The United Nations works to empower young people as active contributors to sustainable development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through youth engagement initiatives, volunteerism programmes, partnerships and advocacy efforts, the UN supports meaningful youth participation in decision-making and community action.
The Future Makers Programme and other youth-focused initiatives aim to strengthen youth leadership, civic engagement, volunteerism and sustainable development awareness among young people. These initiatives bring together youth organizations, volunteers, civil society, educational institutions and development partners to advance collective action for sustainable development.
The Future Makers Programme in North Macedonia is co-organized by the SustainEd University Coalition and the United Nations North Macedonia to build a culture of volunteerism and strengthen youth engagement around the Sustainable Development Goals. It brings together motivated students from the eight SustainEd Coalition universities to develop practical initiatives, participate in meaningful volunteering opportunities, and work with UN focal points, mentors and partners on issues such as education, gender equality, health, climate action, social cohesion and strong institutions. Through group work, peer exchange and guided action design, the programme supports young people to translate their ideas into community-oriented actions and to become future advocates for sustainable development. At the moment, the first cohort of the programme includes 38 young students.
🤝 Tasks
This internship is located in the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office. The intern will support the work of the RCO in advancing youth engagement and participation across UN initiatives, with a particular focus on the Future Makers Programme, volunteerism, advocacy and partnerships with youth organizations.
📋 Support the coordination and implementation of the Future Makers Programme, including communication with participants, mentors, partners and stakeholders, organizing meetings, taking notes of meetings and developing slides
🎪 Assist in organizing youth engagement activities, workshops, consultations, campaigns and events
🙌 Support the development and implementation of volunteerism initiatives and programmes involving young people
📣 Assist in mobilizing youth participation in UN campaigns, events and sustainable development initiatives
🌍 Support outreach and engagement with youth organizations, youth networks, educational institutions and civil society partners
📞 Provide support in maintaining regular communication with youth participants and partners and facilitate follow-up actions
✊ Support advocacy efforts related to youth participation, volunteerism and sustainable development
📱 Assist in preparing communication and visibility materials, presentations, briefing notes and social media content related to youth initiatives
💻 Support promotion and content development of the SustainEd Platform and related youth engagement tools
📚 Review and analyze relevant documents, strategies, studies and reports related to youth development, participation and sustainable development
🗄️ Maintain and update youth stakeholder databases, contact lists and engagement records, ensuring accessibility and accuracy
🤲 Support the organization of meetings and consultations with external stakeholders and youth representatives
📝 Assist in drafting summaries of meetings, reports and activity updates
🧩 Other required tasks as per management request
🌍 Another placement built around European values and youth participation: ESC Volunteering in 🇫🇷 France 🎙️ European Values and Youth Participation in Rural France 🌍 → https://youthworkshub.org/21116
✅ 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
🙌 Previous studies or participation in youth organizations, volunteer initiatives, student associations, youth councils or civil society activities related to sustainable development, civic engagement or youth participation
📚 A field of study closely related to youth development, social sciences, communications, economics, education, international relations, sustainable development or a related field is desirable, while professional work experience is not required
💻 Good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Teams and MS Excel, and Google Workspace applications including Drive, Docs, Forms, Sheets and Gmail, as well as WhatsApp
🎪 Previous engagement in youth initiatives, volunteering programmes, student organizations or community activities is desirable, and experience in organizing youth activities, events or campaigns is desirable
🗣️ Strong communication, networking and facilitation skills are desirable, along with interest in sustainable development, volunteerism, youth participation and civic engagement
🗣️ Languages
Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of Macedonian and Albanian is desirable.
⚡ A comparable communications and events placement in an industry alliance: Internship in 🇧🇪 Belgium 📣 Communications and Events at a Renewable Energy Industry Alliance ⚡ → https://youthworkshub.org/20520
📋 The Details
📍 Work location: Skopje, in person
📅 Expected duration: 17 August 2026 to 16 February 2027
🏢 Department or office: Resident Coordinator System
📌 Category and level: Affiliate Personnel, Internships, I-1
🆔 Job opening ID: 281593
💻 The intern must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection, and the UN Mission will provide access to necessary software and databases
⚠️ 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
🛂 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
📩 How to Apply
Apply through the United Nations careers portal for this job opening, attaching proof of your academic status.
⏰ Deadline
05 August 2026.
