Intern: Research Assistance

Job Description

Work Location: Onsite

Expected duration: 3-6 MONTHS

Duties and Responsibilities

The Library Services Section of the UN Library & Archives Geneva is seeking up to three interns to begin work in Geneva by mid-April 2026. We are seeking highly motivated candidates who wish to gain experience conducting research to support Library products and services relating to major conferences organized by the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, including the seventy-seventh session of the International Law Commission (ILC).

This is an opportunity to experience library services and reference work in a multicultural intergovernmental organization, to develop a better understanding of issues on the agenda of the United Nations and the different actors in international Geneva, and to learn about and support the progressive development of international law and its codification by the United Nations.

The interns will participate in the reference services in the UN Library Geneva reading rooms, including services dedicated to the ILC, contribute to developing and researching content for the Library9s Conference Primers platform, assist in managing the Library9s specialized legal collections.

The internship will also provide opportunities to contribute to the various projects and tasks of the Library Services team, such as:

• Conducting legal research and updating bibliographies on issues related to international law on the agenda of the ILC,
• Providing training sessions on library resources and products,
• Responding to a range of library patron requests,
• Other assignments relevant to the background and interests of the interns.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor9s 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.

The applicant is required to be currently a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master9s or PhD programme or equivalent, or have recently completed a Bachelor9s, Master9s or PhD programme. Please indicate your educational status and degree course subject and note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.

Experience in research assistance is desirable. Interest in the work of the UN is required. Please indicate if you have a specific area of interest related to the work of the UN.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in English is required. Fluency in other UN official language is desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

DEADLINE: Mar 15, 2026