Programme Support - Communication Intern

Job Description

Work Location: In Person (Montreal Office)

Expected Duration: Six months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for ‘sustainable development’. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention establishes three main goals:

• The conservation of biological diversity,
• The sustainable use of its components, and
• The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and is administered by UNEP.

This internship is located at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, under the overall supervision of the Public Information Officer, Office of the Executive Secretary.

The Programme Support for Media and Communication internship has a start date of early February 2026 for a duration of six (6) months.

The Internship is for a maximum duration of 6 months and UNPAID.

Under the overall supervision of the Public Information Officer the intern will: (inter alia)

• Assist in the creation of communication products on the main issues under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including those to be released for United Nations international celebration days, through research, and drafting of some basic text.
• Contribute to the implementation of the social media strategy for the division, including content creation on UNBiodiversity social media accounts (X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and others) based on directions from the Public Information Officer and others in the Communication and Awareness Unit.
• Assist with the planning and creation of daily social media posts in order to generate engagement among social media followers.
• Monitor the success of social media posts based on analytics and keep up to date on new social media tools and best practices.
• Support the organization and preparation of meetings, virtual or other, organized by the Communication and Awareness Unit, including logistical support and note taking.
• Assist in other duties as may be requested.

Interns work five days per week (35-40 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.

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.

Qualifications/Special Skills

Applicants to the United Nations internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

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

Be computer literate in standard software applications.

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

Preferred area of study: Communications, public relations or journalism, including an advanced degree.

Experience in Social Sciences, Political Science is an asset.

Skills in graphic design (video, animation).

Have demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.

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. For this internship, fluency in oral and written English is required. 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.

NOTE: “Fluency” equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.

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 18, 2025