Work Location: Montreal
Expected duration: Three 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 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 Senior Programme Management Unit of the ABS Unit and the direct supervision of the DSI Programme Management Officer.
Collaboration is expected with other interns, the Cali Fund Communications Strategy consultant, the Access and Benefit-Sharing Unit, the Communications Unit, the Office of the Executive Secretary, and Cali Fund UN partners.
The internship has a start date of early April 2026 for a duration of three (3) months.
The Internship is for a maximum duration of 3 months and UNPAID.
Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Capacity-Building and Knowledge Management Unit and the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer for Capacity-Building and Development, the intern will provide publication design support for the Practical Guide on Capacity-Building and Development (Practical Guide).
The intern will, inter alia:
Interns work five days per week (35 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:
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.
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.
Can you please describe how your field of study is relevant for this internship?
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.
Demonstrated ability to develop layout designs for multi-page publications, including reports, guides, or manuals is required.
Strong understanding of typography, visual hierarchy, layout systems, and grid-based design is required.
Proficiency in industry-standard design software, such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop is required.
Experience preparing files for print and digital distribution, including PDFs and e-publications (ePub or similar formats) is required.
Attention to detail in ensuring visual consistency and quality control is required.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple design tasks and revisions within agreed timelines is required.
Ability to work independently while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team is an asset.
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 French and Spanish is desirable.
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 : Feb 25, 2026
