Internship - Americas Regional Liaison Intern in Geneva, Switzerland

Terms of Reference
Internship
Executive Office, Liaison Office for Regional Bureaux

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship within the Liaison Office for Regional Bureaux (Americas) under the Executive Office at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.

Title: Americas Regional Liaison Intern
Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland
Duration: 6 months
Contract Type: Internship
Start date: as soon as possible

Organisational context
The Internship is located within the Liaison Office for Regional Bureau (Americas), which after UNHCR¿s regionalization and decentralization processes, plays a key role in continuing and strengthening relations with Permanent Missions based in Geneva, as well as with other government stakeholders. The role of this position is to support the Senior Regional Liaison Advisor for the Americas. This would involve direct contact with other staff members and officials, both within and outside UNHCR. The incumbent should be able to work independently based on direction from the Supervisor.

The position
UNHCR is looking for individuals with a wide range of skills and a strong interest in the mandate of the organization to support our work. The incumbent will work under the overall responsibility of the Senior Regional Liaison Advisor for the Americas and be able to perform the duties as reflected in these terms of reference.

Duties and responsibilities
The incumbent¿s tasks shall include, inter alia:
¿ Collect and analyze information on specific areas related to displacement contexts and refugee, displaced and statelessness issues in the Americas region;
¿ Draft documents and correspondence as required;
¿ Assist with translations as needed;
¿ Assist in the organization of key events e.g. Executive Committee, NGO consultations, HC Dialogue, etc., take notes and draft reports on those meetings;
¿ Conduct research on topics related to protection and solutions in the Americas;
¿ Liaise with external stakeholders as required;
¿ Perform other tasks as assigned.

Minimum qualifications required
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
¿ Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within one year of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO ; and
¿ Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.

NOTE: An individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of the Affiliate Workforce, is not eligible for an internship.

Desirable qualifications and skills
The ideal candidate will hold/have:
¿ Permit to work in Switzerland and a medical insurance that will cover their stay;
¿ Knowledge of the Latin American and Caribbean region is an asset;
¿ Fluency in English and Spanish are essential (French is desirable);
¿ Studies in the field of International Relations, Political Science, Law, Philosophy, Sociology or Communication.

Conditions
It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 9.00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Geneva, Switzerland; however, bearing in mind COVID-19 imposed restrictions, remote working arrangements might be possible, and working from home will in any case sometimes be required.

Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training.

We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background. Please note that the closing date for this internship advertisement is Tuesday 31 May 2022 (midnight Geneva time).