Intern: Protocol Office

Job Description

Work Location: Vienna

Expected duration: 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV): provides administrative support including conference planning, security and language interpretation to UN programmes. The Director-General of UNOV represents the Secretary-General in dealings with the host country and diplomatic missions in Vienna.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): from its headquarters in Vienna and through a global network of field offices, UNODC assists Member States to address the threat posed by drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism and to promote security and justice for all.

The Protocol and NGO Liaison Office of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) provides protocol services to the UN entities under the auspices of UNOV/UNODC, including the Director-General of UNOV/ Executive Director the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It also interacts with the Permanent Missions and Observer Offices to the United Nations Office at Vienna and United Nations counterparts worldwide.

The internship is located in the Office of the Director-General/Office of the Executive Director, United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)/United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Vienna (Austria).

The duration of the internship is 6 months starting from the end of February, beginning of March.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time.

Interns work five days per week (40 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.

The intern shall undertake the following duties which may include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting in liaising with Host Country and Permanent Missions on accreditation and protocol matters
• Assisting in managing and updating various protocol databases
• Assisting in drafting and review of office documentation
• Assisting during special events and meetings as well as during visits of high-level counterparts to UNOV/UNODC
• Performing other ad-hoc assignments subject to the exigencies of service

Qualifications/special skills

• Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
  • (a) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
  • (b) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
• Be computer literate in standard software applications;
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter;
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

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 recently 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.

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.

DEADLINE: Feb 19, 2026