Closing date:

Internship, information management (GAR)

City/location:
Geneva
Organization:
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

This job posting has closed

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 and economic and social losses. A range of United Nations organizations and international partners participate in cooperation with Governments and civil society organizations. In adopting ISDR, the United Nations General Assembly (Res/54/219) endorsed the establishment of an institutional framework for its implementation consisting of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction (IATF/DR) and the inter-agency secretariat (UN/ISDR secretariat).

The main functions of the secretariat 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 (WCDR, 18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) took place and represents a landmark in worldwide understanding and commitment to implement a disaster risk reduction agenda. This commitment was captured in the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters - adopted at the WCDR.

The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) constitutes the essential guide for implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in the coming years and it constitutes an unprecedented conceptual shift that takes account of the complexity of action in disaster risk reduction and the large variety of actors whose inputs are required in the pursuit of this objective. It provides the basic concepts and prescribes an expected outcome; details three strategic goals for disaster risk reduction and a set of five priority areas for action; and assigns tasks to stakeholders at different operational levels to reach the expected outcome.

The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) calls on partners of the UN’s International Strategy of Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and its secretariat to prepare periodic reviews of progress with implementation of the priority actions under the HFA, and to identify gaps and challenges in implementation. In this context, the ISDR secretariat will coordinate the preparation of biennial global assessment reports – of which the first is to be launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2009.
The biennial global assessment reports on disaster risk reduction will be based on a global risk update and an analysis of national and international progress made in addressing disaster risks. The biennial global assessment reports are intended to provide a strong foundation for profiling future priorities and policy on disaster risk reduction, while serving as an important advocacy tool at all levels.
It is expected that the ISDR system’s first biennial report of 2009, will focus world attention on the costs of disaster risk, and measures taken so far to address vulnerability contexts. The review will analyse the mutual impacts between disaster risk and human development with particular attention to how changing climate and disaster risk trends interact with migration flows, urbanization patterns, land-use planning, poverty trends and changing livelihood options. In doing so, the review will galvanize additional political and economic support and commitment to disaster risk reduction world wide.

In an effort to bring together the multi pronged analysis required for the Global Assessment Report (GAR), the GAR team will require immediate assistance in developing and managing an information database.

Organizational setting and reporting relationships

The position is located in the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) in Geneva, Switzerland under the overall guidance of the Director. The Intern will report to the Coordinator of GAR working in close collaboration with the Associate Programme Officer in the unit.

Duties and responsibilities

Information Management:

  • Maintain a library system for the GAR’s major areas of analysis. Broadly, this will be structured around 8-10 thematic areas of analysis; and across 4 territorial levels – local, national, regional and global.
  • Maintain and continually update the GAR team’s information files/ folders on the above areas, in order to compile and organize all literature, reports, analysis and substantive inputs for each of the GAR’s major components.
  • Maintain a calendar of events and upcoming appointments for the GAR team.
  • Update GAR information on the ISDR web space and PreventionWeb – as and when relevant.


Research and literature reviews:

Perform internet based research for possible source material and literature on major themes the GAR will need analysis on: poverty reduction, livelihoods, urbanisation, climate change, conflict et al.
Access UN libraries for in depth reviews of grey literature – and other sources identified as crucial to informing the analysis of the GAR’s components.

Results expected

Development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of assigned programme and initiatives. Provision of thorough, well reasoned contributions (e.g. background papers, analysis, sections of reports/studies, inputs to publications, etc.) Development and maintenance of effective working relationships. Efficient use of resources.

Competencies

Professionalism – Good academic and analytical skills. Judgment - Demonstrated sound judgment in applying expertise to resolve a range of issues/problems. Communications – ability to draft clearly and concisely, very good language skills. Planning & Organizing - Ability to organize, plan and implement work assignments. Teamwork - Good interpersonal skills, works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational 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: in Disaster Management, Environmental Science, Agriculture, Ecology, Environmental Law, Development, International Relations, Economics or a similar field.

Experience: Prior knowledge or experience in operational disaster or development contexts – local, national or international is preferred

Language: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of other UN languages (French, Spanish in particular) is an asset.

Other desirable skills: Working knowledge and familiarity with international and national agencies is preferred, though not mandatory. Good skills in basic computer usage, including internet searches. In particular, working knowledge of MS Office-Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Intra-Internet, e-mail applications etc. Knowledge of other applications such as Front Page, Publisher and some multimedia tools would be useful though not mandatory.

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.

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