Political Affairs - Intern

Job Description

Work Location: Remote

Expected duration: 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is seeking a qualified intern for its Front Office for a period of 6 months.

UNODA advises and assists the Secretary-General in the discharge of his responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations and implements mandates given by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other organs of the United Nations system in the area of disarmament and related security.

It supports multilateral efforts aimed at achieving the ultimate goal of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, including through support for norm-setting through the work of the General Assembly and its First Committee, the Disarmament Commission, the Conference on Disarmament and other bodies.

UNODA is also mandated to provide objective, impartial and up-to-date information on disarmament issues and activities to Member States, States parties to multilateral agreements, intergovernmental organizations and institutions, departments and agencies of the United Nations system, research and educational institutions, civil society, especially non-governmental organizations, the media and the general public. For more information, please refer to: https://disarmament.unoda.org.

The UNODA Front Office provides substantive and organizational support to the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and the Director and Deputy to the High Representative in the execution of their responsibilities.

In coordination with UNODA’s Branches, Offices and Regional Centres, the Front Office provides strategic advice to the High Representative and Deputy on cross-cutting and emerging disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation issues, and supports their participation in meetings of the United Nations organs and engagements with Member States, other UN entities and civil society.

The Front Office also facilitates meetings of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters and coordinates implementation of UNODA-wide policies, including on gender and inclusion.

This internship is unpaid and is designed to be full-time and fully remote. The manager may allow part-time internships at the request of the successful candidate.

The Intern, under the supervision of a primary supervisor, shall be assigned to the Front Office and must adhere to the established official working hours five days per week with one hour for lunch break. The manager may consider some flexible time arrangements at the request of the successful candidate.

Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background as well as the internship period. Interns shall undertake the following duties which may include, but are not limited to:

• Contribute to the preparation of background documents, talking points, speeches, summaries and memoranda.
• Research and analyze open-source information in the areas of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation, and relevant UN process, and reflect outcomes in summaries and reports.
• Assist in preparing for Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ABDM) meetings, including compiling background reading materials and coordinating with invited speakers.
• Support implementation of UNODA-wide policies, such as its Strategic Plan, UN 2.0, gender and inclusion policies.
• Support implementation of ODA’s gender and inclusion policies, such as research on gender and inclusion in disarmament and preparation of communications outputs on this topic.
• Support the development and distribution of internal staff engagement communication channels, such as the staff newsletter.
• Fulfil other duties as required.

Qualifications/special skills

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

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

In addition, interested candidates must:

• Be computer literate in standard software applications including MS Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point);
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and,
• 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 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.

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 : Dec 14, 2025