Internship at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – Division of Protection in Geneva

Terms of reference for internship

• Organizational Unit : Division of International Protection (IDP Section)
• Duty station : Geneva, Switzerland
• Duration of the internship : 2 months (with possibility of being renewed)
• Expected start date : 1 November 2018

Background information/Organizational Context :

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other populations of concern. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR teams are in the field in over 125 countries, using their expertise to protect and care for nearly 55 million people.
The internship will be placed in the Division of International Protection and more precisely within the IDP section. The internship will focus on UNHCR¿s engagement with IDPs through the support to the organization of events for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, among other tasks. This exciting internship is a unique opportunity to gain practical work experience in an international organization within the UN system and to develop a specific understanding of the protection risks experiences by IDPs as well as the international response to internal displacement.

Duties and Responsibilities :

• Support the organization of events for the 20th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and for the 10th anniversary of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) ;
• Assist in coordinating inputs related to the protection of IDPs for UNHCR ;
• Recommendations to the Universal Periodic Review and other special procedures on human rights ;
• Assist with the organization of meetings and events, and with note-taking and reporting ;
• Undertake any other task as assigned by the Chief of Section.

Minimum qualifications required :

Education :

• Bachelor¿s degree in law, political science, social science or related field ;
• Graduate degree ¿ completed or enrolled in a programme related to law, political science, social science or related field.

Competencies :

• Demonstrated interest in human rights, and particularly the rights of IDPs ;
• Competent user of standard word processing and spreadsheet software ;
• Experience using online content management platforms is an asset ;
• Demonstrated experience in research and drafting of documents ;
• Demonstrated competencies in administration, organization and time-management.

Language :

Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required, knowledge of other UN languages desirable.

Eligibility :

In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria :

• Recent graduates (those persons who completed their studies within one year of applying) or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university of higher education facility accredited by UNESCO ; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of the Organization.

Please note that candidates who have immediate relatives (father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister) working as staff members of UNHCR are not eligible.

Food and Local Transportation Allowance

Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. Please note that the closing date for this Internship advertisement is 18 October 2018 (midnight Geneva time).