INTERN - HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

Internship

Overview

Assist in the organization and support of UNMAS initiatives in Geneva.

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 degree or equivalent).
• Be computer literate in standard software applications including MS Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, including willingness to try to understand and be tolerant of different opinions and views.
• Fluency in English and French is required.
• Ability to design surveys and polls 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

Geneva

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The internship is in the Geneva office of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Established in 1997, UNMAS works to reduce the threat posed by explosive ordnance by coordinating United Nations mine action, leading programmes at the country level, and supporting the development of international standards to improve the safety and efficiency of operations. UNMAS operates under UN legislative mandates of the General Assembly and the Security Council or at the request of senior officials in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war pose a risk to communities and UN staff. For more information, please visit: https://www.unmas.org/en The duration of the internship is six (6) months. This internship is UNPAID, in person, and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premises, working arrangement from Geneva, Switzerland. The intern reports to the UNMAS Representative in Geneva. Duties of the intern include, but are not limited to: - Assist in the organization of the 29th International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM-UN29), a global mine action conference scheduled on 22-24 April 2026 in Geneva; - Conduct research and draft documents related to UNMAS advocacy priorities (respect of International Humanitarian Law, mobilizing support for mine action, and embedding risk management in other sectors, in particular agriculture, land and shelter); - Draft documents on humanitarian disarmament related to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); - Support engagement with the humanitarian community, including UNMAS role as Global Coordinator for mine action within the Global Protection Cluster and in OCHA; - Analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources on assigned topics related to the humanitarian impact of explosive ordnance in conflict and post-conflict settings and mitigation efforts; - Draft various documents, e.g. analysis, letters, background notes, summary records, inputs for reports; - Monitor the Human Rights Council deliberations on the impact of anti-personnel mines on human rights; - Attend meetings of interest to UNMAS and provide verbal and written briefing notes to colleagues; - Contribute to the team's day-to-day tasks as needed, including administration; - Prepare social media posts in accordance with the office communications strategy; - Performs other duties as requested by the supervisor.

Qualifications/special skills

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met: (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 degree or equivalent). Interested candidates must be pursuing 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, PowerPoint); - 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 to understand and be tolerant of different 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. - Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams. - Ability to design surveys and polls is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship advertised, fluency in English and French is required.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 months ago - Updated 3 months ago - Source: careers.un.org