Anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in line with the strategic objectives outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan, the Regional Bureau for Arab States supports the Arab States region’s progress towards high human development, while protecting the planet, and to expand people’s choices for a fairer, sustainable future.  Within this work, the Regional Bureau for Arab States responds to needs across development settings including Least Developed Countries, Middle Income Countries, Net Contributor Countries and countries affected by crisis, with a view to support the building of resilience, fight climate change, leverage the promise of innovation, and prioritize the advance of women, youth and vulnerable groups as part of its commitment to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind in an increasing challenging regional context.

RBAS is establishing a roster from which to pool qualified interns during the course of 2026 for a maximum period of 6 months, subject to the needs of the following Teams in New York and Amman. 

RBAS New York 
The Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) serves as the headquarters for UNDP regional programme and country programmes in 17 countries in the region. The Bureau proactively engages with partners at HQ and regional levels on the work of UNDP in the region. It also conducts strategic analysis and monitors development trends to inform positioning and forward-looking directions of the bureau and to support policies and programmes at the regional and country level in alignment with the SDGs, the UNDP Strategic Plan 2026-2029, and the RBAS Regional Programme Document 2026-2029. 
The Regional Bureau conducts strategic oversight of the regional and country programmes and focuses on positioning and programmatic and operational oversight to enhance country office, sub-regional and regional programming results and performance. It develops and implements partnership strategies for the region in addition to shaping the definition and implementation of the regional communications strategy and advocacy, as a means of positioning development issues and UNDP as a trusted development partner across the region.

Further details on the teams located in New York can be found below:

1.    Liaison, Partnerships and Communications 
The team is structured around three interconnected streams: Strategic Liaison, Partnerships and Communications. Together, these functions ensure that the Arab States region is effectively represented, well-positioned, and strategically engaged across global policy, advocacy, and financing platforms. 
The liaison stream leads the Bureau’s engagement with Permanent Missions, the UN Secretariat, and inter-agency platforms. This stream provides high-level representation for RBAS, ensuring that regional development priorities are visible in UNDP-wide and system-wide initiatives. It supports senior leadership through political insight, trend analysis, and strategic briefings, while also monitoring geopolitical developments to inform positioning and decision-making. 
The partnerships and communications streams drive the development and management of strategic relationships with bilateral and multilateral donors, international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society. They lead targeted engagement with key institutions such as the EU, EIB, EBRD, IsDB, KFW, and Gulf-based partners. The team provides support to Country Offices in crafting CPD-aligned partnership strategies, navigating donor systems, and managing risk. It also contributes to resource mobilization efforts by tracking donor pipelines, supporting proposal development, and aligning funding strategies with partner priorities.

2.    Strategic Planning and Oversight (located in New York and Amman) 
The Strategic Planning and Oversight Team (SPOT) supports RBAS leadership with comprehensive guidance on operations, finance, audit, management, planning, oversight, and risk management. The team ensures high‑quality support to Country Offices in areas such as financial management, audit and evaluation, risk identification and mitigation, results‑based management, programme and project development, and compliance with the POPP. SPOT also strengthens Country Offices’ internal control environments by promoting systematic monitoring of risks, review of risk registers, follow up on audit recommendations, and implementation of risk informed planning and decision making processes.
The team advises the Directorate, Country Offices, and relevant teams on corporate strategic planning and oversight, including results reporting, annual planning, Country Programme Documents, implementation of the Strategic Plan, risk management, performance and compliance, and the use of corporate programming and planning tools. This includes dedicated support to enterprise risk management, fiduciary and operational risk monitoring, compliance analysis, and performance oversight. SPOT contributes to strengthening a culture of accountability and proactive risk management by providing guidance on internal controls, risk treatment and mitigation measures, resource allocation, and oversight of performance and compliance indicators.

RBAS Amman Regional Hub, Jordan 
The Bureau’s Regional Hub in Amman hosts the regional programme and supports UNDP Country Offices across the region to design solutions to national development priorities and tackle common regional development challenges.  As such it serves as the Bureau’s center for technical, programmatic, and operational support. It provides oversight and quality assurance across regional and country-level implementation, delivers tailored advisory services, and engages closely with regional UN entities and interagency platforms. The Hub plays a critical role in translating corporate strategies into grounded support for Country Offices across the Arab States region. 
Further information on the teams located in Amman can be found below:

1.    Gender 

The team provides support and advice to Country Offices to ensure all programming in the region is gender responsive, and working closely with other technical teams in the regional hub to develop and support programming promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The gender team works towards placing gender equality at the core of political, economic and environmental policy dialogues and decisions, including in fragile and crisis settings. In addition to improve production and use of gender data and statistics and achieve national ownership for policy options to improve gender equality and women’s empowerment. The gender team also works closely with other UN agencies, including UNWomen, UNFPA, ESCWA and ILO on region wide initiatives on gender justice, women economic empowerment and women, peace and security issues.

