Intern – Advocacy and Knowledge Management

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. Based in Nairobi (Kenya), it is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat is the lead agency within the UN system for coordinating activities in the field of human settlement development and the UN leading the collaboration with local and regional governments and their networks. During the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2015, 193 Member States, convened at the Global Summit on Sustainable Development to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are universal and relevant to all Member States, from both the global north and global south. As demonstrated in the past years of implementation, it is widely acknowledged that the local level and local action are critical for the overall success of the 2030 Agenda – the SDGs need to be localized. In this context, UN-Habitat has developed a comprehensive approach to support and empower local and regional governments to localize the SDGs, including:

• Global Urban Monitoring Framework;
• Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs);
• SDG Cities Global Initiative;
• Multilevel Governance for the SDGs;
• Local 2030 Coalition.

SDG Localization is considered one of UN-Habitat’s strategic priorities. In this sense, the SDG Localization and Local Governments Team, under the Urban Practices Branch, is mandated to coordinate the support towards local and regional governments and SDG localization within the Agency. To successfully deliver on the above-mentioned approach globally, the SDG Localization and Local Governments Team works through four workstreams:

• Technical assistance;
• Learning and Capacity Building;
• Political Engagement with Local and Regional Governments;
• Advocacy and Communication.

In addition, the team acts as technical focal point for the agency’s engagement within the Local2030 Coalition and directly coordinates the activities of the Local 2030 Knowledge and Scientific Network with relevant partners. UN-Habitat’s global portfolio on SDG localization is coordinated in HQ, but the delivery of the work is implemented in close cooperation with Regional and Country Offices, following the structure of the Agency. Collaboration with other units and teams within UN-Habitat is ensured to build on existing knowledge, practices and experience. Relations with external partners are also paramount for an inclusive and effective implementation of programmes, projects and initiatives, including other UN entities, international organizations, local government associations, academia and civil society. Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Human Settlements Officer on SDG localization and local governments, Mr. Martino Miraglia, the intern will contribute to the SDG Localization and Local Governments Team & SDG Cities Flagship team in the following ways. Advocacy and Knowledge Management The intern will:

• Assist in writing concept notes and preparing for participation in events, including the World Urban Forum, High-Level Political Forum, as well as other local, regional and national events;
• Assist in partner involvement and logistics for various events;
• Update website content, preparing of briefing notes, concept notes and minutes;
• Support the contribution of the team to internal UN-Habitat publications and other corporate processes;
• Support the identification of speakers, coordinate invitations for events organized by the team;
• Assist on the mobilization of partners and participants towards the team’s activities;
• Support UN-Habitat’s senior management participation in event and advocacy processes;
• Assist the review of knowledge products, key messages, and corporate material to facilitate alignment with the team’s narrative on SDG Localization; Qualifications:
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Understanding of principles of event management, outreach, partnerships building, and stakeholder engagement.
• Understanding of organization of events, mobilization of speakers, knowledge development

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
• Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent.

Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite). Have demonstrated a 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 includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Preferred areas of study:

• relevant coursework in Social Sciences, Urban Studies, Social Sciences, Communications & Media, Development Studies or other relevant area. 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. Applicants should possess an excellent command of English and an understanding of tailoring language based on audience with strong writing skills and experience with speeches, reports, concept notes, social media messaging and other written outreach materials. Please explain how you meet this criterion with examples.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/235480?language=en