Intern - Information management

Vacancy 12-IMA-ESCAP-24586-R-BANGKOK (O)

United Nations Core Values:

Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Org. Setting and Reporting

The internship is UNPAID and full-time.

Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Section is one of the major pillars in IDD Division. Asia Pacific is the most disaster prone region and most seriously affected by natural disasters of many types: floods, droughts and meteorological, seismic, geological, maritime and ecological disasters, as well as forest and grassland fires. Many member states of ESCAP are developing countries, which had experienced higher levels of mortality in disasters.

Amongst the major objectives of DRR section are:
• Policy options and strategies on multi-hazard disaster risk reduction and mitigation
• Regional cooperation mechanism for disaster risk management, including space and other technical support systems
• Multi-hazard assessment, preparedness, early warning and response to disaster risk

The programs related to DRR are currently guided by the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 with the objectives to building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters, adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan from 18-22 January 2005. The Hyogo Declaration emphasized the need for strengthening and when necessary, developing coordinated regional approaches and creating or upgrading regional policies, operational mechanisms, plans and communication systems, where appropriate, in order to prepare for and ensure rapid and effective disaster response in situations that exceed national capacities to cope with such situations.

The First Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in 2005, Beijing, the 2nd AMCDRR held in New Delhi in 2007 and the 3rd AMCDRR held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in December 2008 had provided guidelines to IDD to promote knowledge, good practices and continues to strengthen partnerships with various regional organizations and institutions on disaster risk reduction.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the development of the bi-annual publication, the Asia Pacific Disaster Report
• Contribute to the development of the Gateway for Disaster Risk Reduction and
• Development, a web platform for information sharing and mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in Asia Pacific (http://www.drrgateway.net/)
• Contribute to the ongoing research of the Disaster Risk Reduction Section on socio- economic impacts of disasters
• Assist in organizing regional conferences, expert group meetings, and events such as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Carry out other tasks as required by the Division.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Communication:
-Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
-Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately
-Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication
-Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience
-Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

• Teamwork:
-Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals
-Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others
-Places team agenda before personal agenda
-Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position
-Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings

• Client orientation:
-Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view
-Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect
-Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions
-Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems
-Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects
-Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client

Education

• Applicants must be enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school(second university degree or higher); or if pursuing their studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages, have completed at least four years of full-studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a degree.
• Be computer literate in standard software applications;
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and
• Have a demonstrated the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Work experience

Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required for the Internship Programme. Knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Assessment method

Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration.