Programme Support Intern

Job Description

Job Opening ID: 271393
Job Network : -
Job Family : ENV
Category and Level : Internship, I-1
Duty Station : VIENNA
Department/Office : United Nations Environment Programme
Date Posted : Jan 29, 2026
Deadline : Feb 13, 2026

Work Location: Home-based

Expected duration: 3-6 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. UNEP has the mandate to keep the state of the global and regional environment under review, in order to inform decision making on the state and trends of our changing environment, and to foresee emerging environmental problems and threats, particularly those of a transboundary nature.

Mountains, just like other ecosystems, do not recognize political borders. The importance of mountain ecosystems and sustainable development of the mountainous areas as well as the challenges faced by mountain communities have been recognized in a number of international policy documents, such as Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 (1992), the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2003), and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN 2015), as well as numerous scientific publications. Several processes and mechanisms for cooperation on protection and sustainable development of the mountainous regions have emerged, including regional cooperation in the Carpathian mountain region.

The countries of the Carpathian region decided to cooperate in a framework of a regional Multilateral Environmental Agreement, the Carpathian Convention (CC) 6 a regional treaty, which supports cooperation on protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians. The Convention is coordinated by the UNEP 6 Vienna Programme Office, Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention.

The Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention is supporting the processes of strengthening participatory governance and science-policy-practice interface in the Carpathian region and closely cooperating with several regional networks, including:

• The Science for the Carpathians (S4C) Network,
• the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas, and
• the Carpathian Education for Sustainable Development Expert Network (CESDEN).

The S4C Network has recently provided recommendations to the Carpathian Convention Secretariat and the Carpathian Convention Implementation Committee, addressing many aspects of Convention implementation, including: on the implementation of the cross-sectoral Carpathian Biodiversity Framework, integrating topics of energy, waste management and inclusion of vulnerable groups into Convention activities.

This internship is based at the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention. Under the direct supervision of the Associate Programme Officer, the Carpathian Convention Coordination Expert, and in close coordination with the Carpathian Convention Senior Expert the intern will:

• Assist with the drafting and implementation of cooperation activities between the Carpathian Convention Secretariat and its partners and networks, including but not limited to, those related to the engagement of vulnerable groups, addressing environmental poverty as well as in the framework of International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP2026);
• Assist with the finalization of the Science for the Carpathians Research Agenda 2030 based on the results of the Forum Carpaticum 2025 Conference;
• Assist with production of information materials about the Carpathian Convention and liaison with partners for their translation into national languages;
• Assist with presentations and organizational aspects at various Carpathian Convention and UNEP meetings and events;
• Provide inputs and suggestions on the Convention activities in the field of energy poverty and addressing the needs of vulnerable communities, particularly marginalized Roma communities;
• Support project and research preparation focused on vulnerable groups;
• Facilitating networks with municipalities and other local actors regarding the project implementation;
• Assist with organization and dissemination of activities related to Carpathian Pastoralism and Carpathian Day;
• Support the Carpathian Convention Secretariat with tasks related to Carpathian Convention Implementation, as necessary.

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 2s degree or equivalent).

Preferred area of study for this internship:

Preferred areas of study include European policy and Law, Multilevel governance, Energy transition, Sustainable regional development, Communication.

Applicants to the UN Internship Programme do not require 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 2s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor 2s, Master 2s 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.

Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams. Ability to draft news articles and/or social media posts in desirable. Ability to design surveys and polls 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 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: February 13, 2026