Internship: Climate and Environment Intern – CERP (Climate, Environment, Resilience and Peace) Section, PD, NYHQ - Req # 539641

The purpose of this Internship is to support the CEED team to mainstream climate and environment into UNICEF’s core programming, and to support UNICEFs efforts to make children and young people a focus of environmental strategies, and to empower children and young people to participate in climate and environmental action

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a sustainable, clean and safe environment.

Climate change and environmental degradation are some of the biggest threats affecting the world’s children which has the potential to undermine many of the gains we have made in child survival and development. Children are the least responsible for climate change and environmental degradation, yet they stand to bear the greatest burden of its impact. UNICEF is committed to achieving societal transformation necessary so that children can live in a sustainable, clean and safe environment to children. UNICEF’s climate and environmental sustainability strategy is structured around four main pillars to ensure the rights of children in a changing climate.  The strategy stresses the need for ambitious programming to protect children from the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation by increasing the resilience of the basic services, and by reducing emissions and pollution.  It recognizes that children are not merely passive victims, but right holders and active agents of change and that our only hope is empowering future generations to choose an environmentally sustainable path.

How can you make a difference?

As part of the organizational priority to mainstream Climate, Energy, Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (CEED) into UNICEF’s core programming, UNICEF is committed to making children and young people a focus of environmental strategies and empowering children and young people to participate in climate and environmental action. Building on previous research conducted in this area, and ongoing programming towards supporting child and youth participation in climate and environmental policy and action, UNICEF is planning to scale up this area of work within the climate and environment unit in Programme Division (PD).  This internship role shall provide support towards achieving this.

Purpose and Objective:

The purpose of this Internship is to support the CEED team to mainstream climate and environment into UNICEF’s core programming, and to support UNICEFs efforts to make children and young people a focus of environmental strategies, and to empower children and young people to participate in climate and environmental action. More specifically the purpose of this internship includes:

• Coordinating with UNICEF Regional and Country offices and HQ divisions (including WASH, Education, Health, Social Policy, Division of Communications, etc.) to solicit inputs, consolidating feedback and conduct a mapping exercise of climate policies to date to determine the level of child and youth inclusivity.
• Conduct an analysis and policy note detailing results of the mapping
• Developing a guidance note for implementation of climate policies towards ensuring child and youth inclusive implementation, aligned with the NDC Partnerships plan of action, and guidance materials already developed with some regional offices.
• Providing technical support to HQ climate and education units on climate and environment education programming (both formal and informal)
• Support the development of investment cases on building climate and environment action with children and young people.
• Support the development of knowledge products on climate, energy, environment, and disaster risk reduction as required.
• Support the education team with a review of online climate and environment education courses and learning materials and recommend options for use in global climate and environment education programming.

The key duties and tasks for this internship are summarized as follows:

1. Liaise with Country and Regional Office Staff to collect information and develop a mapping, an analysis in the form of a policy brief, and a guidance note for implementation on making children and young people a focus of climate and environmental strategies.
2. Liaise with Country and Regional Office Staff to collect information for the development of CEED related case studies.
3. Recommendations provided to the Education unit with technical inputs on mainstreaming CEED into Education systems, including assessment of gaps, opportunities, and proposed guidance towards scaling UNICEFs mainstreaming of CEED into key sectors.
4. Report with recommended options for UNICEF to pursue in delivering a climate and environment education at scale globally.

Benefits to Intern:

• In depth knowledge about Global Climate, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CEED) challenges, how they are impacting children, and how UNICEF is programming in response.
• Develop writing and editing skills through developing key resources (i.e. policy briefs, guidance notes, and case studies)
• Gaining experience working with an expert group of climate and environment professionals, as well as colleagues working across other UNICEF sectors (i.e. WASH, Education, Health, Social Policy, Child Protection)
• Strengthened communication skills by consulting with various professionals across the organization and preparing relevant materials for these exchanges.
• How to use excel to analyze data
• How to use excel data to formulate policy briefs and guidance notes
• Gather insight on UNICEF programming across all sector

Duration

May 3^rd, 2021 – October 1^st, 2021 (22 weeks, part time 50%)

Salary/Payment:

In accordance to UNICEF’s guidelines, interns will be paid a stipend of US $1,700 per month (full time). There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Insurance:

UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the intern’s service, whether on or off UNICEF premises. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrolment in a health/accident plan prior to start the internship with the Education Section.

Living Conditions and Working Environment:

The intern will be remote based and work from home. The intern will work with the CERP and Education Sections and report to the supervisor of this internship. The intern is not expected to travel during the assignment. The intern will be expected to participate in section meetings, as well as other UNICEF meetings of interest to the intern, including the seminar series for UNICEF interns. Guidance will be provided on a regular basis.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will…

• Currently be enrolled in a degree program in an undergraduate or graduate school, or be a recent graduate (within the last 2 years);
• Have strong academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records or, if not available, a reference letter from an academic supervisor; 
• Demonstrated advanced technical writing skills (publications)
• Fluent in English, working knowledge of Spanish/French is considered an asset
• Prior experience with climate, energy, environment and disaster risk reduction in developing country contexts would be a considerable asset
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother or sister) working in any UNICEF office; and
• Have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. To view our competency framework, please click here.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply to become a part of the organization.