UN University Volunteer in Media and Research

Details

Mission and objectives

UNESCO is an intergovernmental organization committed to fostering intellectual and moral solidarity for peace through cooperation in education, culture, the sciences, and communication and information. The organization is headquartered in Paris, France, and has a network of over 50 regional, cluster, and national field offices. UNESCO New Delhi is presently designated as a Cluster Office and is a platform for delivery of activities in all areas of UNESCO’s competence, namely, education, the natural and social sciences, culture, communication and information. It implements a biennial Cluster programme that is aligned with the overall goals of the Organization as defined in its quadrennial programme and budget, and medium-term strategy. The implementation of the cluster programme is undertaken through a fundamental operating principle - consultation and consensus with the National Commissions of the Member States, Regional Bureaus, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders and partners. The New Delhi Office is now mandated to cover six countries of South Asia -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Context

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through its mandates: education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information. As Regional Bureau for Science, UNESCO Jakarta provides strategic expertise, advisory, monitoring and evaluation functions to Member States, other UNESCO Field Offices and UN Country Teams in the area of science. Meanwhile as a Cluster Office, UNESCO Jakarta covers all UNESCO mandates and is responsible for the implementation of related programmes in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste. Closely with Governments, National Commissions and other governmental and non-governmental partners, UNESCO Jakarta works on making development sustainable and profitable for everyone, and focuses on a number of overarching objectives: • Attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning • Mobilizing science knowledge and policy for sustainable development • Addressing emerging social and ethical challenges • Fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, and a culture of peace • Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication The Asia-Pacific region is home to almost two thirds of the world’s population and comprises countries of great economic, religious, political, and cultural diversity. The UN Volunteer will support the UNESCO Jakarta office Communication & Information (CI) Unit, which focuses on freedom of expression and safety of journalists, media development, media and information literacy, access to information and preservation of documentary heritage. The UN Volunteer shall undertake research and analysis to support informed strategic decision-making and provide communications support to increase UNESCO visibility and outreach.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Director, and the direct supervision of Programme Specialist, Communication & Information (CI) Sector, the UN University Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: Source information and conduct desk research to identify needs, challenges and op-portunities in areas related to media freedom, viability and innovation in countries cov-ered by UNESCO Jakarta Office. Monitor and maintain a list of events in Asia and the Pacific related to CI priorities. Conduct mapping of potential donors and partners to advance CI priorities in the coun-tries covered by the UNESCO Jakarta Office. Manage the CI mailing list and draft targeted email campaigns. Support the preparation of presentations, concept notes, reports, talking points, brief-ings, news articles and social media posts. Collaborate with colleagues from the CI Unit and liaise with other field offices in the Asia and Pacific region for joint activities. Assist in dissemination of information on CI initiatives to ensure project visibility; ex-tend, engage, and reinforce networks, engage new and diverse stakeholders, and foster partnerships. Attend meetings and participate in technical groups as requested by PS/Director. Assist in drafting memos, reports, and other project related correspondence. Perform any other duties deemed necessary by immediate supervisor or the Director of UNESCO Jakarta Office. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications /websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.