Job Opening
Job Opening ID: 224271
Job Network : Political, Peace and Humanitarian
Job Family : Political Affairs
Category and Level : Internship, I-1
Duty Station : GENEVA
Department/Office : Office for Disarmament Affairs
Date Posted : Dec 22, 2023
Deadline : Jan 20, 2024

Work Location
This internship is designed to be full-time five days per week (40 hours) and in person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate.
Expected duration
2-6 months
Duties and Responsibilities
Org. Setting and Reporting:

This internship is in the Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA), Geneva Branch. ODA provides substantive and organizational support to various United Nations bodies in the area of disarmament. The Office is mandated to provide objective, impartial and up-to-date information on disarmament issues and activities to Member States, States parties to multilateral agreements, intergovernmental organizations and institutions, departments and agencies of the United Nations system, research and educational institutions, civil society, especially non-governmental organizations, the media and the general public.

Successful candidates could work in one or more of several different areas which fall under the Branch’s activities: the Conference on Disarmament, the Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention (APLC), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). In addition, the Branch supports a large number of disarmament-related conferences.

For more information visit: disarmament.unoda.org.

The internship, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is unpaid and full-time. Interns work five days per week (40 hours). The Political Affairs intern works under the overall guidance of the internship coordinator and direct supervision of a staff member in the Branch to which they are assigned.
The initial duration of the internship is for at least two months and can be extended up to six months, pending on the needs of the Branch.

Responsibilities:

Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned tasks, and the internship period. The intern shall undertake the following duties which may include, but are not limited to:
The intern will:
 Provide assistance in drafting and preparing official documents, press releases and statements;
 Provide assistance in maintaining records and datasets;
 Attend and summarize conferences and meetings;
 Conduct research, including document, legal and internet searches;
 Provide assistance during conferences;
 Work on web presentations and social media presence;
 Fulfill other duties as required
Qualifications/special skills
To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

 Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or,
 Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent).

Interested candidates must be pursuing or pursued their degree in areas related to this Job Opening.

In addition, interested candidates must:
 Be computer literate in standard software applications including MS Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point);
 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 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
Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate 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. 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.