Closing date: Friday, 10 March 2023
Posting Title: INTERN – ENVIRONMENT AFFAIRS, I (Temporary Job Opening)
Job Code Title: INTERN – ENVIRONMENT AFFAIRS
Department/Office: United Nations Environment Programme
Duty Station: PANAMA CITY
Posting Period: 24 February 2023 – 10 March 2023
Job Opening Number: 23-Environmental Affairs-UNEP-202291-J-Panama City (O)
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for DiversityOrganisational Setting and Reporting
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. The Latin America and the Caribbean Office located in Panama City works closely with the 33 countries of the region – including 16 small island developing States, with a population of about 650 million people. The office works to serve the needs of the region and its activities are integrated into the work programs approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly of UN Environment (UNEA). The overall objective of the UNEP Haiti Office is to assist the Government of Haiti and the UN Country Team with addressing climate, nature and pollution challenges in the most vulnerable country of the Western Hemisphere. UNEP’s presence in Haiti since 2008 has been driven by the specific focus of assisting with disaster risk reduction and strengthening resilience based on solutions provided by nature and enhanced access to environmental information, science, and improved normative framework. Under the direct supervision of the Head of Haiti Office in the Latin America and the Caribbean Office, the intern will provide support to the Head of Haiti Office and the UNEP team in Haiti on three key areas of work related to environmental economics: (i) establishing an inter-ministerial task force on environmental economics to support cross-sector normative and policy development; (ii) assessing the economy of the pilot resilient landscape, the services provided by the environment to local socioeconomic activities and the opportunities for green, blue and circular economy development; and (iii) piloting innovative green finance mechanisms like payments for environmental services. One (or more) intern(s) is sought for a six-month internship period. The Internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (40 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the Haiti Project Office. 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.
Responsibilities
Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period. Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Haiti Office, of the Latin America and the Caribbean Office, the intern will be supporting the Macaya Grand Sud phase 3 project “nature-based solutions and environmental governance for SIDS resilience – Haiti. Detailed tasks include:
- Review international literature on existing and state-of-the-art methodologies and tools supporting the economic valuation of ecosystem services, , the analyzing of environmental contribution to sustainable development and resilience, the mapping of green financial flows from public and private sector, the integration of environment in national accounting systems and national economic indexes, and the modeling of environmental impacts and benefits of multi-sector policies and investments, including spatial mapping and modeling systems.
- Review relevant international and national experiences on the way environment work as a threat (climate change…) as well as an opportunity (nature-based solutions…) to resilience building. Identify the key associated metrics and indicators that would be relevant to monitor as part of environmental and economic components of a resilience monitoring and evaluation system.
- Review national projects and initiatives associated with environmental economic assessment as per areas listed above. Consult with relevant partners using virtual communication tools like Teams or Zoom.
- Assist with the formulation of terms of reference for the inter-ministerial task force on environmental economics.
- Review the existing literature on the economic situation in Haiti, in similar SIDS/LDC, and in the pilot landscapes, formulate a SWOT matrix for green, blue and circular economy development, and propose the formulation of key assumptions that need to be assessed to design adequate economic and financial solutions to support green, blue and circular economic development in pilot landscapes.
- Assist with the formulation of terms of reference for the green, blue and circular economy assessment of the pilot resilient landscapes in South and Grand’Anse provinces of Haiti.
Competencies
Communication: – Speaks and writes clearly and effectively -Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately – Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication – Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience -Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed Teamwork: – Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals – Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others – Places team agenda before personal agenda -Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position – Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings Client Orientation: – Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view – Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect – Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions – Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems – Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects – Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.Education
Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent); c. Have graduated with a university degree. Final year undergraduate or master’s degree student in economy, finance, environmental policy, natural resource management and/or related field of studies preferred. Have demonstrated 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 include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.Work Experience
No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in oral and written English and French is required, since work will require research and communication, including reading and interviews, in both languages. Knowledge of another UN official language such as Spanish is desirable. NOTE: “Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.Assessment
Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.Special Notice
Your application for this internship must include: 1. A Completed application (Personal History Profile) and Cover Note, through the UN careers Portal. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The Cover Note must include: – Title of the degree you are currently pursuing – Graduation Date – IT skills and programmes you are proficient in – Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme, ensure to include all past work experience (if any). 2. Proof of enrolment from current University (if not graduated). 3. A copy of degree certificate (if you have already graduated). Due to a high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel and access to UN premises. Applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship. The work hours during the internship shall be determined based on individual discussion between the intern and the supervisor(s) taking into consideration the minimum requirements of the Organization and the time difference between the hosting office and the location of the intern.United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.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.
