Internship to assist in developing a global implementation initiative for sand and dust storms

Work LocationBonn Expected duration3 to 6 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground: Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The mandate of the Convention and its 197 Parties is to support “a future that avoids, minimizes, and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels – and to achieve a land degradation-neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” (www.unccd.int ) The internship opportunity is located in the Global Mechanism (GM)of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Bonn, Germany. We are seeking a dynamic and proactive team player, with a strong interest in land degradation desertification and drought issues, to complete a six-month internship within UNCCD’s GM team. This internship is a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience within UNCCD and the UN in general. Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) are a global challenge that requires immediate action at all levels. SDS have multiple impacts on environment, climate, health, economic activities, urban infrastructure, agriculture and livelihood. As a result of human induced climate change and unsustainable land and water use practices, the frequency and intensity of SDS is increasing in some areas. Globally up to 25-50 per cent of dust is attributed to originating from human activities such as unsustainable management of land and water including agriculture, changing top-soil characteristics, overgrazing, deforestation, and mining. Mitigation of these anthropogenic SDS sources is an important element of SDS policy in source areas. The UNCCD Parties adopted substantial decisions on SDS to address SDS impacts at all levels with a view to achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN). A significant compilation of materials and information has been made available to assist affected countries and communities in building capacity to combat SDS. These include the SDS Compendium: Information and guidance on assessing and addressing the risks , the Global Sand and Dust Storms Source Base-map and the visualization tool , the SDS Toolbox , the Guideline on the Integration of Sand and Dust Storm Management into Key Policy Area , the Policy Advocacy Framework to Combat Sand and Dust Storms, among other things, which were developed by the UNCCD secretariat in collaboration with numerous partners and experts. They provide a strong foundation to promote further actions at all levels on SDS. At COP16 in Saudi Arabia, Parties mandated the UNCCD secretariat to develop a global implementation initiative on sand and dust storms to define and address, in particular, anthropogenic sand and dust storm sources and data information gaps as well as engage in advocacy, awareness-raising and other activities for the United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms (2025–2034) (decision 27/COP.16). The Global Mechanism of UNCCD has a plan to structure and develop a global implementation initiative for sand and dust storms (GISDS), in collaboration with the secretariat and partners, as requested by this decision. Tasks and responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Managing Director of Global Mechanism (GM) and the direct supervision of the assigned Officer, the incumbent will assist in developing the GISDS. Specific responsibility entails the following: Stocktaking, analysing and synthesizing the published information, reports, documents, academic literatures and publicly available data sets, provide basic information and data in developing GISDS; Assisting in the organization of consultations, meetings and workshops, communication with partners and stakeholders; Assisting in the production of advocacy material, including info graphics, maps, and presentations. Qualifications/special skillsBe enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent); Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation; Applicants who are unable to commence the internship within one year of graduation shall not be accepted; Research skills: ability to perform effective and efficient internet searches, and desk research; Writing skills: ability to draft and edit content for publication in the language he/she shall be working in, i.e. English, French or Spanish; Planning and organizing: ability to work in an organized and structured way; Computer literate, with sound knowledge of and ability to use Microsoft Office Suite. Applicants are not required to have professional work experience to be accepted for this internship. LanguagesFor this internship, fluency in written and oral English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations official language is an advantage. Additional InformationTerms and conditions: a) The total duration of internship shall not exceed maximum period of six months. b) Applicant may not be related - i.e. spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son - to a staff member of the UNCCD secretariat. c) There is no promise of employment either during or upon completion of an internship with the UNCCD but with the experience you have acquired during your time as an intern you might be interested in applying for General Service or Consultancy/Individual contractor positions. If you want to apply to positions at the Professional levels, we ask you to let at least six months pass after the end of your internship before you submit your application, and ensure that you fulfill not only the educational but also the work experience requirements that are outlined in each job opening. d) An intern is not a staff member of the UNCCD, therefore the privileges and immunities agreed between the UNCCD and the host Government do not apply to interns. e) An intern undertakes to conduct himself/herself at all times in a manner compatible with his/her responsibilities as an intern of the UNCCD. f) The intern is required to keep confidential all unpublished information made known during the course of the internship, and must not publish any reports or papers on the basis of information obtained, except with the prior written authorization of the UNCCD. These obligations will not lapse upon the expiration of the internship period. Expenses and medical coverage: Internship with UNCCD is unpaid. Interns are not financially remunerated by the UNCCD. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses, as well as for health coverage are the responsibility of the intern or his/her sponsoring institution. UNCCD accepts no responsibility for medical insurance for the intern or for any costs arising from accidents and/or illness during the internship period. Applicants are required to provide evidence of adequate medical insurance coverage. Computer requirements: For a remote internship, candidates will require a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 10 or newer) or Mac (with the latest MacOS update), as well as a reliable, high-speed internet connection. An Office 365 license will be provided by the UNCCD to enable the candidate to access official emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and other office applications, such as Word and Excel. Further computer requirements: An antivirus application which receives regular updates; Browsers must be a newer version with regular updates enabled; Regular Windows 10 updates should be enabled with Windows laptop or PC. In addition, a mobile phone will be required to enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) through SMS or the Authenticator App 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.