Internship vacancy with UNISDR Europe

Vacancy Number: ISDR/I/03/11

United Nations Core Values: - Integrity - Professionalism - Respect for diversity

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 (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 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 and 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 difference 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.

Organizational setting and reporting relationships

The position is located in the Regional Office for Europe, for the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). The intern will report to the Regional Coordinator.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Follow up on development, maintain and update the UNISDR Europe website.
2. Maintain a calendar of events and upcoming appointments for the Europe Region.
3. Update the contact list for the Europe region at the national, regional and international level.
4. Maintain a database of contacts in the region from national, UNDP offices and DRR Advisors, including current projects and other activities relevant to disaster risk reduction (DRR); as well as activities of country offices of other UN agencies and the World Bank.
5. Establish, maintain and update an inventory and database on scientific and technical institutions, regional and national resource centres and academic institutions involved in DRR through use of appropriate information collection tools, such as questionnaires and structured interviews.
6. Collect and organize information on cities participating in the campaign; Maintain and enhance contact lists and new information on participating cities, and their activities; Reply to requests from participating cities in close collaboration with UNISDR regional offices and other staff members and campaign partners; Provide regular updates on activities and progress of the Campaign; Support the overall implementation of the Campaign by performing any other duties as required.
7. Compile the UNISDR Europe monthly bulletin to inform European ISDR partners on upcoming events and other relevant information concerning DRR and climate change adaptation in Europe.
8. Perform any other tasks as deemed necessary by the supervisor and office needs.

Competencies

Professionalism – Good academic and analytical skills.
Communications – ability to draft clearly and concisely, 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 related fields.
Experience: Working knowledge and familiarity with international and national agencies is preferred, though not mandatory. Prior knowledge or experience in operational disaster or development contexts – local, national or international is an added advantage.
Language: Excellent written and spoken English; fluency in French one or more official UN languages is desirable.
Other desirable skills: 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.

General Information and Conditions Governing Ad Hoc Internships at UNISDR

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.