Work Location
Brussels
Expected duration
3-6 months
Duties and Responsibilities
Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices.
Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.
This internship is located in the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (UNDRR ROECA), located in Brussels, Belgium. The intern will report to the Economic Affairs Officer, and the Risk Knowledge Programme Officer of the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, with overall supervision by the Regional Chief and Deputy Chief.
The intern will support the team in the administration and further development of work supporting the UNDRR Strategic Framework’s (2026-2030) catalytic areas on risk knowledge and financing for risk reduction. Tasks will include:
Supporting in developing knowledge products tailored for expert and non-expert audiences, including reports, policy briefs, presentations, etc;
Supporting in data management and analysis;
Supporting the organization of trainings/webinars/seminars;
Supporting in the development of risk maps for countries as needed;
Supporting the development of evidence-based advocacy and communication products on DRR financing and MSME resilience;
Exploring new innovative tools and solutions for DRR;
Supporting activities under the Early Warning for All initiative;
Supporting in the monitoring of the implementation progress of the Sendai Framework.
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) in a relevant field, such as disaster management, climate and sustainability, development studies, international relations, data analytics for sustainable development, etc. 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, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Teams, etc. Ability to draft news articles and/or social media posts in desirable Ability to design surveys and polls is desirable. Applicants must be computer literate in standard software applications including MS Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Applicants must have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter Applicants must 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.
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. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
Additional Information
Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted.
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.