United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees in the Near East**
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949. The Agency provides humanitarian assistance and contributes to protection of Palestine refugees through essential service delivery, primarily in the areas of basic education, primary health care and mental health care, relief and social services, microcredit, and emergency assistance, including in situations of armed conflict, to millions of registered Palestine refugees located within its five fields of operations (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza). UNRWA does not have a mandate to engage in political negotiations or durable solutions and it is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
Internship Opportunity
Department: Representative Office New York
Duty Station: New York
Type of Appointment: Full time internship
Duration: 3 to 6 months (longer internships are preferred)
Expected Starting Date: March 2022
Terms of Reference
BACKGROUND
The internship provides a valuable opportunity for the intern to familiarize herself/himself with substantive humanitarian and development policy issues and with the UN system. The intern will be responsible for assisting with the smooth functioning of the New York Representative Office.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Attending meetings, briefings and other special events at the UN and within the broader NGO community and drafting reports for UNRWA HQ;
- Assisting with preparing and organizing meetings and side events;
- Supporting the drafting, preparation and presentation of materials such as the RONY monthly newsletter;
- Data and document management;
- Researching general issues related to the intersection between the United Nations and UNRWA’s operation in the Middle East;
- Assisting with arranging visits to New York by senior UNRWA officials;
- Assisting with the effective administrative management of UNRWA’s Representative Office in New York; and
- Perform any other duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: A university degree from an accredited educational institution in international relations, political science, communications, law or related field.
Work Experience: Applicants are not required to have professional work experience, although prior experience in a professional office environment is an asset.
Languages: Excellent command of spoken and written English.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
- Ability to draft and edit a variety of texts, and ability to articulate positions in a clear and concise manner;
- Sound appreciation of regional context and strong general understanding of the United Nations, as well as genuine commitment to advocacy for the humanitarian positions that underpin UNRWA’s mission;
- Sound judgment on political, media and diplomatic matters;
- Proven ability to exercise the initiative and resourcefulness necessary for simultaneously pursuing multiple tasks and achieving positive outcomes.
COMPETENCIES
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships with people of diverse backgrounds, culture and nationalities;
- Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills;
- Professional discretion and rigorous respect for confidentiality.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Should you be interested, please send your CV and a motivation letter unrwaofficenewyork@un.org no later than 14 February 2022. Please mention in the subject line “**RONY internship application <>”**.
The motivation letter must explain your interest in UNRWA and this particular internship with the Representative Office New York. Your letter will be used to assess your ability to draft a text and articulate positions in a clear and concise manner.
Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Only those applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted.
UNRWA staff and complementary personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality at all times. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity, and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women.
UNRWA will not be responsible for the costs of travel, visa, accommodation, or any other costs related to the placement. All costs connected with an intern’s participation must be borne by the intern, including arrangements for travel (including to and from the office), visas, accommodation, etc. Interns will be solely responsible to secure visas.
At the stage of acceptance of an internship placement, interns must prove to the satisfaction of UNRWA that they have adequate medical and accident insurance coverage prior to commencing the placement.
Intern placements shall not constitute employment by UNRWA. Interns are considered to be complementary personnel with non-staff status. The purpose of the internship program is not to lead to further employment with UNRWA but to complement an intern's studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship. Interns are eligible to apply as external candidates for UNRWA staff vacancies in accordance with normal selection procedures.
Please note that UNRWA does not charge fees at any stage of the application process. Vacancy announcements advertised at: https://www.unrwa.org/careers/internships, will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (Jerusalem time) on the deadline date.
UNRWA is a non-smoking environment.
31 January 2022
How to apply:
APPLICATION PROCESS
Should you be interested, please send your CV and a motivation letter unrwaofficenewyork@un.org no later than 14 February 2022. Please mention in the subject line “**RONY internship application <>”**.
The motivation letter must explain your interest in UNRWA and this particular internship with the Representative Office New York. Your letter will be used to assess your ability to draft a text and articulate positions in a clear and concise manner.
Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.