Economic Affairs Intern

Work Location

Remotely and/or on-site in Bangkok

Expected duration

3 to 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division (MPFD) provides a combination of normative-analytical and capacity-development activities to 53 member States and 9 associate members of ESCAP, taking into account the significant variation in their geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic conditions. The Division undertakes analytical studies and policy-oriented research, provides capacity building, and facilitates policy dialogues on medium- to long-term macroeconomic and financing for development issues facing the region. More details are available at https://www.unescap.org/our-work/macroeconomic-policy-financing-development. The internship is UNPAID. The minimum duration of an internship is three months and can be extended up to a total period of six months. Interns work five days per week (35 hours). MPFD currently has openings for interns in two areas: 1) macroeconomic policy and analysis; and 2) financing for development. Under the general guidance of the Section Chief and the direct supervision of a responsible officer, the intern will contribute to the Division’s research activities, support capacity development initiatives, and assist in organizing workshops and other meetings. While responsibilities may vary over time according to the needs of the Division, typical tasks include the following: Macroeconomic policy and analysis:

• Undertake research and analysis in areas such as: monetary policy, fiscal policy, tax cooperation, efficiency and governance of public finance, and econometric analysis for policy evaluation.
• Identify key short- to medium-term risks to sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Prepare summary tables, graphs, and other inputs for ESCAP publications such as the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, working papers, and policy briefs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned. Financing for development:
• Support technical consultations, events, and workshops to assist government stakeholders in implementing sustainable finance and green finance strategies. This includes designing capacity-building materials on sustainable finance and green finance; developing e-learning materials and modules; and coordinating capacity-building activities (e.g. liaising with partners, scheduling, logistics, participant communication, and post-event follow-up).
• Undertake research and analysis on sustainable and green financing instruments and modalities, such as green banking, green bonds, guarantees, debt-for-climate swaps, blended finance models, and other possible topics, such as capital market development, digital finance, digital taxation, and integrated national financing frameworks (INFF).
• Support the implementation of demonstration projects, such as the iss...