🇺🇸 Internship in the United States 🗺️ Political Affairs in the Europe and Central Asia Division at the UN 📰

The internship is located in the Europe and Central Asia Division in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

🏛️ About the Division

The Europe and Central Asia Division (ECAD) is one of the eight regional divisions in the shared regional structure of the UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. The shared structure, established in 2019 following the reform of the UN's peace and security architecture, is responsible for the entire range of UN political and operational engagements on peace and security issues, including the provision of strategic, political and operational guidance, analysis and direction, and integrated operational support for prevention and sustaining peace, as well as crisis monitoring and response.

ECAD consists of four sub-regional teams. The intern will work as a member of the Eastern Europe team, contributing to its daily work. The Eastern Europe Team covers 12 countries and three regional organizations, and backstops the DPPA Liaison Office in Kyiv and the UN Liaison Office for Peace and Security in Vienna.

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📰 Duties and Responsibilities

📺 Monitoring media reports and political and security developments in the region

📚 Conducting background research and analysis of relevant issues and trends in the region

🏛️ Following and reporting on relevant meetings of the UN Security Council and General Assembly

🗒️ Attending other meetings and events and preparing summary notes

🎪 Providing logistical and other assistance in organizing meetings and events

📄 Preparing briefing material for senior officials

🧩 Performing other duties as assigned

✅ Qualifications and Special Skills

🎓 Be enrolled in or have completed a graduate school programme, meaning a second university degree or equivalent or higher, or be enrolled in or have completed the final academic year of a first university degree programme, meaning minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent

📚 A field of study closely related to the type of internship you are applying for is required, while professional work experience is not required

📄 Applicants must indicate which criterion they meet and attach proof to the application, and an official certificate will have to be provided at a later stage

🗣️ Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship, and 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.

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📋 The Details

📍 Duty station: New York, United States

🏠 Work location: flexible, meaning hybrid, all remote, or in person

📅 Expected duration: 6 months, with the desired start date 5 October 2026 or sooner

🕐 The internship is unpaid, in person and full-time at 35 hours per week on United Nations premises in New York, and it is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time at 20 hours per week and to remote work

🏢 Department or office: Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Department of Peace Operations, shared structure

🗂️ Job family: Political Affairs

📌 Category and level: Affiliate Personnel, Internships, I-1

🆔 Job opening ID: 280363

⚠️ Conditions of the UN Internship Programme

💶 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

🚫 Applicants who have previously served six months in total as an intern in one or more UN Common Systems cannot be engaged as an intern

👨‍👩‍👧 Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law, including stepchildren, half-siblings or stepsiblings, of an active staff member in a UN Common System cannot be engaged as an intern

🛂 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 or employment authorization

♀️ The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

📩 How to Apply

A complete online application is required. In your motivational statement, indicate when you are available to start your internship, noting that the start and end dates are flexible, and include the title of the degree you are currently pursuing, your graduation date, why you are the best candidate for this specific internship, and your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme. In your online Personal History Profile, include all past work experiences, IT skills and three references.