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Why the UN Internship Program is Failing and How We Can Fix it

Why the UN Internship Program is Failing and How We Can Fix it. T. Matthew Hamilton UN HQ, New York, 12 March 2013. Key Points. Unpaid Internships are Unfair and Contradict UN Principles Poor Oversight has Led to Abuse Current HR Practices Waste Good Talent.

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Why the UN Internship Program is Failing and How We Can Fix it

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  1. Why the UN Internship Program is Failing and How We Can Fix it T. Matthew Hamilton UN HQ, New York, 12 March 2013

  2. Key Points • Unpaid Internships are Unfair and Contradict UN Principles • Poor Oversight has Led to Abuse • Current HR Practices Waste Good Talent

  3. “Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels.” -United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

  4. The Reality is… Only SOME youth are being given that chance

  5. The UN Internship Program • United Nations interns are not paid. • All costs related to travel, insurance, accommodation, and living expenses must be borne by either the interns or their sponsoring institutions. • The internship program lasts for at least two months and can be as long as six months.

  6. Source: Internships in the United Nations System, Joint Inspection Unit, 2009

  7. Unpaid is Unfair “I used to be a UN intern and it was a financial struggle as my parents could not afford to support me and I had to use up my savings to do it.” Jenny, Belgium “…One of the reasons that I won't apply to an internship is the lack of financial support.” Marcela, Mexico

  8. Rights for Interns are UN Rights “It is hypocritical for the UN to champion a living wage for all, while offering absolutely no benefits (stipend, housing assistance, transportation subsidies, etc.) to its own hard-working interns.” Mark, USA

  9. Article 23, Universal Declaration of Human Rights • (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, tojust and favorable conditions of workand to protection against unemployment. • (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. • (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

  10. Poor Oversight Leads to Abuse “Having interned for no pay at the UNHCR office in Cairo, and seen firsthand the sheer amount of work that unpaid interns have to take on, including to fill entire positions necessary to the function of the Office, I think the entire structure is ridiculous.” Ashley, USA

  11. Administrative/Finance InternshipUNHCR UK Tasks will include: assisting with all travel and visa arrangements for internal and external staff members; drafting correspondence on general administrative and financial tasks; managing databases; processing expense claims and invoices for payment; undertaking filing and mailings; organising meetings and arranging catering; and supporting the work of the Representative. Source: UNHCR UK website, accessed on March 11th, 2013

  12. Article 23, Universal Declaration of Human Rights • (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

  13. A Waste of Good Talent “How is a project such as the UN going to persist if it does not value the contributions of its future employees from the beginning, and by default reject all those who have the drive and devotion, but not the means?” Robin, France

  14. HR Barriers Waste Talent • Mandatory Breaks of Contract Prevent Trained Interns from Taking on Paid Work • Internships are not considered “real” work experience • Current recruitment strategies, such as the YPP, take years to complete

  15. Source: UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination, Personnel Statistics, 2010

  16. The Way Forward • Introduce a Fair Living Stipend • Streamline Oversight to Prevent Abuse • Remove HR Barriers that Waste Young Talent

  17. Are You Listening Yet? “Young people everywhere deserve the power to get information, connect and ask hard questions – about justice, equality and opportunity. Our job is to listen to youth and answer their calls.” Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General

  18. Thank you – Gracias – Merci To learn more, please visit: www.unpaidisunfair.org

  19. Sources: • http://www.unsceb.org/ceb/stats/hr/ps/years/2010 • https://www.unjiu.org/en/reports-notes/JIU%20Products/JIU_NOTE_2009_2_English.pdf • http://www.unhcr.org.uk/about-us/jobs-and-internships.html

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