The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is mandated by the UN-General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat works with varied partners including cities, central governments, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular, Goal 11 of “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
Urban environments continue to grow at unprecedented rates. Two-thirds of the global population, or six billion people, will live in cities by 2050. While they are economic powerhouses and present unprecedented social, economic, cultural and educational opportunities, unsustainable urban development puts enormous pressure on the provision of basic services to citizens, especially mobility, sanitation, water, solid waste management and energy. UN-Habitat, as a custodian of the ‘urban’ Sustainable Development Goal 11, is mandated to contribute to the creation of sustainable and inclusive human settlements, striving for better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world. Within this ambitious mission, UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section focuses on the provision of essential services to urban residents, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups who are at risk of being left behind – children, women, the elderly, indigenous groups, people with disabilities and the urban poor.
UN-HABITAT’S WORK ON URBAN MOBILITY
Within UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section, the Urban Mobility team works on diverse projects striving towards achieving sustainable mobility in urban environments. This is especially relevant in a rapidly urbanising world, where the response to increased demand for access to economic opportunities and vital services is often car-based urban development, tailored to and encouraging private car ownership, and a rapid increase in the global two- and three-wheeler fleet. The impacts of this approach are concerning: transport-based emissions make up a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, traffic-related accidents are the leading cause of mortality among young people, and congestion results in a significant loss of national and local GDPs. There is thus an urgent need for a shift towards sustainable, accessible and efficient mobility in cities. The urban mobility team works towards this aim. Its broad portfolio includes work on the development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), for instance in a currently ongoing project for promoting sustainable urban mobility in Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, the team is supporting the development of the Mobility Plan and organising trainings and workshops to strengthen capacity for the cities in the regions. The team supports building the capacity of local and national authorities to stimulate sustainable urban mobility, and, through its projects around the globe, significantly contributes to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals in line with the New Urban Agenda, with a focus on leaving no-one behind. This knowledge and good practices are promoted at a local, national, regional and international scale through workshops, conferences and public outreach events.
The recruited Urban Mobility Programme Support Intern will work under the direct supervision of the Lead of the Urban Mobility team.
Responsibilities
UN-Habitat’s Urban Basic Services Section is seeking a motivated and passionate Urban Mobility Programme Support Intern to join the team in supporting the project and the process for developing the SUMPs. The selected intern will have a vital role in conducting research, collecting and analysing data, and compiling and visualising the information and knowledge. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to ongoing international cooperation projects and gain practical experience in sustainable mobility solutions that can contribute to implementing the New Urban Agenda, Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.
The recruited Urban Mobility Programme Support Intern will work under the direct supervision of the Lead of the Urban Mobility team. Supporting the team’s broad set of activities and projects, the Intern’s principal tasks will be as follows:
- Provide technical support to ongoing urban mobility initiatives in project cities; with a focus on urban mobility/ transport planning and SUMP elaboration.
- Assist with data collection, including desktop research on urban mobility and transport policy and plans, conducting questionnaire surveys with relevant stakeholders, and collection of urban mobility data from local and global data sources.
- Support the team in the development of analyses reports, communication materials, presentations, maps, illustrations, tables and graphics.
- Undertake desk research on the latest academic and policy pathways towards and best practices for innovative urban mobility plans, and produce written briefs and reports that feed into the team’s ongoing projects;
- Support staff in project meetings and capacity building sessions and workshop with a focus on mobility and transport planning, including the preparation of technical notes and presentations for such meetings and follow-up on activities;
- Support staff in literature review, knowledge piece development, and project development activities;
- Any other tasks as assigned related to urban mobility.
Qualifications/special skills
Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:
a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent.
Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite).
Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
Preferred areas of study: Transport Planning; Urban Planning/Design; Civil Engineering; Data Science; Environmental Science, Computer Science/Information Technology; Mechanical Engineering; Innovation Management; Computer Science, Electrical Engineering Transport Geography, or Urban Geography; – with specific attention to Transport/Mobility and skills in Research, or another field deemed relevant to the subject areas covered by the Programme for the purpose of this internship.
Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
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.
Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.
Please explain how your field of study is related to the internship position you are applying for, i.e. in urban planning, urban design, transport planning, engineering. In addition, if you have knowledge of Russian, Romanian, Serbian, Albanian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and/or other languages in Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, please indicate here.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook is essential. Additionally, experience in urban and transport data analysis, as well as proficiency in data visualization tools such as GIS, transport modeling software, and statistical/econometric software, is advantageous. Please provide examples demonstrating how you fulfill this requirement.
Can you interact well with people of various social and cultural backgrounds in an occasionally stressful environment?
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.
Intern Specific text
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.
Please apply on the official website using the link(s) below