2.    Nature, Climate and Energy 

Regional Nature, Climate and Energy (NCE) team supports local programming on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reductions, expanding renewable energy solutions, conserving biodiversity, and enhancing food, land and water security for the poor to help communities manage risks and build resilience. The team manages over 80 projects and $300 million of grants for countries in the Arab Region on these issues, making UNDP and the UN`s leading partner in the region to achieve results under the environmental pillars of the SDGs and global environmental agreements like Paris Agreement on climate change and the Global Biodiversity Framework. The team focuses on:
·    Climate change: climate change and drought are acting as a risk multiplier to social instability and conflict in the region, threatening to roll back development gains and entrench poverty. UNDP supports capacities to implement national NDC climate plans, the Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework, in ways that bring dividends to all SDGs. 
·    Sustainable energy: support is aimed at helping countries scale-up renewable energy solutions and expand energy access for the poor; designing new low-carbon development strategies; and reducing the energy intensity of urbanization and growth in key sectors of industry, buildings and transport.
·    Ecosystems and Natural Resources: UNDP places top priority on developing resilience of communities and ecosystems and supporting more sustainable use of biodiversity, water, land and other resources critical for achieving the SDGs.

3.    Governance, Peacebuilding & Crisis Response 

UNDP's priorities in the areas of Governance, Peacebuilding and Crisis Response focus on strengthening inclusive, accountable governance, fostering community resilience, and advancing long-term peace. The team supports quality policy development and programming through regional and country-specific technical advice, addressing areas like conflict prevention, peacebuilding, social cohesion, rule of law, and human rights. In crisis settings, it works to enhance governance systems, strengthen accountability, and promote inclusive participation, particularly for women, youth, and marginalized groups. Efforts also focus on the rule of law, security, and addressing the impacts of conflict and climate change. The team’s approach is conflict- and climate-sensitive, adaptive, and risk-informed, aiming to support recovery, stability, and sustainable peace.

4.    Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Finance

The team supports partners in the region to develop integrated, transformative and scalable solutions to tackle the interconnected challenges of economic diversification and transformation, private sector development, poverty, food systems transformation and resilience, vulnerability, social protection, inequality and exclusion, in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. The team assists in enhancing prospects for inclusive growth, jobs and livelihoods at national and local levels, including through economic recovery and resilience-building in crisis and post-crisis contexts, focusing on economically empowering women and youth, and advancing economic opportunities for the most vulnerable. It also supports research, policy and program guidance around: SDG integration (e.g. SDG Push and NDC-SDG insights methodologies and Voluntary National and Local Reviews); local economic development; macroeconomic stability; public and private financing; impact investment; fiscal policy, taxation and public finance management; social protection; green, local and digital economies and financial inclusion.

5.    Strategic Innovation  

The Strategic Innovation team supports UNDP Country Offices and regional initiatives to embrace new approaches and methodologies. The Team’s offers leverage multiple approaches to reach systemic change and ultimately great impact, including systems thinking and portfolio approaches as applied to issues such as youth, gender and human rights; behavioral science; futures thinking and foresight; and alternative finance.

6.    Regional Programme 

The Regional Programme for Arab States is UNDP’s platform for driving regional solutions that complement and amplify country-work across the Arab States. The Programme encompasses a diverse portfolio of projects and initiatives implemented across 20 Arab States, , each designed to address the region’s most pressing development needs - from economic diversification and youth employment to gender equality and climate resilience — while unlocking opportunities in digital transformation, renewable energy, demographic change, and economic reform.
At the heart of the Programme is hands-on programme management and partnership building. The team works across borders and sectors to design, coordinate, and deliver multi-country initiatives in close collaboration with governments, UN entities, development banks, the private sector, civil society, and regional institutions. This includes translating regional priorities into concrete projects, supporting implementation, tracking results, and ensuring alignment with UNDP’s Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals.. 

7.    Country Support Team 

The team offers end-to-end assistance across the programme cycle, including guidance on CPD formulation, alignment with UN frameworks, implementation oversight, audit preparation, and delivery acceleration. It also provides tailored support to middle-income and crisis-affected contexts, helping offices manage risk, strengthen results-based management, and sustain performance under pressure. 
Drawing on regular political monitoring and trend analysis, the team delivers timely insights and briefings to senior leadership and country offices, ensuring programming is responsive to shifting dynamics. 
In fragile and high-risk settings, the team provides surge support and liaises closely with the Crisis Bureau and inter-agency actors to coordinate crisis strategies, scenario planning, and risk mitigation. It contributes to operational continuity and staff well-being in complex environments. 

