Internship - United Nations HHD NCD and Tobacco Control

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 177 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.HIV, Health and Development ApproachUNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies.  UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.  First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Sustainable Development Goals.  For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP works to help countries respond to the evolving burden of disease by promoting a health-in-all sectors approach, with a recognition that what happens in sectors such as labour, finance and education may have as much bearing on health status as the levels of investment in the health sector itself.Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment.  Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action for development, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations. Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP-Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on SDG 3.4 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding.  UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.ObjectiveProvide support to the HIV, Health and Development Practice in the UNDP Regional Hub in Istanbul. The intern will have a matrixed reporting line, working on both support to the global Health and Development Team and the Regional HIV, Health and Development Team for Europe and the CIS.

Duties and Responsibilities

Working with the global and regional offices of the HIV, Health and Development Team at UNDP Istanbul, the intern will undertake the assignments outlined below:Expected Outputs: 

Perform research, drafting and coordination on a variety of issues, including on:

• The governance of national non-communicable disease responses;
• Implementation of Article 5 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control;
• The social, economic and environmental determinants of health;
• UN coordination on NCDs;
• Promotion of health-in-all policies through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response;
• Creation of health and development infographics and thematic map displays;
• Editing of knowledge products and communications materials.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

 Functional Competencies:

• Excellent writing and editing skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); 
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); 
• Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation

Experience:

• Computer literate in standard software applications; proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint and online visual tools is an asset;
• Strong track record of research and writing skills; 
• Experience in the area of international public health, gender and/or human rights is an asset;
• Experience with GIS and data visualization is an asset;
• Expertise in health and development issues is an asset.

Language skills:

• Fluency in English; knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Notes:Financial Issues:

Internships within the UN system are unpaid and subject to conditions the applicant must get familiar with prior to signing his/her internship agreement.

The costs associated with the internship must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her own arrangements for travel, accommodation etc.Application procedure:

The application should contain:

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post and your availability;
• Current and complete CV in English.

Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.Selected candidate must submit following documents prior to start of the internship:

• Official letter from the University confirming enrolment in a graduate-level degree programme;
• Proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out. Selected intern must have medical and life insurance.

Conditions:

UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months;UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents, illness or death during the internship;Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity;Interns are responsible to arrange for their own visa and residence documents, and need to plan for these well in advance;The purpose of the internship is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies; therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship;More information available at: http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/about_us/jobs/internships/  .