🇨🇭 Internship in Switzerland 📊 Economic Affairs at UNCTAD 📈

Do you want to contribute to research shaping the future of the world's least developed countries? The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is offering an Economic Affairs Internship in Geneva, supporting the Policy Analysis and Research Branch of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes.

About the Role

The position is in the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Internship Programme is unpaid and full-time, meaning an intern is expected to work five days per week (40 hours). The internship is offered on an in-person or remote basis. The position is located in the Policy Analysis and Research Branch of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes (ALDC). The internship will tentatively start on 3 August 2026 for an initial period of three months, with an opportunity for extension up to six months, pending the needs of the department. The intern will report to the Economic Affairs Officer. Training and mentoring will be provided throughout the internship. Carrying out tasks under the supervision of the Economic Affairs Officer, the intern will provide research support on the 2026 Least Developed Countries Report and other research and tasks related to the delivery of technical assistance.

What You'll Do

📊 Use statistical tools to analyze data and verify statistical analysis.

📝 Assist in the drafting and preparation of documents such as project proposals, reports, policy briefs and papers.

🎪 Assist in the organization of workshops, including preparing training materials, workshop presentations and evaluation questionnaires.

🗒️ Attend online conferences and meetings and provide summary reports.

🖼️ Develop infographics and format material for desktop publication.

More generally, interns shall observe all applicable rules, regulations, instructions, procedures and directives of the Organization; provide the receiving departments or offices with a copy of all materials prepared during the internship, with the UN entitled to all property rights including patents, copyrights and trademarks with regard to material bearing a direct relation to the services provided; respect the impartiality and independence required of the UN and not seek or accept instructions from any Government or external authority; not communicate to the media or any external source any non-public information gained through the internship, during or after it; and refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the UN.

Remote Work Requirements

💻 To work remotely, the applicant must have full access to a computer with a modern browser to run the latest version of Office 365 applications required for the internship, with basic IT security best practices implemented. At a minimum, the applicant should have installed the latest version of Microsoft Windows with software and security updates as soon as issued, enabled the built-in software firewall of the operating system, and be able to use a password manager that enables the creation of strong passwords and secures access to all UNCTAD/UN-related resources.

Who Can Apply

🎓 Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher).

📘 Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's level or equivalent).

For this position, the university degree must be in the area of economics, preferably combined with statistics, data science or a related area. Knowledge of desktop publishing software is an advantage. Interns should be computer literate in standard software applications, have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter, and a demonstrated ability to interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs. No working experience is required, but training, education, advanced coursework or skills should benefit the United Nations during the internship, and a field of study closely related to the internship is required, with proof.

Languages

Fluency in spoken and written English is required for this internship.

The Details

📍 Location: Geneva, Switzerland, for in-person internships; home for remote internships.

🗓️ The internship tentatively starts on 3 August 2026 for an initial period of three months, with an opportunity for extension up to six months, full time (40 hours per week).

💼 Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. For in-person internships, interns must have a valid visa, and all costs of travel, accommodation, medical insurance and living expenses must be covered by the intern. This profile is for the sole purpose of the UNCTAD Internship Programme, with no expectation of employment within the UN after the internship, and interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, professional-level and above posts with international recruitment status in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship. Applicants who are children or siblings of a staff member are not eligible; those otherwise related may be engaged provided they are not assigned to the same work unit or placed under the direct or indirect supervision of that staff member.

How to Apply

Apply through the UN Careers online system with a complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile); incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The Cover Note must include the title of the degree, graduation date (or expected graduation), the IT skills and programmes you are proficient in, and an explanation of why you are the best candidate for the position. In your Personal History Profile, include all past work experience (if any), IT skills and three references. Due to the high volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted.