Internship (Global assessment report)

Vacancy Notice number: ISDR/I/10/2010

Background

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder platform to enable societies to increase their resilience to natural, technological and environmental disasters and to reduce associated environmental, human, economic and social risk and losses. A range of United Nations organizations and international partners participate in cooperation with Governments and civil society organizations.

The implementation of the ISDR is supported by a secretariat led by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. The secretariat’s main functions are policy coordination, advocacy and information management, at the international and regional levels, to ensure synergy between disaster reduction strategies and those in the socio-economic and
humanitarian fields.

In January 2005, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction adopted the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. The Hyogo Framework constitutes the essential guide for implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and represents the key policy framework for reducing
risk and to strengthen community resilience.

The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR) is a major initiative of the ISDR that contributes to the achievement of the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) through monitoring risk patterns and trends and progress in disaster risk reduction while providing strategic policy guidance to countries and the international community. GAR11 takes as its starting point a rapidly increasing political commitment towards addressing the twin challenges of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation within a broad framework of sustainable development and poverty reduction. Buffeted by a succession of inter-related crisis, in many risk prone countries risk reduction is becoming a national development priority. At the second session of the Global Platform countries agreed on the need to integrate policy and strategy frameworks for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, to adopt approaches based on broad participation and partnerships and to address underlying drivers of risk, such as declining ecosystems, vulnerable
rural livelihoods and badly planned and managed urban development.

The objective of GAR11 will be to provide national governments, regional and international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders with strategic policy advice on how to address these challenges. GAR11 will assist countries to adapt to climate change and to reduce disaster risk and to advance the agenda outlined in the Chairs Summary from the second session of the Global Platform. To do so GAR11 will offer: an enhanced and updated analysis of global risk patterns, trends and drivers, an identification of the costs and benefits of addressing different risk segments and strata; a review of progress between 2009 and 2011 towards the Hyogo Framework of Action and a set of policy recommendations to create an enabling environment for risk reduction.

The next GAR, due to be published in 2011, aims to develop clear policy recommendations for governments on how to build resilience despite budgetary constraints and difficult governance environments. In this regard, this report will be based on a large body of research on the enabling environment factors for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. To support the improved analysis of disaster risk and of effective risk reduction tools and strategies, it is planned to dedicate one chapter in the GAR to the different policy and governance alternatives that enable the implementation of these risk reduction strategies.

GAR09 highlighted some of the key institutional environment factors for risk reduction, including strategic tools such as social protection and market-based instruments; governance principles such as decentralization and accountability; and the sensitive design of policies such as trade and employment policies. However, as these were only briefly outlined, GAR 11 will invest in required in-depth research and analysis on these, with the purpose of providing clear policy recommendations to governments and other ISDR stakeholders.

Organizational setting and reporting relationships

GAR11 is coordinated by a team based at UNISDR, under the overall responsibility of the Assistant Secretary General for Disaster Reduction (ASG), in close collaboration with other ISDR partners. In order to guarantee credibility and impartiality the development of GAR11 is guided by an independent Advisory Board, nominated by the ASG. GAR11 will be launched at the third session of the Global Platform in Geneva in 2011, to be followed by a comprehensive series of regional and national presentations and workshops that reach out to risk prone countries.

The position is located in the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in Geneva, Switzerland. The Intern will report to the Global Assessment Report team and work in close collaboration with UNISDR’s Policy and Practices unit.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Global Assessment Report Team, the Intern will be responsible for the following duties:
1) Develop a concise literature review on and annotated bibliography of recently published literature on enabling environment and governance for sustainable development (including for but not limited to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation), compiled into a draft paper for the GAR.
2) Coordinate a peer review on the draft paper and complete editing process based on comments.
3) Review and comment on draft inputs to the 2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction.
4) Support the overall work of the Policy Unit.
5) Perform additional duties as deemed necessary.

Competencies

Professionalism
Strong research, academic and analytical skills.
Communication
Ability to draft clearly and concisely.
Planning and organizing
Ability to organize, plan and implement work assignments.
Teamwork
Good interpersonal skills, works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals, ability to develop and maintain effective work relationships with different national and cultural backgrounds with sensitivity with respect for diversity.

Qualifications

Education
Applicants must be currently enrolled in post-graduate studies with experience in Environmental and Natural Resource Management, Natural Sciences, Risk Analysis and Management or a related field.
Language
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the advertised position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is an added advantage.
Other skills
Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office, i.e., Word and Excel, e-mail, and Internet) are required.

General Information and Conditions Governing Ad Hoc Internships at the United Nations Office at Geneva with UN/ISDR

1. With the exception of the 2½-week “Graduate Study Programme”1 conducted yearly in July/August by the United Nations Information Service for an international group of outstanding young graduate students, the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) undertakes no formal obligation to provide internships or training. It may occasionally arrange ad hoc internships for graduate students specializing in a field related to the work of the United Nations. These internships are intended:
a) To promote among the participants a better understanding of international problems and to provide them an insight into the work of the United Nations; and
b) To provide departments with the able assistance of outstanding young students specializing in a field related to their own work.
2. Interns are selected from among applicants strongly supported by their schools or nominated by the Permanent Missions to the United Nations and in whom a department or office has expressed interest.
3. Interns are not paid. Acquisition of necessary visas, travel costs, travel arrangements and living accommodations are the responsibility of the interns or their sponsoring institutions.
4. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship; the intern therefore has to have health-insurance coverage (obligation to submit a certificate of insurance policy valid in Switzerland).
5. While working at UN/ISDR, the interns are not considered in any respect as officials or staff members of the United Nations. However, they are normally expected to work full time like regular staff members and to carry out the duties assigned to them. They are bound by the same duties and obligations as regular staff members; they must, in particular, keep confidential any and all
unpublished information obtained by them during the course of the internship and not publish any reports or papers on the basis of such information except with the express authorization of the United Nations.Any work produced by interns during their internship within the framework of the duties assigned to them should be used for academic purposes exclusively. All economic and moral rights (copyright) pertaining to such work will remain the exclusive property of the United Nations.
6. Internships carry no expectancy of employment by the United Nations and the intern cannot apply for or be appointed to any position with the United Nations during the period of internship and for the six months immediately following the expiration of the internship.
7. The intern will provide notice in case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances, which might prevent him or her from completing the internship.