Are you a young graduate interested in international relations? Are you curious to learn more about work of a diplomatic mission and how the EU Delegation represents EU interests and values in Rwanda?

What we offer?

A traineeship of up to 6 months within the Political, Press and information Section and Economics and Good Governance Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Rwanda, starting in November 2020, subject to respect to the local legislation.

Main tasks:

• Development of content for the Delegation’s social media
• Ad hoc research, analysis and project management, on political and economic developments or cooperation matters, inter alia, youth and employment, Erasmus etc. 
• Coordination and support with public diplomacy events organized by the Delegation
• Participation and note taking in internal and external meetings or events

Qualifications or special requirements:

• Due to the very evolutive context of the COVID-19 breakthrough, applicants currently residing in Rwanda will only be considered.

How to apply?

Please send the following documents to the e-mail address delegation-rwanda-press@eeas.europa.eu:

• A detailed Europass curriculum vitae (CV)
• a cover letter describing why you want to participate in a EU traineeship
• and an application form

Please mention in the subject of your e-mail: Funded Traineeship – PPI & Eco-Gov Sections

Important information

Before applying you are requested to examine the dedicated website as well as the general eligibility criteria for a paid traineeship (Article 8 of the Decision ADMIN(2017)28 – Paid traineeship)

Each selected trainee will receive a monthly grant to cover living expenses. All costs related to travel inside the country of residence, visa, insurance, accommodation must be borne by the trainee.

Applications from non-eligible candidates will not be considered. After the evaluation of all applications, shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified by email. In case the selected candidate is not able to present the required documents, his/her candidacy will be rejected.

The Delegation informs that even if our Headquarters confirm the eligibility of the selected application, traineeships could be postponed, suspended or even cancelled considering the very evolving context of the COVID-19 outbreak in the host country as well as in the country of origin.

The European Union fully supports the strengthening of democratic institutions in the Republic of Moldova, as well as the right of the people of the Republic of Moldova to express their will in free and fair elections.

The upcoming presidential elections on 1 November 2020 need to be held in a credible, inclusive and transparent manner, upholding democratic standards and ensuring the rule of law in line with the country’s international commitments and commitments under the Association Agreement with the EU. Practices that contravene international standards, as observed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) in previous elections, such as vote buying, misuse of state resources, and pressurising voters must be avoided.

The European Union calls on the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to implement fully and without further delay the recommendations of the Council of Europe Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR to guarantee the transparency of party and campaign financing.

The EU also expects the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the unhindered work of international and domestic election observers. It is particularly important to ensure the safety of voters and observers with regard to the coronavirus pandemic.

The annual conference allowed national authorities, civil society and European organisations to discuss ongoing challenges and good practices when it comes to the reception and asylum procedures of vulnerable people. 

They underlined worsening mental health, increasing domestic violence, missing children and the challenge conducting asylum interviews during the pandemic. 

The discussions identified priority areas, which EASO and the vulnerability network will incorporate into future work.

It builds on the joint statement on implementing the Charter that agencies heads signed in autumn 2019. In that statement, they committed to protect fundamental rights in their work, to promote and raise awareness regarding fundamental rights, and exchange practices each year.

This first annual exchange brought to the fore the diversity of experiences and practices that agencies use to protect and promote fundamental rights. 

The warning follows outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among wild and domestic birds in western Russia and Kazakhstan over the past few months. This region is a known autumn migration route for wild water birds heading to Europe.

Northern and eastern Europe are likely to be the most vulnerable to new outbreaks given past experience. When HPAI was detected in the same area of Russia in the summers of 2005 and 2016, epidemics followed in northern and eastern Europe. If the pattern is repeated this year, HPAI is expected to arrive in the same areas of Europe in autumn or winter. Subsequent spread to countries in southern and western Europe is also possible.

The alert is included in the latest update on avian influenza in Europe and beyond. The new report – which is compiled by EFSA, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza – covers the period May to August 2020.

The report recommends that EU countries should:

• Take measures to detect suspected cases of HPAI promptly and increase biosecurity measures at poultry farms.
• Warn veterinary and wildlife health authorities of the likely risk of HPAI introduction, and urge them to carry out prompt testing of dead or sick wild birds.

Spread of the virus is likely to be triggered by a sudden and persistent fall in temperatures in central Russia and Kazakhstan. Several studies demonstrate that cold weather conditions led to the rapid westward expansion of the HPAI virus by infected migratory birds during the 2005-2006 and 2016-2017 waves.

The risk of transmission of avian influenza viruses to the general public in Europe remains very low. However, to minimise the risk of transmission to humans, people are advised not to not touch dead birds without wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.