Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family

Internship

2024-08-01

March 30, 2024

Terms of Reference
Internship
UNHCR Liaison Office in New York, USA

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship with the Liaison Office at UNHCR New York, USA.
Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.

Title: Administrative Intern
Duty Station: New York, USA
Duration: 3 months
Contract Type: Internship
Earliest Hire Date: 01 August 2024
Target End date: 31 October 2024

Organizational context:
NYO represents UNHCR in New York-based UN processes and functions as a liaison working closely with UNHCR’s Headquarters, regional bureaus, and country operations, along with UN Headquarters (UNHQ), including the UN Departments of the Secretariat, UN agencies, funds, and programs, the General Assembly and its Main Committees, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council. NYO also works with Permanent Missions of UN Member States (MS), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international and other civil society organizations.

NYO engages in advocacy and partnership to ensure that UNHCR’s mandate and positions are promoted with key (UN, MS, and other) stakeholders in New York. Matters of central concern to UNHCR are high on the agenda of the United Nations and are also of prominent concern to MS, civil society, and the media. UNHCR is appreciated as the agency with operational and policy expertise on refugee, displacement, and statelessness matters.

With increasing numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, the Security Council is often engaged with matters of central importance to UNHCR and the High Commissioner regularly addresses the Security Council. These matters often engage the Department of Peace Operations as well as the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, whose leadership role in integrated and mission settings coincides with some of the largest UNHCR operations globally.

Additionally, NYO is frequently called upon to brief and partner with civil society, including academic institutions, regarding refugees and stateless persons. Moreover, NYO is increasingly the port of call for global media based in New York on issues pertaining to UNHCR’s global programs and persons of concern.

The position:
The intern reports to the New York Office Senior Executive Assistant and will assist to prepare logistical and administrative formalities for UN General Assembly High Level Week taking place in September 2024. The individual will support in the coordination and execution of High-Level side events, roundtable discussions and other innovative collaborations at UN headquarters and other venues in NYC to increase visibility of and understanding on issues of forced displacement. This may require leading on the creation of events checklists, engagement with relevant UN offices, and helping to accompany guests and visitors at venues, as well as working on procurement of vendors, as needed. The intern will assist the Senior Executive Assistant in preparing talking points, briefing kits and scheduling of high-level missions to New York, as well as accompanying UNHCR staff to events as needed. In particular, the intern will help coordinate activities on the occasion of Summit of the Future and other key moments throughout their internship and as required.

Duties and responsibilities
• Assist in the planning and coordination in preparation for the Summit of the Future and UN General Assembly High Level Week, including scheduling and administrative support
• Create and maintain schedules for incoming visitors, including all administrative support have been completed prior to and during the mission
• Provide on-site support during meetings, side events, including setup, registration, and troubleshooting.
• Conduct post-event evaluations to assess the success of the event and identify areas for improvement.

Minimum qualifications required:
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.

Desirable qualifications and skills:
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multitask and work effectively under pressure.
• Fluency in English with excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Proficiency in PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Teams.

Conditions:
It is a full-time role with the successful candidate expected to work 40 hours per week. The successful candidate will be assigned to support the NY office team in New York, USA.
Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.
Before the start of an internship with UNHCR, candidates are responsible for arranging medical insurance and for providing proof to UNHCR of valid medical insurance covering the period of internship.

UNHCR accepts no responsibility for any costs connected to medical insurance of interns, nor does the organization cover the costs for medical evacuation of interns.

How to apply:
Interested applicants should submit their application through www.unhcr.org/careers.html.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training.

We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.

Standard Job Description

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No