord, IHL, emergency preparedness, crisis/ emergency relief management, rehabilitation, and/ or development is desirable. Applicants should be computer literate in standard software applications; have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations, a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter and; have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in English (both written and verbal skills) is required. Knowledge of French and/or Arabic is desirable.

Assessment

Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/ or skills-set, and they will be assessed based on information indicated in their Personal History Profiles (PHPs). A completed on-line application is required; the cover note must mention the title of the degree which you are currently pursuing and the scheduled date of graduation (month and year). Indicate all standard office software packages in which you are proficient, including information technology applications and/ or programs. Please specify the names of the Branches and/ or Sections whose work most interests you and clearly indicate preferences which best match your suitability in order of interest as well as your general interest in the United Nations. Please do not forget to designate three references. Due to the high volume of applications received, applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Special Notice

The internship within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in line with the United Nations (UN) Internship Programme, aims to provide a framework by which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the United Nations through assignment to offices within the Secretariat in order to enhance their educational experience and gain experience in the work of the United Nations. Additionally, it provides the United Nations offices with the assistance of qualified students specialized in various professional fields.

Interns shall not represent the United Nations in any official capacity. For additional information on the Programme, please visit: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=IP.

The Internship Programme is unpaid and full-time, though it may be undertaken through a combination of in-country and remote modalities, depending on the circumstances of the candidate. The general working hours at United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) are 40 hours per week. All costs associated to the internship are to be borne by the intern, specifically: travel to/from Nairobi, visas, accommodation/living expenses and medical insurance for the entire duration of the internship. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance of the intern or costs arising from injury, illness or death that may occur during an internship. A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations.

To apply to this job opening please go to: https://inspira.un.org or https://careers.un.org

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

How to apply

Apply Here

 


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