Intern - Economic Affairs

Job Description

Work Location

• Almaty, Kazakhstan

Expected Duration

• 3 months, with the possibility of extension

Duties and Responsibilities

Background:
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) promotes regional cooperation for inclusive economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific. As a regional development arm of the United Nations, ESCAP supports member States through analytical, normative, and technical cooperation.

The Subregional Office for North and Central Asia (SONCA), based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and includes Afghanistan as part of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).

This internship is UNPAID and full-time (37.5 hours/week), lasting a minimum of two months and extendable up to six months.

Under the general guidance of the Deputy Head of Office and the supervision of the Associate Economic Affairs Officer, the intern will:

• Assist in conducting research and administrative support related to SONCA’s work on economic development, regional connectivity, environmental protection, and climate change.

Main tasks include:

• SDGs-related Research:
• • Assist in data collection and analysis.
  • Take notes and help draft/edit background notes, official documents, speeches, and presentations related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
• SPECA-related Research:
  • Conduct data collection and analysis.
  • Support the drafting and editing of speeches, briefing notes, and other documents related to SPECA activities.
• Multistakeholder Engagement and Coordination:
  • Support the organization of subregional meetings focused on sustainable development and regional cooperation in North and Central Asia.
• Event Management:
  • Provide logistical support for conferences, expert group meetings, capacity-building workshops, and other events in onsite, online, and hybrid formats.
• General Administrative and Research Support:
  • Undertake ad hoc tasks as assigned.

Qualifications/Special Skills

To qualify for an ESCAP internship, applicants must:

• Be enrolled in or have completed a graduate program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher).
• Have studied one or more of the following fields:
• • Macroeconomics, international/development economics, political economy
  • Applied econometrics or statistics
  • Finance, climate science, environmental or life sciences
  • Business administration, public policy, social sciences
  • Engineering, geology, mathematics, or related disciplines

Additional desirable skills and experience:

• Field of study closely related to the internship topic.
• Ability to support event organization and multitask under tight deadlines.
• Experience in research and data analysis related to the following SDGs:
• • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
• Strong drafting and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multicultural and occasionally stressful environment.

Languages

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Russian is required.
• Knowledge of another UN official language or languages commonly spoken in North and Central Asia is an asset.

Additional Information

The intern is expected to:

• Be familiar with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
• Be knowledgeable about the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).
• Demonstrate strong writing and analytical skills, especially in synthesizing key messages from publications and policy documents.
• Show a personal commitment to the values of the UN Charter.
• Exhibit openness and tolerance towards diverse cultural and political viewpoints.
• Be capable of analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and creating data visualizations and infographics.
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams), video conferencing tools, and preferably statistical software.

Internship Specific Information

• Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations.
• Travel, visa, accommodation, and living expenses are the intern’s or their sponsoring institution’s responsibility.
• Non-residents may need to obtain the appropriate visa and work authorization before starting.
• Successful candidates must confirm visa arrangements prior to accepting the internship offer.

Deadline : Aug 3, 2025