Intern: Calibration of Learning Opportunities

Job Description

Work Location: Geneva

Expected duration: 3-6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights. We represent the world’s commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Both the High Commissioner and the Office have a unique role to:

• Promote and protect all human rights: We speak out objectively in the face of human rights violations and help elaborate the standards that are used to evaluate human rights progress worldwide.
• Help empower people: Our research, education, and advocacy activities contribute to the increased awareness and engagement by the international community and the public on human rights issues. This means thousands of people in all regions of the world are empowered to claim their rights.
• Assist Governments: Through our field presences, we help prevent abuses and contribute to defusing situations that could lead to conflict. Our monitoring and analysis feeds sensitive decision-making and development programming. We also provide capacity-building and legal advice to thousands, supporting the development and judicious enactment of laws and policies the world around.
• Inject a human rights perspective into all UN programmes: We mainstream human rights into all UN programmes to ensure that peace and security, development, and human rights - the three pillars of the UN - are interlinked and mutually reinforced.

The Programme Support and Management Service (PSMS) delivers comprehensive administrative support within the Office and is responsible for overseeing and managing the financial, human, and physical resources that support delivery of the human rights mandate.

The Human Resources Management Section (HRMS) at OHCHR serves as a strategic partner in advancing the Office’s global mandate by delivering effective, people-centered human resources services.

The Talent Management & Career Support (TMSC) Unit provides support and guidance on UN careers, mobility, and talent management for OHCHR staff and non-staff personnel globally.

As one of the pillars to support career development in the Organization, TMSC designs the career paths, collects and calibrates learning or training opportunities provided by various UN learning channels, identifies their attributes and connects them with knowledge, skills and abilities needed at work.

This internship is located in the Talent Management & Career Support (TMSC) Unit, the Human Resources Management Section (HRMS), Programme Support and Management Service (PSMS) in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The intern reports to a Human Resources Officer.

The intern will support the career paths project and mainly carry out the following tasks:

• Calibrate the identified learning opportunities
• Cross-reference the information
• Collect further relevant learning opportunities
• Suggest learning opportunities following the instructions
• Perform related tasks as required

The internship is for three months but can be extended to a maximum of six months. Interns work full time - five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the team. The internship is UNPAID and travel costs, travel arrangements (including visas) and living accommodations are the responsibility of the intern.

Applicants may be requested and allowed to undertake the internship remotely. Applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship, if required by UN travel restrictions.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).

Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.

Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.

Applicants must have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, and MS Teams. Ability to use data analytical tools is desirable.

Languages

English 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 Information

Not available.

Intern Specific text

Interns 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 Fee

THE 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 : Jan 2, 2026