8.    Operations Management and Support 

The team provides advice on corporate operational strategies, policies and plans. It is responsible for delivering effective and efficient financial, human resources, procurement, administrative and logistical, and ICT services to COs, as well as to the teams in the Hub in line with UNDP rules and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities 

While specified TOR will be based on the selection of the cluster/team, the tasks to be performed by the intern fall under one or more of the following categories as per the requirements/needs of each cluster/team: 

Policy and Strategy Advice and Development:

•     Prepare policy briefs, sector scan, status papers on development challenges based on desk review studies and analysis for evidence-based advocacy and policy development in the relevant field.;
•     Review of policy literature in respect to the subject to enhance UNDP programming in the relevant field within the Arab Region;
•     Document good practices, cases studies, innovations and pilot models for wider dissemination and sharing;
•     Assist in the documentation of the outcome of a number of regional consultations for positioning UNDP in the region.

Project Design & Formulation

•     Assist in policy development in relevant area within UNDP in the Arab States region feeding into global policy development;
•     Prepare conceptual framework / concept notes on new areas of work or development challenges;
•     Assist in the development of technical support in development of new interventions or projects;
•     Prepare and review project documents;
Programme Management Support 
•     Support in coordinating and monitoring of projects and initiatives 
•     Assist in organizing programme activities and events. 
•     Provide support to the Results-Based Management specialist in maintaining programme monitoring and reporting.

Knowledge Management & Communications:

•     Prepare knowledge and communication products for advocacy and outreach, related to national, regional and global initiatives within the relevant team;
•     Review knowledge and communications products (subject, design and content);
•     Disseminate knowledge and communications products;
•     Contributes to the preparation of social media content, the drafting of news, interviews and stories for knowledge platform, the development of relevant brochures, videos and infographics.
•     Contribute to the development of press releases for printed and online media outlets, especially on the occasion of regional projects’ activities and events.
•     Draft or support drafting of blog posts and other externally facing pieces on emerging trends in relevant field.
•     Capture stories which reflect know-how (procedures, processes, tactics) and know why (lessons learned, reasons for failures/success);
•     Monitor any social media feedback regarding UNDP events/conferences in the region
•     Undertake regular website updates.

Research and Data Management:

•      Undertake research on relevant initiatives in areas of interest;
•     Conduct data collection and analyze data collected;
•     Conduct desk reviews of existing research and literature on specific areas;
       Develop a repository of certain/specific initiatives from the region, with supporting resources such as presentations, press releases, blogs, etc;
•     Manage files and online database of related documents in a structured way;

Operations Support:

•     Provide administrative and logistical support;
•     Support organization of workshops, conferences and retreats in coordination with other staff; support for international participants’ travel and logistics matters;
•     Organize travel arrangements and support administration of supply and assets management.  
•     Collection of information for DSA, travel agencies and other administrative surveys;
•      Support preparation of specific budgets, financial and accounting documents, and documentation for audit
•     Support to organization of procurement processes including preparation of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their preliminary evaluation;
•     Development of electronic template and applications to facilitate automation of operations processes;
•     Provide ICT and HR support services

Functional Competencies:
•     Strong sense of collaborative work, excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
Keen attention to detail;
•     Proven record of interest and work in the development field;
•     Excellent analytical and research skills;
•     Research experience;
•     Interest in the Arab States region and possibly some background in researching the region; 

Core Competencies:
Professionalism:
•     Demonstrated problem-solving skills and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of complex issues/problems;
•     Ability to negotiate and to influence others to reach agreement;
•     Ability to work under pressure;
Communication:
•     Speaks and writes clearly, concisely and effectively;
•     Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately;
Teamwork:
•     Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise;
•     Is 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;

Planning & Organizing:

•      Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies;
•     Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required;
•     Allocates appropriate amount of time and resource for completing work;

Accountability:

•      Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honor commitments;
•     Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
•     Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules;
•      Supports subordinates, provide oversight and take responsibility for delegated assignments;
•     Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
(a) Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);
(b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
(c) Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
(d) Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Experience:
•     Excellent communication skills; Ability to write clearly and concisely;
•     Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds;
•     Good command of information and communication technology.
•     Some knowledge of the Arab region would be helpful.

Languages: 
Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Arabic and French language skills would be an asset

Stipend
-Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, must be paid by the receiving office. 
-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.
-Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend.
-No other payments of any kind will be made to an intern by the office in connection with an internship agreement.
- Where an intern is engaged in-person and is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, Government, foundation or scholarship programme, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to an in-person internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, must be paid by the receiving office. 
-  Where an intern is engaged remotely and is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, Government, foundation or scholarship programme, a remote stipend intended to help cover expenses related to the internship, such as internet connections or other means to remain in contact with the receiving office, must be paid by the receiving office. 
- The monthly amount of the stipend for remote internships will be based on a standard global rate applicable for all remote internships. The amount of the stipend for in-person internships will be set for each duty station. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and will be pro-rated for part-time internship arrangements. 
-  Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, Government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, Government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend. 
-  Interns will accrue combined sick and annual leave at the rate of 1 ½ days per month, which will be prorated to the nearest half day for part-time internships. Any accrued leave days not used by the end of the internship will be forfeited. Any unjustified absences during the internship period exceeding a total of nine days or as prorated for part-time internships, will be deducted from the monthly stipend.