Job Vacancy : Intern/Assistant to the Senior Regional Advisor

The Convention on Wetlands, also known as the “Ramsar Convention” from the name of the city in Iran where it was signed in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and of wetland biodiversity and services. It was the first of the modern global multilateral environmental agreements and remains the only one devoted to a specific critical ecosystem.
The Ramsar Convention Secretariat has its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, where the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) provides some administrative services to the Convention’s Contracting Parties for the operations and implementation of the Convention.

The Secretariat initiated a regional internship programme in 1997 which allows four interns to assist the respective Senior Regional Advisors in their day-to-day work within the Secretariat. The tasks will rarely involve field work. Exceptionally, interns could be asked to visit projects or participate in meetings abroad. There will also be opportunities to attend international meetings held in Geneva and to become acquainted with other international agencies based there.

With an upper age limit for applicants of 30 years old, the post offers an opportunity for young graduates to become acquainted with the workings of an intergovernmental treaty dealing with the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

The intern will report to the Senior Advisor for Europe.

Job description :
1. Evaluating data sheets ("Ramsar Information Sheets") and preparing related documentation to accompany the designation process of Ramsar Sites and their updates;

2. Entering data in RSIS (Ramsar Sites Information Service) database for new designations and updates;

3. Dealing with the conservation and sustainable use issues of individual wetland sites in the respective region and particularly assisting with the procedure concerning adverse changes in the ecological character of Ramsar Sites (Art 3.2);

4. Maintaining routine contacts with governments of Ramsar member and non–member countries, as well as with national NGOs and international partner organizations and other relevant bodies in the respective region;

5. Promoting use of the mechanisms for conservation and sustainable use of wetlands that have been developed under the Convention, especially the technical guidelines related to the work on Ramsar Information Sheets, and the development of management tools;

6. Contributing to the preparation of regional meetings, annual meetings of the Ramsar Standing Committee and the triennial Conference of the Contracting Parties;

7. Assisting in activities related to spreading the 'Ramsar message' to governments, decision-makers, the media, the private sector, and the public at large (e.g., the World Wetlands Day initiative) and participating in other events, and possibly delivering presentations;

8. Dealing with routine administrative work, such as preparing correspondence, sending faxes, making photocopies, assisting with bulk mailings, translation;

9. Occasionally collating and analyzing information on technical and policy issues related to wetland conservation and sustainable use, as required by the Strategic Plan 2016-2024 and the work plan of the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP).

Applications : 

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

To have more information about requirements and application : https://hrms.iucn.org/iresy/index.cfm?event=vac.show&vacId=6393