Work Location: Geneva/Remote
Expected duration: 3-6 months
Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe internship position is in the Macroeconomic and Development Policies (MDPB), in the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies in UNCTAD. The main purpose of the MDPB work is to produce the annual Trade and Development Report (TDR) of UNCTAD. The TDR analyses current global economic trends, emerging shifts and major policy issues of international concern and provides policy proposals to address these issues at the national, regional and multilateral levels.
The internship is for a period of three months starting as February/March (though alternative start dates may be considered), with an opportunity for an extension for a period of up to three additional months, depending on the needs of the department. The internship is offered either on an in-person or remote basis.
For in-person internships, interns must have a valid visa. All costs of travel, accommodation, medical insurance and living expenses must be covered by the intern.
The intern reports to the Head of the Branch and/or a (Senior) Economic Affairs Officer. The intern will support the MDPB work with the following tasks:
To work remotely the applicant shall have full access to a computer with a modern browser in which to run the latest version of Office 365 applications that will allow him/her to perform the tasks within the scope of the internship. The computer must have basic IT security best practices implemented. At a minimum, the applicant should have:
More generally, interns shall:
There should be no expectation of employment within the UN after an internship. Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, positions at the professional level and above carrying international recruitment status in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship.
Qualifications/special skillsThe United Nations internship programme is intended to expose students or recent graduates to the United Nations in order to enhance their educational experience and to help them to gain experience in the work of the Organization. Therefore, applicants to the programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
Moreover, interns should:
No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme.
Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.
LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
Additional InformationASSESSMENT: Candidates will be assessed based on their Personal History Profiles (PHP). Individual interviews may be conducted for further assessment. A complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The cover Note must include:
In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experience, if any; IT skills and three (3) references.
Due to high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
SPECIAL NOTICE:This profile is for the sole purpose of the Internship Programme of the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development. There should be no expectation of employment within the UN after the internship.
Interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, positions at the professional level and above carrying international recruitment status in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship.
Applicants who are children or siblings of a staff member are not eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. Applicants who are otherwise related to a staff member may be engaged as interns, provided that they are neither assigned to the same work unit as such staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of such staff member.
Intern Specific textInterns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions.
Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.
No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS BANK ACCOUNTS.
Deadline : Feb 9, 2026