Intern-Economic Affairs
Assist in research and support tasks for the Trade and Development Report at UNCTAD.
Overview
Assist in research and support tasks for the Trade and Development Report at UNCTAD.
You have:
- 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).
- Good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Teams. MS Power BI is desirable.
- Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
- Ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
- No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme.
- Must provide an official certificate at a later stage.
Contract
This is a I-1 contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about I-1 contracts.
Work Location
Geneva
Expected duration
06.04.26 to 03.07.26
Duties and Responsibilities
The position is at the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Internship Programme is unpaid and full-time, i.e., an intern is expected to work five days per week (40 hours). The internship is offered either on an in-person. For in-person internships, interns must have a valid visa. All costs of travel, accommodation, medical insurance and living expenses must be covered by the intern. The position is located in Geneva in the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies (DGDS). The internship will start in April 2026 for an initial period of three months with a possibility for extension for an additional three months. The internship position is in the Macroeconomic and Development Policies (MDPB), in the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies in UNCTAD. The main purpose of the MDPB work is to produce the annual Trade and Development Report (TDR) of UNCTAD. The TDR analyses current global economic trends, emerging shifts and major policy issues of international concern and provides policy proposals to address these issues at the national, regional and multilateral levels. The intern will support the MDPB work with the following tasks: • Document and internet research • Compiling data and statistics for charts and visual outputs and incorporating that in Power BI dashboards • Editorial assistance with texts, charts and overall layout • Assistance with preparing substantive inputs • Working on power-presentations • Assistance with communication materials
Qualifications/special skills
The United Nations internship programme is intended to expose students or recent graduates to the United Nations in order to enhance their educational experience and to help them to gain experience in the work of the Organization. Therefore, applicants to the programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or, (b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's level or equivalent). Moreover, interns should: • Should be computer literate in standard software applications; • 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 includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship. 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 Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS Teams. MS Power BI is desirable.
Languages
Fluency spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.
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 any research projects you have worked on during your studies? | This question assesses your research capabilities and experience relevant to the internship. | Talk about specific projects, your role, and the outcomes. |
| What interests you about the work of the United Nations? | The interviewer wants to gauge your motivation and alignment with UN values. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you provide an example of how you successfully worked in a team setting? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How proficient are you with software tools like Excel or PowerPoint? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe a situation where you had to interact with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. What did you learn from that? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies do you use when compiling data and presenting it visually? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What do you believe is the role of economic policy in global trade? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How would you prepare for a presentation to diverse audiences? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |