Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), 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.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. In addition, BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.

The world needs an economic governance architecture deliberately designed to support governments, development agencies, civil society, and the private sector to make decisions that prioritize investment in the SDGs. Thus, UNDP established the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) in 2019, aggregating UNDP’s existing work and expertise on financing the SDGs. UNDP aims to promote the investment of over $1 trillion of public expenditure and private capital in the SDGs and maximize development impact for country partners. With this goal, UNDP will mobilize governments, institutional and commercial investors, financial institutions, and enterprises alike to take a more integrated approach to sustainable investment, enabling and promoting the impact integrity of actual and realized investments to enhance transparency, and optimize private and public sectors contributions to achieving the SDGs. Through SFH, UNDP has been increasing its engagement in global financial and economic policy making through the work carried out in different forums (i.e., G7, G20, UN’s Financing for Development process, etc.) as well as other regulatory and market-based networks.

In this context, UNDP supports the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD or Taskforce), a global initiative for reporting and managing inequality and social-related risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies. The Taskforce is a multistakeholder initiative involving investors, business, labor, civil society, policy makers and regulators, service providers, and academia working together to co-create a global framework for inequality and social-related disclosures, guidance and education and capacity building resources. For more information see TISFD.

It is anticipated the framework will be developed over two years, from September 2024 through September 2026, with the production of critical outputs throughout this period and further work on implementation to follow. The Taskforce Secretariat will coordinate and facilitate the Taskforce’s activities according to the direction defined by the Steering Committee and Working Groups. This includes coordinating inputs from a body of subject matter experts structured around the TISFD Alliance participating through Regional Hubs.

The Secretariat will operate mostly virtually with key Secretariat partners spread across the globe and be led by an Executive Director.

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will be part of a dynamic and growing team within the TISFD Secretariat as it commences its work. The intern will contribute to the work of the technical team, and in doing so, contribute to the development of the TISFD’s disclosure framework, including its conceptual foundations, recommendations, metrics and indicators, and associated guidance. The technical team will also conduct research and analysis underpinning the TISFD’s deliverables and contribute to the development of its outputs.

The technical deliverables of the Taskforce involve a number of resources including but not limited to: an integrated and accessible disclosure framework and recommendations, informed by a set of conceptual foundations and a body of evidence on social and inequality-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities; various types of guidance to help corporates and financial institutions in identifying, assessing and reporting on inequality and social related impacts and risks, building on existing work in this space.

Under the guidance of the Technical Director, the intern will undertake the assignments outlined below:

• Conduct research and analysis related to inequality and social-related impact and risk pathways, the identification and assessment of impacts and risks by corporates and financial institutions, and associated indicators and metrics;
• Conduct research and draft briefings on the implementation of sustainability-related disclosures in jurisdictions around the world and other developments in the reporting landscape;
• Support the preparation of meetings of the Taskforce’s Working Groups and other bodies;
• Contribute to the documentation of feedback from Technical Working Groups, the TISFD’s Alliance, and public consultations;
• Contribute to the development of educational and capacity building resources, aimed to communicate the objectives and work of the Taskforce to a range of different audiences.

Competencies

• Highly motivated and a self-starter, with an excellent combination of strategic vision and communication skills;
• Strong understanding and knowledge of corporate sustainability and sustainable finance and demonstrated ability to think strategically and to convey complex concepts in a clear and persuasive manner;
• Proven ability to write clearly and convincingly in English, with meticulous copy-editing skills and rigorous eye for content accuracy. Capable of adapting style and content to different audiences, with persuasive, coherent and well-founded arguments, in a style that is accessible to a broad audience of policymakers, private sector and civil society;
• Excellent organization and coordination skills, with ability to plan and deliver activities with limited supervision and by taking initiatives;
• Demonstrated integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards; displaying cultural, gender, religion, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrates an international outlook and an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
• Demonstrates an ability to manage workload with minimum supervision and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues in a fast-paced environment, while meeting tight deadlines;
• Demonstrates an intellectual curiosity and a deep desire to learn, displaying strong versatility and adaptability;
• Openness to change and ability to receive / integrate feedback;
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

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

• be enrolled in a Master’s degree programme in International Development, Political Science, Innovation, Business or Economics, or any relevant Social Science fields;
• have graduated with a relevant university degree that requires the start of an internship within one year of graduation.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in corporate sustainability and other sustainable finance;
• Knowledge of multilateral organizations would be an asset;
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) required;
• Proficiency with social media would be an asset. Knowledge of CMS an asset;
• Familiarity with graphic design software and online dissemination (e.g. Canvas, Mailchimp) is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of French or German is an asset.

Conditions of the Internship:

• Interns may be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme;
• Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of the internship. UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship;
• The intern is responsible for obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed;
• In the current context, the intern is expected to partly work from home and partly from the office in Geneva.
• Interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in UNDP during the period of the internship;
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity;
• 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;
• The intern will be evaluated at the end of the contract and due recognition of work will be issued in writing.

In case an applicant is successfully selected, s/he will be requested to provide electronic versions of the following documents upon selection:

• Copy of the applicant’s most recent resume or curriculum vitae;
• Letter from his/her university confirming current enrolment and graduation date;
• Letter of recommendation from a professor;
• Copy of his/her school transcript;
• Copy of passport;
• Completed UNDP internship application form;
• Medical Certificate of Good Health; and
• Proof of medical insurance.

Application procedure:

In your application, please (i) state in one paragraph why you would like to be considered for the internship, and (ii) indicate your preferred start and end date, as well as your availability timeframe in 2025;

Submit your CV/Resume (in English);

Please combine the above into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload one document.

Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.