Intern - Accessibility

Internship

Overview

Support UN efforts for greater participation of persons with disabilities in meetings.

You have:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher).
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent).
• Have graduated with a university degree (Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D.) and must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.
• Fluent reading, writing and speaking abilities in English.
• A working knowledge of a second language of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is desirable.
• Knowledge of a sign language is desirable.
• Experience with supporting persons with disabilities is desirable.

Contract

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

Work Location

In-person - New York

Expected duration

Two months Start data: 1. June 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

During the period of the internship, the intern will develop a deep understanding of intergovernmental processes and will support the efforts of UN Secretariat for inclusion and greater participation of persons with disabilities in the meetings of the Organization. Duties may include, but are not limited to:  Assisting the DGACM Accessibility Center with various tasks in support of persons with disabilities when attending UN meetings;  Assisting in the planning, organizing and supporting of provision of accessibility services to meetings held at UNHQ;  Supporting the engagement with persons with disabilities in collaboration with the representatives of other Departments of UN Secretariat;  Contributing to strengthening accessibility measures for official meetings and other events;  Performing other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants at the time of the application meet one of the following requirements: a) Be enrolled in a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); c) Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in a) and b) above) and must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation. No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Program. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship. Experience with supporting persons with disabilities is desirable. 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

Fluent reading, writing and speaking abilities in English are required. A working knowledge of a second language of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is desirable. Knowledge of a sign language is desirable.

Additional Information

The Secretary-General launched the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy in June 2019 to create a basis for lasting and transformative change on disability inclusion across the work of the UN system. The Strategy provides a comprehensive roadmap for ensuring that the UN system is fit for purpose to promote disability inclusion in its programs and operations across the three pillars – human rights, peace and development and security. It is applicable at both headquarters and country levels. This position is located at Headquarters in the Department for General Assembly and Conference Services (DGACM). DGACM supports the UN’s efforts for inclusion and greater participation of persons with disabilities in the meetings of the Organization. The intern will be responsible for assisting with accessibility tasks in implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy. The internship will take place over the months of June and July 2026 when such major events as the Meetings of States Parties to the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) as well as other meetings are held at the United Nations New York Headquarters. The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of the assigned supervisor. This internship is at United Nations New York Headquarters and cannot be discharged remotely.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 months ago - Updated 2 months ago - Source: careers.un.org