General Info on Internships with the Joint Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Convention

I came across this when browsing the Joint Secretariat website.

The link is here, but info is also set out below.  It is a general invitation  to apply for an internship, but there is no specific guidance about application deadlines.

 Internship opportunities with the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (UNEP)

The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (hereafter “BRS”) is regularly looking for suitable candidates to undertake internships.

The internships are conducted within the framework of the United Nations Internship Programme and the objectives of the internship programme are:

To provide current students with important practical experience which complements their field of study, and which at the same time will be of benefit to BRS.

To promote among the students a better understanding of major global problems confronting the world and to give them an insight into how the UN attempts to find solutions to these problems.

To expose the students to the UN, its policies and programmes.

To enable students from all parts of the world to exchange information during and after the internship, so as to appreciate cultural diversity among different peoples and have them become ambassadors of peace and goodwill.

The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Chemicals contribute many advantages to today's world; however their use can also pose risks to human health and the environment. To reduce this harmful global impact, three conventions have been established that regulate chemicals and hazardous wastes at global level:

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal regulates the export/import of hazardous waste and waste containing hazardous chemicals. The Convention was adopted in 1989 and entered into force in 1992. It currently has 180 Parties.

Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade currently regulates information about the export/import of 47 hazardous chemicals listed in the Convention’s Annex III, 33 of which are pesticides (including 4 severely hazardous pesticide formulations) and 14 of which are industrial chemicals. The Convention was adopted in 1998 and entered into force in 2004. It currently has 153 Parties.

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants currently regulates 23 toxic substances that are persistent, travel long distances, bioaccumulate in organisms and are toxic. The Convention was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004. It currently has 179 Parties.

The vision for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Secretariat is to be recognized by the Parties as efficient, effective, innovative and responsive in carrying out the functions entrusted to it by the respective Conventions and their Conferences of the Parties, and in assisting Parties in their efforts to implement their obligations to protect human health and the environment from toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes. This vision supports the overarching goal of the three conventions to protect human health and the environment from toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes. 2

Minimum eligibility criteria

Please note that if you do not meet all the minimum eligibility criteria, your application will not be processed. Applicants for internships MUST:

Be currently enrolled in the third or fourth year of an undergraduate programme, or in a graduate (masters) or post-graduate (PhD) programme at the time of application and throughout the internship; and

Be willing to intern on a full-time basis for a period of not less than two months and not exceeding six months.

Important information

BRS does NOT provide financial support for interns. All successful applicants are expected to make their own arrangements for travel and living expenses during the internship period. Please note that housing in Geneva is very difficult to find and expensive, so research must be undertaken well in advance.

During the internship period, interns must observe all applicable rules, regulations, instructions, procedures and directives of BRS, UNEP and the United Nations. The intern will be required to work full-time, in accordance with the working hours of BRS. Interns will work at the premises of BRS at the International Environment House in Geneva, Switzerland.

An internship at BRS is in no way related to recruitment for regular employment and there should be no expectancy of such. Interns are not eligible for employment with the United Nations either during their internship or within the six-month period immediately following the expiration of the internship.