Forest Financing Intern

Flexible

2-6 Months

The internship is located in the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat within the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The UNFF is dedicated to advancing the sustainable management, conservation, and development of all types of forests and trees outside of forests -while fostering long-term political commitment to these critical objectives. More information on UNFF and the UNFFS can be found at www.un.org/esa/forests. The selected intern will support the identification, collection, and analysis of information on forest financing to update the databases on the UNFF Clearing House on Forest Financing website. He/She will also assist with other activities of the UNFF Secretariat, in particular on forest financing-related activities. The selected intern will report to the programme management officer who is managing the Clearing House on Forest Financing. Responsibilities - Conduct desk research and collect information from diverse sources on forest financing opportunities, learning materials and good practices on financing for forests at the international level, in particular to the interest of developing countries and countries with economies in transition; - Assist in the organization of the collected information and update the information on the websites of the Clearing House and the UNFF; prepare written input for the webpages of the Clearing House and the UNFF; - Conduct desk research on the modalities and functionality of global hubs serving as central repositories for data, information, and knowledge on specific topics, with a view to identifying good practices for improving future design of the Clearing House; - Develop knowledge summaries on forest financing topics through synthesizing global status, good practices and lessons learned from Clearing House webinars and other public sources for publishing on the Clearing House website. - Assist in setting up, uploading, or maintaining the Clearing House website under the Drupal environment; - Perform other duties as assigned. Competencies Communication: - Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. - Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. - Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. - Taylors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. - Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Teamwork: - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. - Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise while remaining willing to learn from others. - Places team agenda before personal agenda. - Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. - Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Creativity: - Actively seeks to improve programmes or services. - Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs. - Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas. - Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”. - Takes an interest in new ideas and new way of doing things. - Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme. Applicants should have a basic understanding of development financing concepts and instruments, such as grants, concessional loans, debt, guarantees, and blended finance. The internship requires ability to conduct independent research to identify financing opportunities from publicly available sources and prepare concise summaries.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

The internship is for a minimum period of two months with an opportunity for extension up to six months. The expected start date is 15 September 2026. The internship is in-person, unpaid and full-time but could also be part-time. When full-time, interns work 35 hours a week, five days a week, and when part-time, they work fewer than 34 hours a week. Interns work in the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the supervision of a UN staff member to which they are assigned. The hybrid or remote setting of the internship may be considered based on request by the successful candidates. The internship is available for one candidate. Selected intern must have access to a personal laptop capable of supporting the duties of the internship, as the recruiting office is unable to provide computer equipment to interns.

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.