Intern - Economic Affairs

Bangkok

2-6 months

The Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, Trade Policy and Facilitation Section internship program
is looking for a candidate who can join us for 2 to 6 months. The candidate who has background in
Economics are preferable.

This internship program is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the division or office to which they are assigned. This internship program has attracted very high caliber candidates, who as part of this internship gained invaluable academic and applied skills.

To expedite the internship process, please kindly specify your preferred start and end dates in the cover letter.
The Trade Policy and Facilitation Section is a busy and dynamic team within UN ESCAP. The section
involves in a wide variety of work in the areas related to trade, trade policy and trade facilitation. Types
of services include: research and analysis; providing training and capacity building for policymakers
and researchers; delivering advisory services to member governments; organizing regional dialogues,
meetings and forum. Much of our work is focused on the development needs of the region’s least
developed countries and other countries with special needs.

Responsibilities

Daily responsibilities will depend on the intern’s background and the work of intern’s supervisor as well
as the internship period. Duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Background research, literature reviews and drafting inputs including contributions to ESCAP
publications on the issues related to trade, trade policies, regional integration, trade facilitation, traderelated
sustainable development issues.,
- Support for the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network (ARTNeT), the UN Network of Experts for
Paperless Trade and Transport in Asia and the Pacific (UNNExT) and the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement
(APTA) including work to improve research dissemination by various channels (e.g. social media, webpage)
- Monitoring and evaluation of regional trade agreements and maintaining the APTIAD database
- Data analysis on trade flows, tariffs, non-tariff measures trends
- Support for section events, including through the website and social media
- Logistical support for training events, conferences and meetings
- Other tasks as required by the work programme
Interns are encouraged to engage in research topics of their and supervisor’s interest. Past interns,
under the supervision of the professional staff, have published joint working papers and policy briefs.

Competencies

Communication: Ability to draft clearly and concisely, good written and oral command of English.
Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills, ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different national
and cultural backgrounds to achieve organizational goals.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be ‘client’ and seeks to see
things from clients’ point of view.
Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies and identifies
priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required.

Special Notice

MODE OF INTERNSHIPS: While it is optional to do internship remotely, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel and access to UN premises. Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions.

A complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) if required. Incomplete
applications will not be reviewed.
The Cover Note must include:
- Title of degree you are currently pursuing
- Graduation Date
- Period of availability for taking internship. (The availability for more than 4-month internship could be an
advantage)
- List of IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in
- List of top three areas of interest/department preferences
- Explanation why you are the best candidate for this post
- Explanation of your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme

In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experience, IT skills, and three
references.
Should there be a need for an intern that matches the applicant’s profile, the applicant will be contacted
directly by the Division. Please note that due to the large number of applicants, Division are not
necessarily in a position to reply to each request and only short-listed applicants will be contacted for
further consideration.

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:
(a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or,
(b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent).

Candidate must be studying or have a degree in Economics preferred.
No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship. Note: We will not consider candidates who have completed a full 6 months internship in other entities and departments under the UN Secretariat, unless the candidate has completed a different advanced degree.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and
written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an asset.
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations
Secretariat.

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.