Work Location

United Nations Headquarters, New York. This internship is designed to be in-person and full time (five days a week/35 hours) but can be adjusted to hybrid or remote based on request by successful candidate.

Expected duration

The internship is unpaid, in-person and full-time. Interns work five days a week (35 hours) in the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the supervision of a UN staff member. The hybrid or remote setting of the internship may be considered based on the request by the successful candidates.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) / Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) seeks to provide leadership and catalyze action in promoting and coordinating implementation of internationally agreed development goals, including the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The intern will have the opportunity of learning and working in a very dynamic environment, targeting different aspects of SDG implementation and where new approaches and methodologies are being implemented and tested daily. The intern will be able to contribute to in person and virtual activities, including intergovernmental Conferences and meetings, capacity building events, webinars consultations and online trainings. The intern will also engage collaboratively in research and analysis as well as in drafting and reviewing documents on several topics as well as engage with stakeholders from different sectors and parts of the world. The candidate will have the opportunity for a hands-on experience, being an integral part of the Team and working collaborative in several workstreams. The person will be exposed to real time dynamics, negotiations, projects and activities. The candidate will gain experience in the organization of United Nations Conferences and intergovernmental events and will strengthen organizational and political skills. Duties may include, but are not limited to: • Supporting in drafting concept notes for events targeting the mobilization of stakeholders from different sectors towards their engagement on the SDGs. • Contribute to the implementation of stakeholder engagement strategies and plans, including compiling and summarizing inputs from online consultations, drafting reports and outreach materials. • Engage collaboratively in research and analysis as well as in drafting and reviewing documents on several topics as well as engage with stakeholders from different sectors and parts of the world. • Assist with the organization of in person, virtual events and training sessions, including by supporting with the preparation of agendas, co-drafting background materials, and meeting reports, providing technical support to events, monitoring and managing live substantive exchange, drafting public information materials, supporting outreach, including social media, preparing summaries, reviewing participants lists and preparing documents to be posted online. • Contribute to the review of SDG Partnerships and follow up on their implementation, including analysis and research. • Supporting the research for the preparation of papers and reports related to the SDGs, including in connection with international Conferences (such as the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and the UN 2026 Water Conference) and intergovernmental meetings (for instance, the High-Level Political Forum, the ECOSOC Partnership Forum, the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum and others) • Support stakeholder engagement in intergovernmental events and Conferences, including high-level special events and side-events selection and management. • Attend intergovernmental meetings, expert events and webinars and prepare summaries • Provision of general virtual office support (e.g. processing correspondence; maintaining online files and records in Sharepoint; taking meeting minutes for events; etc.). • Supporting staff with outreach engagement, including on communications and social media. • Participating in person and virtual UN Headquarters events, as appropriate. • Providing support to staff with website content updates. • Other ad hoc related activities to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Qualifications/special skills

Competency: The United Nations Core Competencies include: • Communication: Ability to draft clearly and concisely, good written and oral language skills. • Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills, ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different national and cultural backgrounds to achieve organizational goals. • Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be ‘clients’ and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. The intern is expected to: Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and Have a demonstrated the 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. Academic Qualifications: To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met: • Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or (c) have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation; • Be computer literate in standard software applications. Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the Internship Programme. Knowledge of additional official United Nations language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

Assessment Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. Special Notice A completed online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The Cover Note must include: • Degree Programme (What are you currently studying?) • Graduation Date (When will you graduate or when did you graduate from the programme?) • List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in. • List your top three areas of interest. • Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship. • Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme. In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references. Due to a high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted. United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.