Economic Affairs Intern

Conduct research for economic and social development outputs.

UN DESA - Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Open positions at UN DESA / Open positions at UN
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Application deadline in 15 days: Wednesday 1 Jul 2026 at 03:59 UTC

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Overview

Conduct research for economic and social development outputs.

You have:

  • 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 degree or equivalent).
  • Have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
  • Have working knowledge of statistical/econometric software such as Stata, EViews or R.
  • Proven experience in using large-scale datasets and descriptive statistics is desirable.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship.
  • Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.

Contract

This is a I-1 contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about I-1 contracts.

Work Location

This internship is designed to be in-person and full-time (35 hours) but can be adjusted based on request by the successful candidate.

Expected duration

4 months initially

Duties and Responsibilities

​The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)​ is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. Its work is guided by the universal, integrated and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 associated targets adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2015. The Economic Analysis and Policy Division (EAPD) provides research and policy analysis on global macroeconomic trends and prospects, frontier issues, emerging issues, and issues associated with countries in special situations, in the broad context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. EAPD also serves as the Secretariat to the Committee for Development Policy, an independent advisory body to the Economic and Social Council which provides recommendations on cross-cutting development issues and reviews the status of countries in the least developed country (LDC) category. EAPD manages capacity development projects in developing countries, providing assistance through research, training and workshops. he intern will report to the Economic Affairs Officer in the DESA Economic Analysis and Policy Division, Development Research Branch.​ ​​The intern will conduct research for outputs on economic and social development and provide assistance on projects being implemented by the Branch, including communication and dissemination, and support for stakeholder meetings, as needed. ​ ​​The intern will work daily with the supervisor in the conduct of research with strong emphasis on the 2030 Agenda. Tasks may include: ​​• Preparing background research, literature reviews and drafting inputs to prepare for several outputs of the Branch on issues related to sustainable development, including sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth ​• Conducting quantitative data analysis, including identifying and collecting data from primary and secondary sources, and visualizing data ​• Providing assistance with implementing capacity building activities, including communication ​• Supporting the team in their day-to-day activities and tasks. This may include, for example servicing requests for information; support for developing presentations and servicing meetings; updating databases, etc.​​

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). 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. Applicants must have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams. Applicants must have working knowledge of statistical/econometric software such as Stata, EViews or R. Proven experience in using large-scale datasets and descriptive statistics is desirable.

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.

Additional Information

Not available.

Intern Specific text

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/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe your experience with research related to sustainable development? This helps assess your familiarity and engagement with sustainability issues. Provide examples of relevant projects or papers you've worked on.
What statistical software are you proficient in and how have you used it? The interviewer wants to understand your technical expertise. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you give an example of how you communicated complex data findings to a non-technical audience? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you approach conducting literature reviews? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What experience do you have with quantitative data analysis? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you discuss a time you worked collaboratively on a team project? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What do you understand about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 3 hours ago - Updated 3 hours ago - Source: careers.un.org