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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy and programme work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office (CO) levels forms a contiguous spectrum of deep, local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

The Tax for Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, or Tax for SDGs, supports developing countries in augmenting domestic resource mobilization (DRM) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Initiative sees taxation as both a tool for revenue collection and a policy instrument to encourage sustainable growth strategies and influence behaviour of economic actors towards desired outcomes related to climate, nature, wellbeing, and governance.

Leveraging UNDP’s role as an enabler, integrator, and catalyst at the country level, Tax for SDGs works to expand people’s choices for a fairer, sustainable future with planet and people in balance, and achieve the World as envisioned by the 2030 Agenda. Tax for SDGs is implemented by UNDP, funded by the Government of Finland and the Government of Norway. It works with Ministries of Finance, National Tax Administrations, and other stakeholders worldwide.

Taxation stands at the core of public development financing and is integral to achieving the SDGs. Recognizing the integrated nature of these goals, Tax for SDGs focuses on practical actions for capacity building, institutional and societal change in tax systems to support the financing and achievement of the SDGs.

Health, as the 3rd Sustainable Development Goal, is a key component of human capital, an enabler to continued economic growth and an essential part of SDG finance. It is a key driver of development and well-being. Non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, are the fastest growing cause of mortality worldwide. Health taxes were specified in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development for their potential to reduce the health burden and associated costs of NCDs while generating significant revenues for countries to finance their development priorities. Increasing or introducing excise taxes on tobacco products and sugar sweetened beverages are one of the most cost-effective and proven health and development interventions. However, perceived incentive conflicts amongst government sectors, particularly between the health and economic sectors, remain a barrier to their implementation. The ability of governments – especially ministries of health – to make a compelling, evidence-informed advocacy case for action on NCDs is crucial for reversing the trend of more and younger people falling ill, living with chronic and debilitating conditions, being unable to participate in labour markets, and dying of conditions stemming from these diseases and their associated risk factors.

In Armenia, where NCDs are the principal burden of disease, excise duties rates on tobacco products are set to be open to revision under new draft legislation expected in mid-2023, and this represents a significant opportunity to promote the increase of these. Furthermore, there is an opening to analyse the introduction of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax in 2023-2024. To support its work on the intersection of tax and sustainable development in Armenia, UNDP Armenia is willing to hire a National Health Tax expert. The role will have principally an analytical focus, driving the estimation of fiscal impacts of increasing excise taxes of tobacco and introducing excise taxes on SSBs, but also a quantitative, political side, carrying out qualitative work as part of an Instituational Context Analysis on health taxes (ICA), supporting the Ministry of Finance in engaging with different stakeholders, and providing guidance on the expected opposition to these fiscal policy reforms in the country and ways to overcome it.

Education: 

Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: 

• be enrolled in a second university degree programme (Master Degree) 
• be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (Bachelor Degree) 
• have graduated with a university degree in fields such as economics, finance, business administration, international relations, public administration or similar and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation. 

Language: 

• Fluent in English with excellent reading and writing skills. 

Financial Issues 

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

Starting from January 2020 interns will receive stipends according to UN rules and regulations. 

Any further 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 arrangements for travel, accommodation and other costs. 

Application Procedure 
The application should contain: 

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post; 
• Current and complete CV in English; 
• Please group all your documents into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document. 

Candidates who are selected for must submit prior to the interview the following documents: 

• Official document(s) confirming your education status; 
• 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. 

UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship. 
Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity. 
 

Subsequent Employment: 

The purpose of the Internship Programme 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.undp.org/internships/. 
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. 

Stipend 

Interns will be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if they are not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme. 

The monthly amount of the stipend will be determined for each duty station based on the stipend rates published yearly by the OHR Policy and Compensation Unit. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly. 

The long-term economic vision for the Republic of Kazakhstan, as embodied in the Strategy "Kazakhstan-2050" calls for accelerated transition to a low-carbon economy, i.e. an economy characterized by low fossil fuel consumption and low environmental impact. It is widely understood that an important element of the transition to a low-carbon economy is implementation of the energy efficiency policy and wide application of renewable energy sources (RES).

UNDP has been supporting the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in designing, developing and implementing an array of GEF and other donor-funded projects in natural resources management and climate change mitigation and adaptation area.

The UNDP-GEF “Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) for Low-Carbon Urban Development” Project (NAMA Project) is a $5.93 million USD project which focuses in making investments in energy efficiency more attractive in Kazakhstan. The NAMA Project is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan. The definition of NAMA being used by the Project is about any investment into clean energy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of whether it has international support or not.

One of the main outcomes of the UNDP-GEF Project is the facilitation of financing for urban NAMAs through the creation and operationalization of a dedicated fund. After two years, the NAMA Project concluded that creating its own financial support mechanism (FSM) was not feasible and instead it was decided to cooperate with an existing FSM, which is implemented by the DAMU (https://www.damu.kz/en/). The UNDP and DAMU cooperation in the provision of financing support to urban NAMA projects is embodied in the new FSM. It was launched in October 2017 and was running now for over three years. Over the period from December 2017 to June 2020, 110 applications for subsidies were received and the results were that 10 of them – rejected as non-eligible, 100 – endorsed. Out of the 100 endorsed projects 37 projects were approved to receive loans by commercial banks and received loan interest payment subsidies. Initial estimates have suggested that that for the 36 projects funded (1 project delayed, 3 projects are still in progress) the lifetime emissions reductions are 660,673 t CO2 (now the estimation is in process of verification).

Building on the experience of the UNDP-GEF Project, the Government of Kazakhstan, and other stakeholders, including financial institutions, such as Astana International Finance Centre and DAMU are interested to further develop the mechanisms of attracting private investments into energy saving projects.

OBJECTIVE

In 2017-2021 years, UNDP-GEF Project supported a number of pilot low-carbon urban projects aimed at energy efficiency and promoting energy conservation (mentioned above, a full list of projects is given in the Annex 1).

These FSM-supported projects have resulted in significant benefits, including reduced energy consumption, utility bills, greenhouse gas emissions, and other benefits such as improved indoor comfort, etc. Among them, the gender aspects of the implemented projects are also important.

Energy is essential for the human environment, considering the needs of women and men are critical to success in energy efficiency. For instance, SDG 7 - “Ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” is about equal access and benefits for both men and women.

Some important aspects of energy efficiency from a gender perspective:

• Energy efficiency and access to energy (electricity, thermal energy – heating and hot water) determines the performance and quality of life of its users (men and women).
• Energy is used in different ways and meets the different needs of men and women (individual, family, professional, social).
• Energy efficiency and access to energy affects men and women in different ways due to different social roles in family and society, which can be a factor that helps empower women and allows them to be more productive and independent.

Hence the main objective of the consultancy is to conduct a gender assessment of the results of the implemented pilot low-carbon projects in Kazakhstan, supported by the UNDP-GEF Project under the financial support mechanisms to stimulate investments in energy efficiency of urban infrastructure in the Republic of Kazakhstan.