Job Opening

The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote regional cooperation for inclusive economic and social development in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP's role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership, through its analytical, normative and technical cooperation, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

The United Nations Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) is a regional institute under ESCAP. The objectives of the Centre are to enhance technical cooperation among the members and associate members of ESCAP as well as other interested States Members of the United Nations, through extensive exchange of information and sharing of social-economically and environmentally viable machinery and technology, and to promote research and development and extension of agricultural engineering, including machinery and rural industry for agricultural productivity gains and poverty reduction in the region.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time.
The minimum duration of an internship is two months. This period can be extended up to a total period of six months.
Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the division or office to which they are assigned.

Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background; the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period. Duties may include, but are not limited to:

•Assistance in drafting and preparing official documents
•Attending and summarizing conferences and meetings
•Assistance during conferences
•Document, legal and internet research
•Compiling statistics
•Providing administrative support to ongoing projects

The United Nations Core Competencies include:
•Communication: Ability to draft clearly and concisely, good written and oral language skills.
•Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills, ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different national and cultural backgrounds to achieve organizational goals.
•Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be 'clients' and seeks to see things from clients' point of view.
•Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:
• Applicants must 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 programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
(c) have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one year period of graduation;
• Be computer literate in standard software applications;
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and
• 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.

Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the Internship Programme.

Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration.

A completed online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The Cover Note must include:
• Degree Programme (What are you currently studying?)
• Graduation Date (When will you graduate or when did you graduate from the programme?)
• List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in.
• List your top three areas of interest.
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship.
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme.

In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.

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.

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.

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.