UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Opportunity

With over 850 indigenous languages, and one of the most ethnically diverse populations, widespread poverty and gender inequality make it hard for many children to realize their rights.  In Papua New Guinea (PNG), UNICEF’s works effectively both ‘upstream’ (with governments) and ‘downstream’ (at the grassroots level) to carry out its mission through a programme of cooperation jointly developed with the government guides our work in the country.

How can you make a difference? 

1.      Background of the internship:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the Organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give more children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Located in the Southwest Pacific, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to a diverse range of ecosystems, including mountain glaciers, humid tropical rainforests, swampy wetlands, and coral reefs. In addition to harboring abundant natural resources such as gold, copper, oil and natural gas,    PNG boasts 7% of the world’s biodiversity. Agriculture, fishing, community forestry, and small-scale mining are primary livelihood activities in rural areas. PNG is undergoing economic and social transformation and with such a highly dispersed and remote population with 87% of Papua New Guineans living in rural areas, poverty, poor infrastructure, corruption, safety and security concerns, among other factors, all heighten the vulnerability of the local population.

PNG has some of the worse WASH related indicators globally. According to the 2022 Joint Monitoring Programme Report, in 2020, around 45 per cent of people had basic water services; another 2 per cent had limited services (an improved facility but it was not functioning at time of survey), 22 per cent used unimproved services and 30 per cent had no service, defined as surface water. Disparities between    rural and urban areas continue to be extreme. In 2020, 39 per cent of rural residents versus 86 per cent of urban residents used basic drinking water services.

2.      Purpose of the internship:

The internship programme exposes qualified students specialized in various professional fields to the day-to-day working environment of the United Nations. As part of our team, applicants will take part in conferences and meetings, and contribute to analytical work where their educational experience can be enhanced.

The objective of the internship is to provide substantive support/assistance to develop climate smart water and sanitation social services design and standards to the staffs/experts in UNICEF Office in Papua New Guinea. The intern will gain knowledge of the substantive and programmatic aspects of UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) work, and indirectly the functioning of the United Nations.

3.      Specific tasks to be performed by the intern:

Under the overall guidance of the WASH Specialist the specific tasks of the assignment may include but not limited to:

• Support the design and standardization of WASH climate smart social services for communities and institutions;
• Conduct research on topics of relevance to WASH Country Programme;
• Support the programme team with the drafting and editing of design, BOQs, technical specifications and monitoring checklists;
• Assist the programme team in coordinating with partners and stakeholders;
• Provide logistical support on activities such as the organization and reporting of conferences, events, training courses, etc.
• Support in-office activities such as office sustainability strategy;
• Other tasks as assigned;

Eligibility

To be considered for an internship with UNICEF, applicants have to meet the following requirements

• be enrolled in a degree programme in an undergraduate, or graduate school, or be a recent graduate in the field of Civil Engineering and Architecture 
• be proficient in at least one of UNICEF’s working languages: English, French or Spanish and fluent in the working language of the office they are applying to
• have strong academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records or, if not available, a reference letter from an academic supervisor
• have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office
• have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to
• are not disqualified under the UNICEF Child Safeguarding Personnel Standards (DHR/STANDARDS/2019/001), or as amended.

Minimum Requirements:

•  Letter of verification from the college or university that the intern is currently enrolled in an undergraduate school and has completed at least two years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of an undergraduate degree (if the candidate is 18 years old, this replaces the two-year bachelor’s completion requirement); or, Graduate Degree Program (i.e., Master’s, PhD).  It should also state the expected graduation date.  Recent graduates are allowed until 2 years after degree completion.

•     Copy of their most recent official transcript showing excellent academic performance

•     Copy of Identification Card (ID)

•     One letter of signed recommendation on letterhead or from professional email address

Skills:

• Strong interest in working in the UN system;
• Demonstrable skills in architectural design/drafting, Cost estimation and Bill of Quantities, and research;
• Good IT competence and expertise on using software like Auto Cad or similar, command of main office software programmes, and  internet    communication, social media and searching skills;
• Document and graphic design skills an asset;
• Strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work under pressure within an international setting;
• Ability to perform a variety of administrative tasks;
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and a strong team working capacity

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness(3)Drive to achieve results for impact(4)Innovates and embraces change(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity(6)Thinks and acts strategically(7)Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates with special needs are encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.