The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.
The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) supports UNOPS operations across six countries: Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO delivers a broad range of services and technical expertise in climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. Each country office is staffed with local technical experts and maintains strong partnerships with national governments, ensuring context-specific solutions and effective project implementation.
South Asia is at a critical juncture in its energy evolution. While the region’s economies are growing rapidly, energy systems remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, leading to rising emissions and high vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. To address these challenges, UNOPS SAMCO and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) have launched the South Asia Energy Transition Collaborative Platform (SA-ETCP). The platform is currently in its "Design and Inception Phase" (2026). During this period, the ETCP is not yet conducting on-the-ground interventions; instead, it is focused on building a "Regional Knowledge Hub." This hub is a web-based repository designed to harmonize fragmented data, map stakeholder initiatives (such as those by the World Bank and ADB), and provide a "one-stop-shop" for energy transition diagnostics across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Intern will join a lean, entrepreneurial Secretariat and serve as the support focal point for curating this repository. The role is unique in that it sits at the intersection of digital knowledge management, regional climate diplomacy, and resource mobilization.
The primary purpose of this internship is to support the structural development and content curation of the SA-ETCP Digital Knowledge Hub. As the platform has no active project funding yet, the Intern’s mission is to support move the ETCP from a conceptual strategy to a visible, data-driven reality. The Intern will act as a Knowledge Broker, supporting the identifying and synthesising the most relevant policy and technical data to prove the platform's value to the region. Furthermore, the Intern will support resource mobilization by transforming curated knowledge into "investor-ready" content (such as donor pitch decks and country factsheets). By organizing the repository into stakeholder-specific portals (for policymakers, financiers, and the private sector), the Intern ensures that the hub serves as an active tool for regional coordination, donor alignment, and the eventual mobilization of climate finance for South Asia.
1. Support to Knowledge Hub Development & Management |
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2. Support to Partnership Building & Resource Mobilization |
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3. Documentation and Project Coordination Support |
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Training components and learning elements: The internship provides opportunities to develop skills in digital knowledge management, research synthesis, and partnership building within the context of the South Asia energy transition. Interns will have access to UNOPS online training tools and are encouraged to participate in learning events organized by UNOPS and other UN agencies in Colombo, particularly those focused on climate finance, regional energy diagnostics, and sustainable development. This experience will help build knowledge, professional networks, and practical skills relevant to a career in international development, energy policy, and knowledge management. |
Participation in missions or training courses: In addition to accessing UNOPS online training courses and tools, the Intern is encouraged to attend and participate in learning events organized by UNOPS and other UN agencies in Colombo, especially on knowledge management, data visualization, and climate diplomacy. |
Required:
Should be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor, Masters or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to the applications date of the internship.
Desired:
| Language | Proficiency Level | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| English | Fluent | Required |
| Tamil | Fluent | Desirable |
| Sinhala | Fluent | Desirable |