UNITAR’s Multilateral Diplomacy Section is happy and committed to work with interns who are interested in our training programmes. However, UNITAR is a very small organization and the number of interns that we can accommodate is limited. Because of the huge number of applications that we receive, only a small number of candidates may eventually get an internship.

(for information about internships elsewhere in the United Nations click here)

Academic Qualification and Other Skills

Potential interns should have completed at least three years of university education or a Bachelor´s degree. In practice, most of our interns have a Master´s degree or are very close to graduation. 

Ideally, you should be a student of law, international relations, political science, development studies or related fields. You may also apply if you study history, sociology, political economy, regional (African/Asian/Oriental) studies or languages although your chances will be more limited. We cannot accommodate interns who study business administration, natural sciences or technical subjects.

You must be fluent (that means able to draft reasonably complicated texts) in English with a conversational ability in French, or vice versa.

Computer skills required: Ability to use the standard features of word processing programmes (MS Word or Word Perfect) is a must. You need not be familiar with other types of software, but it helps if you are able to use MS Excel or to design HTML documents/Internet websites.

Internship Duration

The minimum duration of an internship is four months. Internships are possible throughout the year. Please note that because of the backlog of applications there can be a considerable delay between your application and the start of your internship: Internships are almost never available at short notice. Six to 12 months of waiting time are not unusual.

Financial Aspects

Unfortunately internships within the UN system are unpaid positions. On top of that, living costs in Geneva are among the highest in western Europe. Make enquiries in your home country if there is a possibility to obtain a scholarship/grant. Several countries make scholarships available to students who take on an unpaid internship in an international organization, for example the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the United Nations Association in Canada. For further information you could try the Ministry responsible for higher education, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, your university or your national United Nations Association.

Typical Tasks of an Intern

Interns work on the planning, implementation and evaluation of our training programmes. These range from one-day seminars, which you can soon handle independently and on your own, to training programmes lasting several months.

Most of your work would concern administration and logistics. This includes publicizing training events, selecting and contacting participants and lecturers, arranging the logistical framework of such an event, handling related correspondence and writing evaluation reports. Interns will usually deal with at least one "large" project (normally one of our Fellowship Programmes) from its beginning to the end and are thus able to see the "full picture" of their work, and not just isolated elements. Interns can also attend as participants all the training events which they help to organize.

There is little opportunity for sophisticated academic research at UNITAR. Likewise, there is usually no opportunity to travel abroad as part of your internship.

Other Internship Possibilities

The Multilateral Diplomacy Section is just one of several sections at UNITAR. An overview of most UNITAR sections here. If you are interested in an internship at one of the other sections, write to that section’s Programme Coordinator. You can find a list of all UNITAR staff.

There are no uniform procedures for internship possibilities at other organizations within the UN system. Many make information about internship possibilities available on their websites (see below for links) and/or have highly developed recruitment procedures for interns. Alternatively, you could always make direct enquiries with the organization. If possible, address them to an individual person, e.g. a department head. Again, a look at the website will often tell you something about the organizational structure or provide you with contact names. Be persistent but polite and understand that most of the better known UN organizations are absolutely flooded with requests for internships.

If internships outside international organizations are of interest to you should approach faculty-based international student organizations at your university, many of which operate attractive internship and student exchange programmes. There are ELSA and ILSA for law students, AIESEC for students of economy, IAESTE for technical students, IFMSA for medical students and a few smaller associations. This is particularly recommended for "beginners", i.e. if you are now looking for your first internship abroad ever and perhaps not very advanced in your studies yet.

Application Procedure

To apply, send us a CV of two to three pages and a cover letter explaining your interests and motivation. We do not disseminate particular application forms. Additional documents such as diplomas, certificates or letters of reference from a university professor or former employer can be submitted at a later stage. We read all applications with keen interest. However, please note that the number of internship opportunities at UNITAR is limited and we are not in a position to reply to every individual enquiry. Only selected candidates will be informed.

Please address your application to:

UNITAR
Multilateral Diplomacy
and International Affairs Management Programme
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Internships in other Organizations within the UN System

The links below will take you directly to the websites of other UN organizations and Specialized Agencies that offer internships. The fact that an organization is not listed here does not mean that it does not offer internships! Please write to us if a particular link does not work anymore or if you discover additional information that we should include here.

Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Beirut

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Santiago

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome

International Court of Justice (ICJ), The Hague: 2001 information | 2002 information

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Arusha

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), The Hague

International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome

International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva

International Maritime Organization (IMO), London

International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington

International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva
Downloadable information in "Adobe Acrobat" format

International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC/ILO), Turin

International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Hamburg

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Geneva

United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat/UNCHS), Nairobi

United Nations Children´s Fund (UNICEF), New York and worldwide

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Vienna

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Bonn

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), New York

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York and worldwide 

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris

UNESCO Institute for Education, Hamburg

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Bonn

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Geneva

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Berlin and Nürnberg

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna

United Nations Information Centre, Paris

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Geneva:
Multilateral Diplomacy and International Affairs Management
Debt, Financial Management and Negotiation
Application of International Environmental Law
Climate Change Training Programme

United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC), Geneva

United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok

United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), Santo Domingo

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), Rome

United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)

United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP), Vienna

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), New York

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva

United Nations Secretariat, New York
Focal point for internships with most New York-based UN organizations and departments

United Nations Staff College (UNSC), Turin

United Nations University (UNU), Tokyo

World Bank, Washington

World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva and worldwide

World Tourism Organization (WTO), Madrid

World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva


Related information that you may find useful:

"Praktika bei den Vereinten Nationen und ihren Sonderorganisationen"
(Guide to Internships at the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies, in German only)

Employment Opportunities at the United Nations (General Information)

Links to Vacancy Announcements by International Organizations (including some internships): An extremely comprehensive list maintained by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations at Geneva

Humanitarian Vacancies (ReliefWeb)

Official Web Site Locator for the United Nations System of Organizations

Address List of United Nations Information Centres around the World

Address List of UNDP Country Offices around the World

"Mandat International" and its highly useful "Delegate´s Guide" with practical information about Geneva

UNITAR accepts no responsibility for the contents of any websites to which these links may take you. This disclaimer applies not only to the links found on this page, but to all websites outside UNITAR to which links are provided anywhere on the UNITAR website.