Intern in the Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM) Group

Work LocationGeneva Expected duration6 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesAs the leading UN entity on human rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has an independent mandate to promote and protect human rights across the world and to mainstream human rights throughout the UN system. OHCHR’s mandate, its expertise, convening power and partnerships, its role as custodian of the human rights mechanisms (treaty bodies, special procedures and Universal Periodic Review), and its experience with enhancing civic space and supporting human rights defenders uniquely position the Office to support ambitious, rights-based environmental action. Precisely, the type of action that the IPCC, the HRC and other authorities have confirmed will result in more effective development policies that benefit both people and planet. The internship will take place within the internal Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM) Group, and the intern will report to the Assistant Human Rights Officer. The SEM Group seeks to mainstream sustainability throughout OHCHR’s existing work and strengthen it as an important pillar in its own right. The SEM Group contributes to OHCHR’s work related to climate change, the environment, and sustainable development and catalyses efforts to “Build Back Better” across the Office. The intern will provide SEM Group with assistance in substantive areas of its work. Tasks will include: 1. Support OHCHR’s internal SEM Group, its counterparts and inter-office coordination efforts to enhance OHCHR’s sustainability practices and advocacy related to human rights and sustainability. 2. Support the monitoring and implementation of OHCHR’s organizational effectiveness action plan (OEAP) on deepening SEM and an Environmental Management System (EMS). 3. Conduct research, review and analyse information related to human rights and sustainability, including environmental management systems and good practices. 4. Contribute to the development and implementation of OHCHR strategies, policies and practices on SEM, including with respect to procurement, facilities, waste management and travel. 5. Support OHCHR advocacy and communication related to SEM and human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. 6. Support the GHG reporting for OHCHR within the United Nations System, including through Greening the Blue (HQ and field presences) and 2050 Today (Geneva Only), including, but not limited to, by collecting, analysing, and reporting related data. 7. Provide additional support to OHCHR’s SEM Group as needed. Qualifications/special skillsApplicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme in Law, International relations, Political Science, Development, Environmental Policy, Administration, Business Management, Sustainable Environmental Management or related subject (second university degree or equivalent, or higher). (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme in Law, International relations, Political Science, Development, Environmental Policy, Administration, Business Management, Sustainable Environmental Management or related subject (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 be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), master's or Ph.D. programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, master's or Ph.D. programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Knowledge in the field of human rights and/or the environment is desirable. Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams. LanguagesEnglish 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 InformationFollowing the UN climate neutral strategy in 2007, the UN system committed to annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories as well as emission reduction plans for all UN organizations. In response, OHCHR joined the Greening the Blue initiative reporting the organization’s first carbon footprint in 2010 and subsequently developed an Emission Reduction Strategy (ERS) in 2011 approved by the High Commissioner (HC) with a commitment for the office to reduce carbon emissions by 10% by 2020 against the 2010 emission baseline. In July 2020, OHCHR launched the Sustainable Environmental Management (SEM) Group to further mainstream sustainability throughout OHCHR’s existing work while elevating sustainability as a significant pillar through an Organizational Effectiveness Action Plan (OEAP) on SEM for 2021-2023. As the UN system focuses on efforts to build back better and more sustainably from the COVID-19 crisis, it is critical that OHCHR takes new steps to set its environmental sustainability standards higher and operate in line with the UN Strategy for Sustainability Management 2020-2030, the Greening the Blue initiative and OHCHR 2.0 commitments. In 2024, OHCHR developed a new OEAP on deepening sustainable environmental management for the period 2024–2027 to advance efforts to integrate environmental sustainability in its programmes and operations. The new OEAP focuses on developing, maintaining and implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS); improving environmental footprint reporting; advancing environmental sustainability and social governance frameworks; increasing staff members engagement through behavioural change, peer-to-peer collaboration, impact communication, feedback mechanisms, capacity building, and sharing of best practices and impact stories. Intern Specific textInterns 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. No FeeTHE 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.