Political Affairs Intern

Work Location

Hybrid

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of a programme officer in the Legal and Policy Unit of the Conventions Governance Branch/Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the intern will: Primarily assist the Unit in implementing the 2024-2025 work programme of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. Tasks will include collection of information, legal research and analysis, drafting of letters and other legal documents, such as presentations or training materials, and other tasks as may be required. Areas of work may include: Support for the preparations for the 2025 meetings of the conferences of the Parties, as well as preparations for, during and follow-up to the meetings of the subsidiary bodies; Trade and environment legal matters; Illegal traffic and enforcement of the Conventions; Support to legal technical assistance and capacity building activities; Communication of legal information; National legal frameworks; Support for the preparation of publications and outreach materials; Other areas as may be assigned. The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. The Basel Convention was created to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of the inappropriate management of hazardous wastes worldwide. It is the most comprehensive global treaty dealing with hazardous waste materials throughout their lifecycles, from production and transport to final use and disposal. The Rotterdam Convention provides Parties with a first line of defence against hazardous chemicals and pesticides. It promotes international efforts to protect human health and the environment as well as enabling countries to decide if they want to import hazardous chemicals and pesticides listed in the Convention. The Stockholm Convention is to protect human health and the environment from highly dangerous, long-lasting chemicals by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage. The selected intern will primarily assist the officers of the Legal and Policy Unit within the Governance Branch of the Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. The selected intern may also provide support to other relevant officers and branches, where necessary e.g. to support meetings.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher, related to law, including international environmental law); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent); (c) Knowledge of environmental law, multilateral environmental agreements, international development policy and project management. 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.

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. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.