I would describe my experience of working at United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) as challenging, intellectually stimulating, and extremely fulfilling. Working at the apex institution dedicated to maintaining peace and international cooperation is a frequently quoted goal among many young and visionary students, and I had the privilege of experiencing the reality of it.
During my time at UNESCAP, I enjoyed working on a variety of different tasks which have widened my knowledge about social inclusion of marginalised groups.
As an intern in the Social Development Division (Gender Equality & Social Inclusion Section), I was mainly responsible for conducting primary research to analyse progress towards building inclusive societies for people with disabilities by evaluating political participation and decent work opportunities for them in 53 countries across the Asia-Pacific region. To that measure, I undertook extensive literature and policy review to understand existing policies at the systemic level to promote people with disabilities to be elected to government office and assess multiple interventions which have been implemented, like the ‘Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ to ensure disability inclusive development. I was also in charge of revamping the content on ‘Make the Right Real’ – a website that is exclusively dedicated towards international and regional measures undertaken to empower people with disabilities to exercise their rights as equal citizens in society. These assignments deepened my understanding of the intersectional nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development- “building a resilient, sustainable and inclusive world for all” which is dependent on equitable distribution of power among all sections of society and inclusion of the most marginalised and vulnerable groups.
My key takeaways have been the importance of detail orientation in tasks and the immense scale at which international interventions can amplify impact when executed efficiently. The experience also allowed me to tangibly view multiple concepts taught in our core modules on the cross cutting nature of policy problems. What I have valued most from this experience is getting to know a network of individuals who are as passionate about social policy issues and have dedicated themselves to work towards building an equitable society.
As an individual, I have always been searching for ways to transform my ability to do good into proven social impact, and I see my internship experience with UNESCAP as a step forward in that direction.
