Work Location

Montreal - Canada

Expected duration

Three months

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational setting The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for 'sustainable development'. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention establishes three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and is administered by UNEP. This internship is located at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, under the direct supervision of the Head of the Capacity-Building and Knowledge Management Unit, Implementation Support Division, and in collaboration with the Programme Assistants of the same unit. The Programme Support – Capacity-Building and Development internship has a start date of February 2024 for a duration of three (3) months with a possibility of an extension depending on the needs of the Organization. The Internship is for a maximum duration of 6 months and UNPAID. Interns work five days per week (35-40 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned. Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Duties and Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Capacity-Building and Knowledge Management Unit, and in collaboration with the Programme Assistants of the same unit the intern will: 1. Support the creation of a webpage to promote the use of the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building and development. Duties include identifying guidance on capacity building and development, including existing, new and innovative tools, methods and case studies on good practices and lessons learned and populating the webpage. 2. Provide support to the elaboration of training materials for Parties, IPLCs and stakeholders related to the formulation of capacity development plans for implementation of national biodiversity targets. 3. Provide support to servicing meetings of the Informal Advisory Group on Technical and Scientific Cooperation and its subcommittee on capacity-building and development. 4. Support the preparation of documents on capacity-building and development for the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation. 5. Contribute (by drafting news articles and/or collecting information/photos) to the preparation of BioCAP: Biodiversity Capacity Development Update (electronic newsletter).

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants to the United Nations internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or, (b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor 's level or equivalent). (c) Have graduated with a university degree. Be computer literate in standard software applications. Have demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Preferred area of study: Undergraduate or graduate degree in international affairs, environmental studies; sustainable development, international development, communication, or related field. Have demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable. NOTE: "Fluency equals a rating of "fluent" in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and "Knowledge of" equals a rating of "confident" in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. Special Notice Your application for this internship must include: 1. A Completed application (Personal History Profile) and Cover Note, through the UN careers Portal. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The Cover Note must include: - Title of the degree you are currently pursuing - Graduation Date - IT skills and programmes you are proficient in - Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship - Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme, ensure to include all past work experience (if any). 2. Proof of enrolment from current University (if not graduated). 3. A copy of degree certificate (if you have already graduated). Due to a high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel and access to UN premises. Applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship. The work hours during the internship shall be determined based on individual discussion between the intern and the supervisor(s) taking into consideration the minimum requirements of the Organization and the time difference between the hosting office and the location of the intern.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.