Policy and Strategy Intern

Undertake tasks in the Executive Office related to environmental agreements and strategy.

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UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme

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Application deadline 1 day ago: Monday 14 Jul 2025 at 03:59 UTC

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Overview

Undertake tasks in the Executive Office related to environmental agreements and strategy.

You have:

  • Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) or be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
  • Field of study closely related to the type of internship being applied for is required.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship.
  • Knowledge of Spanish, Arabic, Russian or of an additional official UN language is desirable.

Contract

This is a I-1 contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about I-1 contracts.

Work Location

Geneva

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. The Basel Convention was created to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of the inappropriate management of hazardous wastes worldwide. It is the most comprehensive global treaty dealing with hazardous waste materials throughout their lifecycles, from production and transport to final use and disposal. The Rotterdam Convention provides Parties with a first line of defence against hazardous chemicals and pesticides. It promotes international efforts to protect human health and the environment as well as enabling countries to decide if they want to import hazardous chemicals and pesticides listed in the Convention. The Stockholm Convention is to protect human health and the environment from highly dangerous, long-lasting chemicals by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage. The internship is located in the Executive Office, responsible for leadership and executive direction of the Secretariat. The Executive Office manages the overall functioning of the Secretariat and oversees and monitors the delivery of services to the Parties to the three conventions. In doing so it leads the work on enhancing cooperation and coordination among the three conventions. The Executive Office also cooperates internationally to increase the visibility of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and to place chemicals and waste issues within the context of the global development and environment agenda. The Policy and Strategy unit embedded in the Executive Office provides policy and strategic advice and leads activities that support the Executive Secretary and the Deputy Executive Secretary in their role. The successful applicant will, among others, undertake the following tasks, under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer and working in collaboration with the PAO Team: • Draft letters, presentations, and other written outputs, including training and briefing materials, ensuring alignment with the conventions’ strategic objectives; • Assist in developing outreach and visibility materials, including content for the BRS website, newsletters, and social media, to enhance awareness of the conventions’ work; • Contribute to internal communications by helping compile action points from internal briefings and coordination meetings; • Provide support to the Programme Management Officer in the implementation of the BRS Green Events Policy and other sustainability-related initiatives, as required; • Conduct background research and policy checks on potential stakeholders; • Support the development and implementation and activities to strengthen youth engagement in the work of the BRS Secretariat • Support the implementation of the celebrity engagement programme for the BRS Secretariat. • Support activities to raise awareness of the findings of relevant cross cutting reports developed by the BRS Secretariat (the Ozone , Biodiversity and GFC reports).

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). Preferred area of study: business management, public administration, international law, including international environmental law, environmental management including chemicals and waste management. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of Spanish, Arabic, Russian or of an additional official UN language is a desirable. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

Not available.

Intern Specific text

Interns 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 Fee

THE 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.

Potential interview questions

Describe a time when you had to write a detailed report or presentation. What was the topic and outcome? This question assesses your writing skills and ability to communicate complex information. Provide specific examples of your writing experience, focusing on the relevance to the position.
Explain how you would conduct background research on a potential stakeholder for an environmental project. Understanding your research process is crucial for supporting effective communications and strategies. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of a project where you engaged youth? How did you measure its success? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What steps would you take to increase awareness of environmental issues among the public? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Discuss a time when you worked on a team project. What was your role? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What experience do you have with social media in a professional context? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you ensure your work aligned with the strategic objectives of a project? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What interests you about the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 month ago - Updated 1 day ago - Source: careers.un.org