Work Location: Flexible (hybrid, all remote, or in-person)
Expected duration: 3 - 6 months
Duties and Responsibilities
This internship is located in the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell in the Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS), Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training (DEPT) in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).
The Policy, Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) is mandated to develop and disseminate the policy and doctrine guiding the work of Peacekeeping Operations. In addition, the division has the responsibility to evaluate, at the request of the heads of the departments, how those policies are being applied, gather lessons learned and best practices, and use that information to guide the development, coordination and delivery of standardized training, so as to complete the learning cycle. DPET is also responsible for developing and maintaining strategic cooperation with various UN and external partners.
The Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS) is part of the Policy Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) of the Department of Peace Operations. It provides support to both DPO and DOS. The core function of PBPS is to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations through the exchange of good practices between missions, the development of guidance material that reflects lessons learned, and thematic policy support in selected areas. PBPS also leads several reform processes.
This internship is UNPAID and is designed to be in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise (New York, USA). This internship can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. A full-time internship is for an initial period of three months, and a part-time internship is for an initial four months. Internships may be extended up to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the team.
The intern will support the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell with the following tasks:
Qualifications/special skills
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 field of study should be social sciences, including international relations, politics, law, economics, statistics or a related field, including technical/data/business-related fields).
Experience in producing data visualizations to communicate data-driven insights, in a professional or academic context is desirable.
Knowledge of data management techniques and quantitative analysis, particularly in Microsoft Excel is desirable.
Experience preparing presentations in PowerPoint that combine data visualizations and text content 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 UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
Additional Information
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Common Systems cannot be engaged as an intern. Have you completed a UN Internship before? If yes, please include the UN entity as well as concrete dates?
Candidates for the UN Internship Programme are required to cover the cost of travel including visa, accommodation, health insurance and other living expenses for the duration of the internship. Will you be able to cover all the above-mentioned expenses? Please indicate if you will plan on undertaking the internship remotely.
Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Common System cannot be engaged as an intern. Do you have a family member(s) currently working in the UN Common System (UNCS)? If yes, please include the type of family member, first name, last name, date of birth, nationality, what UNCS the person works for, and if the person is an active or inactive staff member.
In your Motivational Statement, please indicate when you would like to start your internship. Please note that the start and end dates are flexible. A complete online application is required.
The Motivational Statement must also include:
In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.
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 : Feb 10, 2026
