Security Sector Reform - Gender Specialist Intern null

Your Role

The internship is for six months. This internship is unpaid in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise working arrangement from (New York, USA). This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. A full-time internship is for an initial period of two months, and a part-time internship is for an initial four months. Internships may be extended up to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the Division.

This position is located within the Security Sector Reform Unit (SSRU) in the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), Department of Peace Operations (DPO), United Nations (UN) Secretariat.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Within the delegated authority, the intern will be responsible for the following duties:

• Support the development of a landmark United Nations Report on Equal Opportunity for Women in the Defence Sector
• Support a high-level event to launch the United Nations Report on Equal Opportunity for Women in the Defence Sector
• Lead on the strategic communication on gender-responsive SSR, including by supporting the implementation of an advocacy campaign on women in the security and defense sector in partnership with colleagues across DPO
• Support the development of and reporting on the SSR indicators on Women, Peace and Security (WPS)
• Assist in the collection and consolidation of inputs for the SSRU contributions to the SG reports on, inter alia, WPS, Sexual Violence in Conflict, Gender Section of the Disarmament Report, DPO annual WPS report, and SG report on the work of peace operations
• Assist in the development of knowledge and guidance tools on gender-responsive SSR, including the collection and consolidation of data, development, and management of good practices and lessons learned
• Support country- and/or regional-level gender-responsive SSR activities, including efforts to advance the implementation of the Security Council Resolution 2553 (2020) and resolutions on WPS
• Support the organization of meetings and events, including the preparation of agendas, sending meeting invites, preparing presentations, and follow-up tasks
• Attend meetings and events as required and take concise, actionable summaries at a pace
• Support strategic engagement efforts with external parties such as research organizations and Member States to advance issues of gender-responsive SSR
• Gather, research, analyze, and present information on gender-responsive SSR from various sources
• Perform other duties as required.

About You

Qualifications/special skills:

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher), or;
• Be enrolled in, or have completed the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
• 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 students in the final year of their first university degree (bachelor's 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.
• Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
• Ability to draft news articles and/or social media posts.
• Ability to design surveys and polls.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.

Additional Information:

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving a 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Common Systems cannot be engaged as an intern. Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Common System cannot be engaged as an 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.

Compensation & Benefits

This internship is unpaid, full-time. If you join as a full-time employee, you will get the following benefits:

• Tax exemption
• Allowances and benefits
• Holidays and leave
• Health insurance
• Retirement pension

Training & Development

An internship at the UN could be the ideal start if you are considering a career in the Organization. It will give you exposure to high-profile conferences, political decision-making, or work on the ground, as well as the opportunity to contribute to the projects and mandates of the United Nations. You can apply for any internship around the world, regardless of nationality.

As an intern, you will:

• Enhance your educational experience through practical work assignments
• Deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Organization’s goals, principles, and activities
• Work in an international environment, and network with international civil servants, career professionals, and senior management
• Provide the UN with assistance in your area of expertise
• Participate in tasks such as drafting documents, analysis of data, research, organization of conferences or events, work on media campaigns and outreach, and much more.

Career Progress

UN internship will not automatically lead to a job with the UN, but with the experience you have acquired during your time as an intern, you might be interested in applying for General Service or consultancy positions. If you want to apply to positions at the Professional and Higher or Field Service levels, they ask you to let at least six months pass after the end of your internship before you submit your application and ensure that you fulfill not only the educational but also the work experience requirements that are outlined in each job opening.

How to apply

In your Motivational Statement, please indicate when you would like to start your internship. Please note that the start and end dates are flexible. A complete online application is required.

The Motivational Statement must also include:

• Title of degree you are currently pursuing.
• Graduation Date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the program?)
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Program in your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Source

The following sources were used in researching this page:

• careers.un.org/payandbenefits
• careers.un.org/job-level
• youtu.be/OUd_PeEqX_I?si=HiKpv345ulao07GJ