Intern Political Affairs Officer

Work Location

UNHQ, New York

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The duration of the internship is for six (6) months. This internship is UNPAID in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise working arrangement from (New York, USA). This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Peace Support (PBPSO) in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. PBPSO brings together the United Nations’ peacebuilding, rule of law and security institutions capacities under one integrated framework. PBPSO supports coherent, strategic and field-focused engagement across peacekeeping operations, special political missions and non-mission settings, with the objective of strengthening peacebuilding impact, supporting sustainable political solutions and helping national partners consolidate peace gains. The Office is composed of six branches: 1. Peacebuilding Fund Branch (PBF) 2. Peacebuilding Commission Support Branch (PBCSB) 3. Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships Branch (PSPB) 4. Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Branch (DDR) 5. Security Sector Reform Unit (SSR) 6. Justice and Corrections Service (JCS) Through its integrated structure, PBPSO leverages its range of tools, including operational support capacity in the areas of DDR, SSR and justice and corrections, catalytic financing, strategic partnerships and convening roles to enable more integrated and comprehensive peacebuilding and peace support across peacekeeping, special political missions and non-mission settings. It aims to enhance mandate delivery, increase and capture impact, reduce fragmentation and deepen field focused support that will help secure and consolidate peace gains, strengthen inclusive and effective institutions and contribute to sustainable political solutions. Under the overall supervision of the Senior Political Affairs Officer, the Intern for Political Affairs will:

• Monitor activities in relevant countries and regions identifying trends and assessing emerging political and operational issues which may affect PBPSO activities;
• Attend meetings and prepare concise summary notes with action points;
• Conduct research on thematic topics;
• Monitor and prepare summary reports on developments in inter-governmental fora pertaining to policy and operational priorities of the Office;
• Support the drafting of notes, background papers, Checklists, talking points, presentations and Speeches for senior UN officials as they pertain to PBPSO-mandated activities and priorities;
• Support the planning and implementation of meetings, events, policy dialogues and other activities related to peacebuildi...