UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security.

Women’s fundamental rights and freedoms have been continually threatened since the Taliban takeover and the limited gains made over the past twenty years are now at risk of being erased. Moreover, women-led and women’s rights organizations in Afghanistan face a range of constraints that limit their operational effectiveness, including financial constraints, mobility restrictions, administrative barriers and an uncertain planning context.  Women’s civil society organizations are a driving force for ensuring availability of essential programming for women and girls and for advancing social cohesion, anchored in gender equality. However, in absence of a dedicated investment in strengthening the organizational resilience of women civil society organisations, through core flexible funding, these organizations risk being unable to adapt to the crisis. 

To respond to the urgent need of support for the women’s movement in Afghanistan, within the overall umbrella of the Women, Peace and Security portfolio, UN Women is launching a project to rebuild organizational resilience of women’s civil society organizations. The project “Re-Building the Women’s Movement in Afghanistan: Strengthening Organizational Resilience of Afghan Women’s CSOs” (hereafter: women’s civil society project) offers following key features: 

• Core grants and demand-driven grants that aim to strengthen the institutional and adaptive capacity of Women’s Rights Organization (WROs) and Women Led Organizations (WLOs) within the context of ongoing humanitarian crisis;
• Demand-driven and localized support to women civil society organizations for furthering women’s rights in Afghanistan, given the increasing focus of their operational engagement at subnational levels;
• Support for advocacy and coordinated learning, sharing, and networking.

The overall goal of the project is to contribute to the strengthening and rebuilding of Afghan women civil society organizations to advance their work across the full spectrum of women rights.

Reporting to the Women’s CSO Project Programme Manager, the Programme Analyst provides programme support to the effective management of UN Women programmes in the Afghanistan Country Office by contributing in the programme design, formulation, implementation and evaluation. The Programme Analyst supports the delivery of UN Women programmes by analyzing results achieved during implementation and supporting appropriate application of systems and procedures. The Programme Analyst works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio.

Education:

Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: a) be enrolled in a second university degree programme (Master Degree); b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (Bachelor Degree); or c) have graduated with a university degree in in fields such as economics, finance, business, development, international relations, law, public administration or similar and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience:

Solid experience in academic writing, research and analysis;

Experience on sustainable development, impact investing, and SDG financing is an asset;

Computer literate in standard software applications;

Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNDP's Statement of Purpose and to the ideals of the UN Charter;

Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs;

Previous experience on project designing and implementation is an asset;

Social media account management and content development skills are desirable.

Language:

Fluency in spoken and written English is required;

Knowledge of Arabic and Kurdish are desired;

Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Financial Issues

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.

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;

One relevant writing sample.

Please group all your documents into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Candidates who are selected must submit 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 only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months.

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.

It is important to note that interns are responsible to arrange for their own visa and residence documents, and need to plan for these well in advance.

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.

CORPORATE BACKGROUND:

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change. We support countries' efforts to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030. The key 2030 Agenda principle of leaving no one behind and stamping out inequality is at the core of everything we do.

UNDP focuses on helping countries build and share solutions in three main areas:

• Sustainable development
• Democratic governance and peacebuilding
• Climate and disaster resilience

In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities and the poorest and most vulnerable.

INTERNSHIP OFFICE BACKGROUND:

In many countries in Asia, open markets and pro-growth policies have translated into several decades of economic growth and reduced poverty rates. Yet, economic progress has, in some contexts, resulted in a large number of human rights abuses along the length of operations and their supply chains. The human rights impacts of these operations are no longer deemed acceptable to many consumers, shareholders, government authorities, and business leaders.

The UNDP Asia-Pacific, Business and Human Rights Unit, is playing a central role in promoting the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The UNGPs clarify the duty of states and the responsibility of businesses to uphold international norms on human rights. The UNGPs rest on three pillars, namely the State duty to protect human right, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and; and the independent and complementary roles of States and businesses to ensure that victims of business-related human rights abuses have access to effective remedy.

UNDP’s regional project on Business and Human Rights, titled “Business and Human Rights in Asia: Promoting Responsible Business Practices through Regional Partnerships”, has the objective of strengthening the business and human rights agenda in Asia through awareness raising, capacity building, and peer-learning among a diverse set of stakeholders including governments, businesses, national human rights institutions, civil society organisations and others. The project provides technical and advisory support to governments and national human rights institutions; promote corporate human rights policies, due diligence practices, and remediation; amplify the voices of rights holders and highlight the need for effective remedy through awareness raising, capacity building, facilitating peer learning,  conducting research and developing toolkits.

The internship will be an excellent opportunity to become familiar with UNDP and the wider UN system, learning more about the different thematic areas of work in the business and human rights field and of the UNDP B+HR Asia project, engage with key stakeholders, engage in awareness raising and capacity building events, and support research activities.

The Business and Human Rights project funded by the Government of Sweden intends to hire two interns to support project implementation, which can both be found on the UNDP Jobs Portal. If candidates are unsure which of the internships are more suitable to them, they are encouraged to apply to both.

CORPORATE BACKGROUND:

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change. We support countries' efforts to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030. The key 2030 Agenda principle of leaving no one behind and stamping out inequality is at the core of everything we do.

UNDP focuses on helping countries build and share solutions in three main areas:

• Sustainable development
• Democratic governance and peacebuilding
• Climate and disaster resilience

In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities and the poorest and most vulnerable.

INTERNSHIP OFFICE BACKGROUND:

In many countries in Asia, open markets and pro-growth policies have translated into several decades of economic growth and reduced poverty rates. Yet, economic progress has, in some contexts, resulted in a large number of human rights abuses along the length of operations and their supply chains. The human rights impacts of these operations are no longer deemed acceptable to many consumers, shareholders, government authorities, and business leaders.

The UNDP Asia-Pacific, Business and Human Rights Unit, is playing a central role in promoting the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The UNGPs clarify the duty of states and the responsibility of businesses to uphold international norms on human rights. The UNGPs rest on three pillars, namely the State duty to protect human right, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and; and the independent and complementary roles of States and businesses to ensure that victims of business-related human rights abuses have access to effective remedy.

UNDP’s regional project on Business and Human Rights, titled “Business and Human Rights in Asia: Promoting Responsible Business Practices through Regional Partnerships”, has the objective of strengthening the business and human rights agenda in Asia through awareness raising, capacity building, and peer-learning among a diverse set of stakeholders including governments, businesses, national human rights institutions, civil society organisations and others. The project provides technical and advisory support to governments and national human rights institutions; promote corporate human rights policies, due diligence practices, and remediation; amplify the voices of rights holders and highlight the need for effective remedy through awareness raising, capacity building, facilitating peer learning,  conducting research and developing toolkits.

The internship will be an excellent opportunity to become familiar with UNDP and the wider UN system, learning more about the different thematic areas of work in the business and human rights field and of the UNDP B+HR Asia project, engage with key stakeholders, engage in awareness raising and capacity building events, and support research activities.

The Business and Human Rights project funded by the Government of Sweden intends to hire two interns to support project implementation, which can both be found on the UNDP Jobs Portal. If candidates are unsure which of the internships are more suitable to them, they are encouraged to apply to both.

CORPORATE BACKGROUND:

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasizes the critical role of well-functioning justice systems for sustainable development, particularly through Sustainable Development Goal 16 on Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, which includes targets like ensuring equal access to justice for all, reducing corruption and bribery, ensuring access to information, and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Goal 16 is seen as an ‘enabler’ goal (SDG 16+), as peace, justice and strong institutions are all fundamental elements for accelerating progress towards other SDGs and guaranteeing that no one is left behind.

Judiciaries who uphold high standards of integrity and enjoy public trust are one of the cornerstones for ensuring equal access to justice for all, combatting corruption and ensuring accountability. Given the critical role of the Judiciary, UNDP in 2018, with support from the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and in partnership with the judiciaries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, launched the Judicial Integrity Network in ASEAN. The initiative is aimed at fostering transparency, promoting integrity and increasing public trust through the exchange of good practices and peer-to-peer learning. The initiative achieved several results. These include:

Producing the Judicial Integrity Checklist, which is a tool specifically designed to complement the International Framework for Court Excellence (IFCE). The objective of the checklist is to support judiciaries in taking active steps to promote transparency, integrity and accountability within their courts, as part of the broader quality management systems. The checklist was developed in response to expressed needs of the Judicial Integrity Network members and in collaboration with the International Consortium for Court Excellence. 

The tool was piloted in Malaysia, and the pilot experience was shared with the network members at the Second Meeting organized in March 2019. This sharing of experience helped to reflect on the merits of the tool as well as identify areas for improvement both in the tool and its implementation. Following the self-assessment, UNDP provided technical assistance to incorporate the recommendations and implement the action plan.

In its second phase (2019-2021) and despite challenges due to the pandemic, the project sought to continue the peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, strengthen and institutionalize the network, and develop collaboration with ASEAN bodies like the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (CACJ), the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ). Finally, the initiative created opportunities to involve more women judges and experts in the network, as well as bring the topic of gender balance and gender inclusion as a way to positively affect judicial integrity, openness and fairness of the courts.

INTERNSHIP OFFICE BACKGROUND:

The UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) is responsible for the implementation of regional projects, knowledge management activities and the provision of advisory services to the 24 UNDP Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific.  Transparency, accountability and anti-corruption are at the core of UNDP’s work to bridge inequalities in the Asia-Pacific region. BRH is leading UNDP’s anti-corruption work in the Asia-Pacific Region with projects on “Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”, “Judicial Integrity Champions in APEC”, and “Promoting a fair business environment in ASEAN”.

These projects are UNDP’s major vehicle through which it responds to the growing demand for technical assistance in anti-corruption. They support interventions at global, regional and country levels in order to promote national ownership, capacity development, effective aid management and South-South cooperation in addressing corruption and fostering democratic governance.