Internship: Equitable and Sustainable Urbanisation

Job Description

Job Opening ID: 270841
Job Network : -
Job Family : Programme Management
Category and Level : Internship, I-1
Duty Station : MONTREAL
Department/Office : United Nations Human Settlements Programme
Date Posted : Jan 27, 2026
Deadline : Feb 16, 2026

Work Location: In-person, Montreal, Canada

Expected duration: 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system.

UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty.

The Canada Office fosters linkages among research, policy, and action to advance sustainable urban development globally. The office will activate a network of key partners to accelerate the quality and scale of urban sustainability solutions to implement the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan, with a focus on housing, land use and basic service provision and their linkage to climate and biodiversity action to enhance urban resilience and promote equity and justice.

The office will establish a hub to advance the development and synthesis of science, data, innovation, and solutions on urban sustainability. In addition, the Canada Office will establish close working relations with Canadian and North American subnational governments, grassroots organizations, practitioners, the private sector and other relevant constituency groups.

Under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer, the intern will perform the following tasks:

Responsibilities

• Programmatic:
  • Assisting in planning and implementing sustainable urbanization projects, with a focus on housing, land use and public service delivery and their interlinkage with climate mitigation and adaptation/resilience, biodiversity protection and social equity and justice.
  • Supporting the development of new projects at country, regional or global levels connecting research, data analysis, policy and action on sustainable urban development.
• Knowledge management:
  • Research on contemporary topics related to cities, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable urbanization, with a view to support the above operations, in the Canadian context and globally.
  • Supporting management of partnerships and a wide-ranging network of urban stakeholders.
  • Supporting UN-Habitat’s preparations in global events such as the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, the High-Level Meeting on the Mid-term Review of the New Urban Agenda of the United Nations General Assembly, COP17, and others.
  • Development and maintenance of databases.
• Communication:
  • Supporting the planning, preparation, and delivery of outreach and public events, such as speeches and talking points, training events, seminars and conferences.
  • Supporting drafting of material and/or stories for external and internal audiences.
• Other: Supporting tasks relevant to candidate and the Team, as jointly determined.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:

• a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
• b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
• c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent.

Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite).

Have demonstrated a 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 includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Preferred areas of study: Currently pursuing or holding a degree in Urban Studies, International Development, Urban Planning, Political and International Affairs, Climate Change, Environmental Sciences or Management, Geography, Economics, Computer Science or Machine Learning, Communications or similar relevant topic is required (Master degree or PhD candidate preferable).

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.

Experience in substantive work on housing, climate justice, and inclusive and sustainable urban development and related area is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Additional Information

Do you have any previous UN internship experience? If yes, please indicate the UN entity and the specific dates.

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: February 16, 2026