Programme Management Intern: Support Counter-Terrorism Programming

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities

The internship is for six months. This internship is UNPAID, in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise working arrangement from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person but 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 of four months. Internships may be extended up to maximum six months depending on the needs of the Division. This internship is located in the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) regional office in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by the General Assembly in June 2017.

The Office has five main functions:
(a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System;
(b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 45 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy;
(c) strengthen the delivery of UN counter-terrorism capacity building assistance to Member States;
(d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for UN counterterrorism efforts; and
(e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the UN System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the UN Global Strategy.

The overall aim of the Centre is to support Member States in the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy through capacity building.

The internship is situated within the Countering Terrorism Section of UNCCT, which deals with issues such as:

• Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT),
• Border Security and Management (BSM),
• Cybersecurity and New Technology, and
• Preventing and Responding to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)/Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN),

as well as regional engagements in Central Asia and the Arab region.

The Intern reports to a Head Unit in the Section, under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Countering Terrorism Section. This internship is UNPAID and is designed to be in person and full-time (35 hours per week). It can be adapted for remote and/or part-time (20 hours per week) upon request.

The intern will perform the following functions:

• Contribute to substantive research and analysis of issues related to the programme and support the preparation of project documentation, technical inputs, visibility materials, reports, briefing papers, talking points, background notes, speeches, web stories.
• Participate in meetings, as appropriate, and draft the respective notes, summaries and reports.
• Keep abreast of the latest trends and monitor events and developments on issues related to countering terrorism, including in particular as it pertains to countering the finance of terrorism, border security and management, cybersecurity and new technologies, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, small arms and light weapons and improvised explosive devices; and/or as it relates to Central Asia and the Arab region.
• Process and organize relevant information and data, categorizing the information by its relevance to the Programme as well as inputting into various UNOCT databases.
• Provide assistance in tasks related to organizing fact-finding missions, training courses, workshops, round-table meetings, conferences, events, etc. to enhance capacities and policies in Member States.
• Perform other tasks, as required.

Qualifications / Special Skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
(a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
(b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).

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.

The field of study must be closely related to the type of internship you are applying for.

• Proficient in standard word processing and software applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint or similar.
• Be proficient in standard office automation equipment (scanner, printer, etc.).
• Have demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the United Nations 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.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Russian is required for this internship.
• Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset.
• Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations.

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2025