BACKGROUND

The United Nations in Tajikistan supports the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and national partners in advancing sustainable development, human rights, peace and security, resilience and inclusive growth, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), national development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

The current UNSDCF 2023–2026 is organized around four broad areas of cooperation: inclusive human development; sustainable, inclusive and green economic growth; integrated management of climate and environmental risk; and people-centered governance and rule of law. The UN is also preparing the next UNSDCF cycle for 2027–2030, with priorities including green economic development, human capital and social sectors, environmental protection, rule of law and resilience to external factors.

The UN Country Team comprises resident and non-resident UN agencies, funds and programmes working collectively with government institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, development partners and communities. The internship roster is intended to provide a flexible pool of qualified national candidates who may support a broad range of UN programme, coordination, communications and operational functions, depending on organizational needs and available opportunities.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The United Nations in Tajikistan is establishing a roster of qualified national interns to support participating UN entities, offices, programmes and projects. Placement on the roster does not constitute an offer of internship and does not guarantee an internship. Candidates included in the roster may be considered for specific internship opportunities through a desk review, competitive selection or other applicable process, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the respective UN entity.

Interns will provide supervised technical, analytical, programme, coordination, communications, administrative or operational support. Assignments will be tailored to the needs of the respective UN entity and may cover one or more of the thematic and functional areas described below.

4. AREAS OF WORK

Depending on the needs of participating UN entities and the candidate’s academic background and skills, interns may support work in the following areas:

Inclusive human development and social services: health and public health; maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health; nutrition; education and skills development; youth development and participation; child rights and protection; social protection; disability inclusion and accessibility; social inclusion; poverty and inequality; gender equality; social and behavioural change; community engagement; and other human-development priorities.

Food security, agriculture and nutrition: food security; sustainable agriculture and food systems; rural development; agricultural value chains; nutrition-sensitive programming; livelihoods; resilience of rural communities; food safety and related policy and analytical work.

Sustainable, inclusive and green economic growth: macroeconomic and development policy; economic diversification; private sector development; entrepreneurship; MSMEs; investment and resource mobilization; trade; digital economy; green economy; circular economy; decent work; employment and employability; skills development; labour market analysis; social dialogue; and inclusive economic opportunities.

Climate, environment, energy and resilience: climate change adaptation and mitigation; environmental protection; biodiversity; sustainable natural-resource management; water and sanitation; energy efficiency and renewable energy; disaster risk reduction; climate finance; resilience; early warning systems; and environmental data and policy.

Governance, rule of law, human rights and social cohesion: good governance; public-sector capacity; rule of law; access to justice; human rights; gender-responsive governance; accountability and transparency; anti-corruption; civic participation; social cohesion; peacebuilding; conflict prevention; prevention of violent extremism; and support to democratic and inclusive institutions.

Migration, mobility and protection: safe, orderly and regular migration; labour migration; migration governance; diaspora engagement; migrant protection; return and reintegration; trafficking in persons; border management; displacement; refugees and other persons in vulnerable situations; and migration data and policy.

Humanitarian action and emergency response: humanitarian coordination; emergency preparedness and response; needs assessment; emergency planning; logistics; protection; information management; early recovery; resilience; and support to populations affected by disasters, climate-related events or other emergencies.

Data, evidence, monitoring and SDG implementation: data collection and analysis; statistics; SDG monitoring; results-based management; programme monitoring; evaluation; research; knowledge management; geospatial analysis; dashboards and data visualization; digital tools; and evidence generation for policy and programming.

Communications, advocacy and public information: strategic communications; public information; advocacy; media relations; digital communications; social media; campaigns; visibility; production and editing of communication materials; translation; event support; and stakeholder engagement.

Programme and inter-agency coordination: programme planning and implementation; joint programmes; coordination with government and development partners; partnership development; resource mobilization; donor reporting; meeting coordination; inter-agency working groups; preparation of briefs and presentations; and follow-up on agreed actions.

Operations and corporate support: finance; human resources; procurement; supply and logistics; administration; ICT and digital services; facilities; travel; conference and event support; records management; business continuity; risk management; compliance; common services; and other operational functions.

Innovation, digital transformation and emerging priorities: digital transformation; artificial intelligence and data literacy; innovation; digital public services; technology for development; foresight; emerging risks and trends; youth innovation; and other cross-cutting priorities relevant to the UN 2.0 agenda and UN country-level operations.

5. DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the overall guidance of the designated supervisor, the intern will provide supervised support to the relevant UN entity, office, programme, project or functional area. The intern will contribute to agreed outputs while gaining practical experience in a multicultural and multidisciplinary UN working environment.

The precise duties and deliverables will be established in an individual internship workplan and may include the following:

• Support programme, project and operational activities in accordance with approved workplans, procedures and instructions.
• Conduct desk research, literature reviews, data collection, basic analysis and preparation of summaries, briefs, presentations, tables or other working documents.
• Support monitoring of activities, outputs and action points, including follow-up with relevant colleagues and partners.
• Assist with the preparation, organization and documentation of meetings, consultations, workshops, trainings and other events, including agendas, invitations, participant lists, background materials, minutes and action trackers.
• Support coordination and information exchange with government counterparts, UN entities, development partners, civil society, academia, private-sector actors and other stakeholders, as appropriate.
• Support knowledge management, document organization and maintenance of electronic repositories and databases, in accordance with applicable information-management and records-management requirements.
• Assist with drafting, editing, proofreading and translation of documents and communication materials, as appropriate.
• Support preparation of presentations, reports, dashboards, communication products and other materials for internal and external use.
• Support data visualization and use of digital platforms and analytical tools, where relevant to the assignment.
• Provide administrative and operational support to the respective team, including procurement, finance, HR, travel, logistics, ICT or other functions, where applicable.
• Support research and preparation of background information related to SDGs, national development priorities, the UNSDCF and relevant sectoral policies.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably assigned by the supervisor that are consistent with the internship objectives and the intern’s qualifications.

6. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

Deliverables will be defined in the individual internship workplan and may include, as relevant:

• Research notes, analytical summaries, datasets or evidence reviews.
• Draft reports, briefs, presentations, talking points, meeting minutes and action trackers.
• Updated databases, dashboards, repositories or knowledge-management products.
• Support to successfully delivered meetings, workshops, consultations, trainings and other events.
• Contributions to programme monitoring, reporting, communications, advocacy or operational processes.
• Other agreed outputs specified by the supervisor.

7. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree programme, or have recently graduated from a university or equivalent studies  , in a field relevant to the internship assignment. As per UN rules, “recent graduates” are generally defined as candidates who graduated within one to three years prior to the date of application, depending on the specific UN agency.
• Relevant fields may include, but are not limited to: development studies, economics, public policy, international relations, political science, law, human rights, social sciences, sociology, psychology, education, health, public health, nutrition, agriculture, environmental studies, climate change, water and sanitation, engineering, energy, disaster risk reduction, migration studies, communications, journalism, information technology, data science, statistics, business administration, finance, accounting, human resources, procurement, logistics, public administration and other related disciplines.
• Strong academic performance, demonstrated through academic records or other appropriate evidence.
• Working knowledge of Tajik and/or Russian and good written and spoken English. Additional language skills relevant to the assignment are an advantage.
• Good organizational, analytical, research, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural, multidisciplinary and inclusive environment.
• Demonstrated initiative, reliability, discretion, tact, integrity and willingness to learn.
• Good computer literacy and ability to work with standard office and online collaboration tools.
• Knowledge of data-analysis, statistical, visualization or digital tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, SPSS, STATA, GIS or comparable platforms) is an asset where relevant.
• Previous volunteer, internship, academic research or work experience with an international organization, UN entity, government institution, NGO or other development partner is an advantage, but is not mandatory.

8. CORE COMPETENCIES

• Integrity and adherence to UN values and ethical standards.
• Professionalism and commitment to quality.
• Accountability and reliability.
• Respect for diversity and inclusion.
• Teamwork and collaboration.
• Planning and organizing.
• Communication and interpersonal skills.
• Learning orientation, initiative and adaptability.
• Commitment to the principles of Leave No One Behind, human rights, gender equality and accessibility.

9. SAFEGUARDING, ETHICS AND CONDUCT

Interns are expected to comply with the applicable rules, policies and standards of the UN entity with which they are placed, including requirements relating to ethics, confidentiality, information security, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, prevention of sexual harassment, safeguarding and protection from discrimination and abuse.

Where an assignment involves contact with children or other persons in vulnerable situations, access to personal or sensitive data, field activities, or other elevated-risk functions, the applicable UN entity will assess the assignment and apply the relevant safeguarding, security, data-protection and risk-management measures. Any additional screening or documentation required for a specific assignment will be communicated to the selected candidate.

10. LOCATION AND WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

The primary duty station is Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Depending on the specific assignment, limited travel within Tajikistan and/or work at other UN or project locations may be required, subject to applicable security and administrative arrangements.

Working arrangements, including office-based, hybrid or other modalities, will be determined by the respective UN entity in accordance with applicable policies and operational requirements.

11. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter indicating the area(s) of work of interest.
2. Curriculum vitae (CV).
3. Proof of current enrolment in a degree programme or, for recent graduates, a copy of the relevant degree/diploma.
4. Academic transcript or other evidence of academic performance.
5. At least two references, where requested by the recruitment process.
6. Any additional documents required by the specific UN entity or internship opportunity.

Applications that do not meet the mandatory requirements of the relevant recruitment process may not be considered.

12. ROSTER AND SELECTION ARRANGEMENTS

The roster will be used by participating UN entities and offices in Tajikistan to identify potential candidates for future national internship opportunities. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee selection, placement, duration, funding or a specific assignment.

When an internship opportunity becomes available, shortlisted roster candidates may be contacted and assessed against the requirements of the specific assignment. Selection will be conducted in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures of the recruiting UN entity.

An intern may be assigned to one UN entity or office and may, where appropriate, contribute to inter-agency or joint UN initiatives. The scope of work, supervision, deliverables and duration will be confirmed before commencement of each internship.

The HR Working Group will be responsible for maintaining and periodically updating the roster throughout its 24-month validity period.

13. REMUNERATION AND TRAVEL

Internship arrangements, including any stipend, insurance, travel, daily subsistence allowance or other support, will be governed by the applicable policy and procedures of the respective UN entity and the specific internship opportunity. No entitlement beyond what is expressly provided under the applicable rules will arise from inclusion in the roster.

14. CONFIDENTIALITY AND USE OF INFORMATION

Interns may have access to internal, confidential, personal or otherwise sensitive information. Such information must be handled strictly in accordance with applicable UN policies and instructions. Interns must not disclose, reproduce, transmit or use confidential information except as authorized in connection with their assignment.

15. NON-DISCRIMINATION

 UN has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

UN is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.