Duties and Responsibilities
Background: ESCWA launched in 2022 the “Josour” initiative during the first Arab Forum for Equality in Amman. The initiative aims to reduce inequalities in the Arab region by creating employment opportunities for young people, enhancing their skills, and providing training to improve their employability. It serves as a regional platform that connects youth with institutions and the private sector, fosters collaboration across different actors, and equips young people with the tools and opportunities needed to contribute meaningfully to inclusive and sustainable development.
The initiative emerged from the recognition of inequality as a pressing challenge in the Arab region. In its 2022 report "Inequality in the Arab Region: A Ticking Time Bomb," ESCWA highlighted youth unemployment as a major driver of inequality, with rates reaching 26 percent in 2021—more than double the global average of 12 percent. To address this, ESCWA convened the Arab Forum for Equality in Jordan in May 2022, focusing on empowering youth to confront inequality.
The Forum culminated in the launch of the Josour initiative, which continues to grow as a regional platform for youth empowerment. Josour continues to grow steadily as a dynamic regional platform for youth empowerment. The initiative now counts more than 65 opportunity providers, with 3 national chapters established, and offers more than 400 opportunities to engage young people directly. To date, more than 13,500 youth have joined the platform.
With its wide network of partners and contributors spanning diverse sectors, Josour stands as a collaborative and forward-looking initiative to build a better, more inclusive future for youth in the Arab region. Duties and Responsibilities: The Intern will play role in assisting the Josour team with the daily management and growth of the platform. They are expected to: Support the team in the following areas: 1. Platform management
Assist in monitoring partners’ inputs and announcements (e.g., opportunities, events, updates). 2. Partner engagement
Help partners update and post job, training, and internship opportunities on the platform. 3. Youth engagement
Assist opportunity seekers in navigating the platform and provide guidance throughout their journey. 4. Communication
Respond to opportunity seekers’ questions and queries under the team’s guidance. 5. Technical coordination
Contribute to reviewing the platform’s functionality and user experience, and make suggestions for enhancements. 6. Assist in research activities related to the scope of Josour, mainly on youth empowerement. 7. Additional tasks
Contribute to other duties as requested to advance the initiative’s objectives
Qualifications/special skills
To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met: Applicants must:
(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); Applicants must:
(a) be computer literate in standard software applications.
(b) have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the UN Charter; and
(c) 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. No working experience is required to appl for the United Nations Internship Programme
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.
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.