Duties and Responsibilities
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 52 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.
The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This position is located in the Communications and Knowledge Management Section (CKMS), in the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support (ODESPS).
The intern works under the overall guidance of the Chief of CKMS and direct supervision of Public Information Officers. This internship is unpaid for a minimum 3 and maximum of 6 months and designed to be full-time and in-person (37.5 hours per week). The duration can be adjusted on request of the successful candidate. The intern will support the CKMS team in various tasks related to strategic communications, digital outreach, multimedia production (photo/video) to raise the visibility of ESCAP work among key stakeholders and the public.
Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background and skillset as well as the internship period. Duties may include, but are not limited to:
Drafting and editing content for public information materials, such as press releases, newsletter articles, brochures, presentations and feature stories;
Producing podcasts, social media posts, and multimedia content for ESCAP social media channels as well as supporting the development and coordination of social media campaigns;
Producing multimedia material for online and offline products, such as infographics, social media cards, motion graphics, short videos and reels, publication covers, branding templates and event flyers;
Assisting with photography including coverage of events;
Assisting with video production: drafting scripts and storyboards, filming, as well as post-production editing;
Assisting with the management of the ESCAP multimedia database and audiovisual assets;
Assisting in the organization and execution of ESCAP public events and commemorations;
Providing background research for public information materials;
Exploring and proposing more potential communications and digital outreach initiatives to raise the visibility of ESCAP work among key stakeholders and the public;
Performing the section's other related work, as required. Applicants with relevant experience or skills in any of the areas listed above should describe them using concrete examples and, where possible, providing links to relevant work samples, projects or portfolios.
Qualifications/special skills
Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
(a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
(b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must have good knowledge of standard software applications, including MS Office, social media and multimedia production applications. Ability to draft feature stories, news articles and/or social media posts is desirable. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Studio or CapCut and Canva for design and video production is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.
Intern Specific text
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. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.