UNHCR Policy Internship – Geneva, Switzerland

UNHCR Policy Internship - Geneva, Switzerland

Sango September 17, 2023

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UNHCR Policy Internship – Geneva, Switzerland

About UNHCR

UNHCR leads international action to protect people forced to flee conflict and persecution and those denied a nationality.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution.

We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.

Our vision is a world where every person forced to flee can build a better future.

Formally known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes.

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Today, UNHCR works in 135 countries. We provide life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. We defend their right to reach safety and help them find a place to call home so they can rebuild their lives. Long term, we work with countries to improve and monitor refugee and asylum laws and policies, ensuring human rights are upheld.

In everything we do UNHCR considers refugees and those forced to flee as partners, putting those most affected at the centre of planning and decision-making.

UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations to protect and safeguard the rights of refugees. We also support former refugees who have returned to their home country, people displaced within their own country, and people who are stateless or whose nationality is disputed.

We are guided by and act as the guardian of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

UNHCR protects people forced to flee their homes as well as stateless persons.

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We deliver life-saving assistance in emergencies, safeguard fundamental human rights, and help find long-term solutions so they can find a safe place to call home.

Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution and cannot return without risking their lives, safety or freedom.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is there for them at every stage of the refugee and displacement journey, from the beginning of a crisis, through the months and often years that they are displaced from their homes.

We deliver life-saving aid and protection in emergencies, advocate for improved asylum laws and systems so displaced people can access their rights, and help find long-term solutions so they can return home once safe to do so or build a future in a new country.

We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality so they can access basic rights, such as education and health care.

When people are forced to flee, speed is critical. Refugees often arrive across a border traumatized, hungry and exhausted, with little more than the clothes on their backs.

UNHCR works to ensure they can reach safety and are not returned to situations where their lives or freedom would be in danger. This is the core principle of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which forms the legal basis of our work.

We help people displaced from their homes settle in a safe place, far from conflict or those trying to harm them, rapidly deliver life-saving supplies and mobilize expert staff to protect them. We ensure they have shelter, food, water, access to medical care and help to find missing family members.

Governments normally guarantee the basic human rights and security of their citizens, but when people are forced to flee and become refugees they can no longer rely on this safety net.

UNHCR works to protect refugees, displaced and stateless people by advocating for their rights. We work with governments and partners to advise on and strengthen laws and national systems and help provide services.

Through this we help ensure displaced people can access documentation, education, work and health care. We also work to ensure stateless people achieve their right to a nationality.

Bringing about positive changes on national, regional and global levels can take years, but we accomplish it with the help of lawyers, judges, civil society organizations, politicians and students.

UNHCR Policy Internship – Geneva, Switzerland

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)H (no hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)Family

Staff Member / Affiliate TypeInternship

Target Start Date2023-09-18

Job Posting End DateSeptember 27, 2023

Terms of ReferenceOrganizational context

The HR Policy Section is based in the Division of Human Resources in Geneva, Switzerland.

The position

The intern will be exposed to development of human resources policies at UNHCR, HR Knowledge base and use of Generative AI.

Duties and responsibilities

– Support the development of HR policies to meet UNHCR’s needs.
– Contribute to the development of a knowledge base on HR matters for the organization.
– Contribute to two separate projects on Generative AI in HR.

Minimum qualifications required

In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and

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• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.

Desirable qualifications and skills: UNHCR Policy Internship – Geneva, Switzerland

• Diploma in Human Resources Management, Computer Science, International Relations, External Relations, Public Administration or other relevant Field
• Experience with policy, knowledge management, computer science desirable

Conditions: UNHCR Policy Internship – Geneva, Switzerland

It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 9.00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Geneva, Switzerland. Part-time could also be considered based on the profile of the candidate.

Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

Other information: This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

APPLY HERE