UNSGSA intern

Job Description

I. BACKGROUND

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, and institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

II. INTERNSHIP OFFICE

Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has served as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA) since 2024. Previously, she served for 15 years as the UN Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. As the UNSGSA, Queen Máxima champions global efforts to improve financial health-helping people manage daily expenses, handle financial shocks, plan for the future, and feel secure in their financial lives.

The UNSGSA raises awareness and advocates for specific policies, strategies, and financial product innovations, all with a view to how inclusive financial systems can improve financial health, reduce poverty, and accelerate progress toward numerous development goals. The UNSGSA advances this advocacy through country visits, high-level meetings, speeches, and engagement with a wide range of leaders, including Governments, the UN, the G20, the private sector, standard-setting bodies, and international financial institutions.

The UNSGSA's work is done in partnership with many international partners working on advancing financial health. UNSGSA Reference Group members include: the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), the Gates Foundation, the Better Than Cash Alliance, CGAP, Flourish Ventures, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the World Bank.

Members of the Reference Group and many other in-country and global partners play an important role in converting advocacy into action. The UNSGSA also consults and cooperates with the wider UN system, the UN secretariat, UN country teams, multilateral organizations, private financial institutions, donors, civil society organizations, and the media.

The Office of the UNSGSA is housed within UNDP's Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) in the UNDP headquarters in New York and works closely with Queen Maxima and her secretariat in The Hague to coordinate and advance her UN and G20 activities.

The internship will be conducted in person at the UNDP HQ in New York. The Office follows a hybrid model with three in-office days per week. The internship can be full-time (5 days per week) or part-time during studies (2.5-3 days per week). The intern will report to the Policy Specialist of the Office of the UNSGSA.

III. DUTIES:

The intern will assist in the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Assist the team in planning and implementing the high-level advocacy initiatives led by Her Majesty Queen Máxima in her role as the UNSGSA (75%)

• Provide research and analytical support on topics relevant to financial health from both public and private sector perspectives.
• Develop case studies highlighting emerging good practices in product design that improve consumer financial health.
• Draft timely and high-quality background papers, briefing notes, research, and analysis for the Office of the UNSGSA on issues related to financial health and financial inclusion for positive development outcomes.
• Support the Office in the organization of UNSGSA high-level meetings and country visits with Governments, UN entities, intergovernmental organizations and other key partners.
• Attend relevant UN meetings to follow relevant global policy dialogue efforts.
• Support the coordination of meetings with key stakeholders, preparing meeting notes/takeaways, and correspondence.

2. Support Office management and operations (25%)

• Provide general office logistical and administrative support to high-level meetings and advocacy activities organized by the UNSGSA's office.
• Help with stakeholder outreach, including Member States, UN agencies, development partners and others.
• Provide…