Funded UNV Volunteering Opportunity in Lebanon 2026 with a Monthly Allowance of USD 1,606
Applicant criteria
- 18 - 60
- Both
Opportunity criteria
Opportunity description
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), through the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, is offering a national volunteering opportunity to serve as a Research Assistant in Beirut, Lebanon.
The assignment lasts for 3 months, with the possibility of extension, and is a full-time, on-site opportunity at United Nations premises. The volunteer will support ESCWA’s Syria-related programme, as well as a range of research, policy, and technical assistance activities related to governance, peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery, and public policy in the Arab region.
The opportunity primarily focuses on conducting research, analyzing data, preparing studies, reports, and policy briefs, monitoring political, economic, and social developments in Syria and the wider region, and contributing to ESCWA’s research activities and policy dialogue initiatives.
Benefits
The opportunity provides a range of financial and professional benefits, including:
- A monthly living allowance of USD 1,606.80.
- A one-time entry allowance of USD 350.
- Eligibility for a Danger and Hardship Differential, depending on the duty station classification and the family or non-family status applicable to the assignment.
- Free access to UNV learning and professional development resources.
- Practical experience within one of the United Nations’ regional commissions.
- Professional development in research, policy analysis, governance, data collection and analysis, and report writing.
- The opportunity to contribute to research and policy materials used in regional and international dialogues, meetings, and programmes.
Duties & responsibilities
The volunteer will work under the supervision of the relevant ESCWA officer. Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting in-depth desk research and systematic reviews of academic studies, policy literature, and other sources in both Arabic and English.
- Researching topics related to public policy, governance, parliamentary institutional development, and comparative regional and international experiences.
- Collecting, classifying, verifying, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from official, semi-official, and other reliable sources.
- Conducting comparative policy analysis and identifying international good practices, including relevant experiences from the European Union.
- Preparing high-quality analytical and research outputs, such as:
- Policy briefs.
- Literature reviews.
- Technical papers.
- Reports.
- Concept notes.
- Various knowledge products.
- Preparing professional presentations, briefing packages, infographics, speeches, talking points, and other materials for senior management, technical meetings, donors, and events.
- Monitoring political, economic, social, and governance-related developments in Syria and the region.
- Preparing regular analytical updates, news summaries, and briefing notes.
- Supporting programme planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
- Contributing to work plans, progress reports, monitoring frameworks, and results-based management outputs.
- Managing research databases, reference libraries, and knowledge management systems.
- Supporting expert consultations, technical workshops, and policy dialogues.
- Preparing background papers, research materials, meeting documents, and summaries.
- Carrying out any other related duties as assigned.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be between 18 and 60 years old.
- Be a Lebanese national, a legal resident of Lebanon, or hold refugee status in Lebanon.
- Have at least 3 years of relevant experience.
- Be fluent in Arabic.
- Be fluent in English.
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields or a closely related discipline:
- Political Science.
- International Governance.
- European Studies.
- Social Sciences.
- Development Studies.
- Any other closely related field.
Preference will also be given to applicants who have:
- Professional experience relevant to the assignment.
- Good communication and teamwork skills.
- Previous knowledge of United Nations rules and procedures.
- Previous experience working with the United Nations, if applicable.
- Familiarity with the host entity’s internal systems, which is considered an additional advantage.
- Strong research, analytical, reporting, and professional writing skills.
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