Political Affairs Intern

Support Office in liaison, outreach and educational efforts.

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UNODA - Office for Disarmament Affairs

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Application deadline 6 months ago: Friday 21 Nov 2025 at 04:59 UTC

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Overview

Support Office in liaison, outreach and educational efforts.

You have:

  • Be enrolled in, or have recently completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) or be enrolled in, or have recently completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
  • Oral and written fluency in English is required.
  • Knowledge of another official United Nations 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

Vienna

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The internship is UNPAID and interns work five days per week (full time - 40 hours). UNODA Vienna Office facilitates cooperation and effective interaction with Vienna- and regionally-based partners in all areas of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. It represents the United Nations/UNODA in relevant Vienna-based intergovernmental processes and ensures timely analysis and reporting on developments related to UNODA's mandated areas of work. The Vienna Office also coordinates UNODA efforts and programmes to provide for and promote opportunities in disarmament and non-proliferation education through online and in-person training courses and organization of outreach and dialogue events. Serving as a global hub for UNODA in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation education, the Vienna Office offers educational opportunities and materials for a wide range of audiences around the globe, including for academia and students, young professionals, early-career civil servants, civil society and the general public at large. For more information on UNODA Office at Vienna, please visit the following: disarmament.unoda.org/vienna www.disarmamenteducation.org The purpose of the internship is to support the Office in its liaison, outreach and educational efforts. The duration of the internship is six months, starting in January 2026. Under the direct supervision of one of the Professional staff in the Office and strategic guidance of the Chief of the Office, the intern shall undertake the following duties which may include, but are not limited to: •Support the substantive work of the Office and its cooperation on disarmament, non-proliferation, and international peace and security with Vienna-based organisations, including in particular the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other Vienna-based entities; •Participate in meetings/conferences/seminars and prepare meeting reports; •Participate in the planning and execution of UNODA outreach efforts and projects (e.g., meetings, workshops, conferences and training courses); •Prepare and support development of communication products for the Office, including support to management of the Office’s social media accounts through using Trello Boards to plan, create, and curate multimedia content, as well as supporting management of email accounts and website/s and the preparation of quarterly analytical reports; •Contribute to development and review of educational materials for diverse audiences, including for UNODA’s e-learning platform the Disarmament Education Dashboard; •Contribute to the preparation of background documents, presentations, summaries, talking points and speeches; prepare and participate in briefings to visitor groups and other audiences; •Conduct analyses of open-source information in the areas of disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as relevant UN process •Perform other tasks as necessary.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, oral and written fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations 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

Describe a time you contributed to a team project related to disarmament or non-proliferation. This assesses your teamwork and understanding of relevant issues. Highlight your role, the project scope, and the outcome.
How do you stay updated on international peace and security issues? The interviewer wants to assess your research habits and engagement with current events. Pro members can see the explanation.
Explain how you would manage multiple tasks in a high-pressure environment. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What methods would you use to communicate complex information to diverse audiences? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Have you ever worked on a communication product? Describe your experience. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
In your opinion, what is the importance of arms control in today’s global politics? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you prepare for a briefings to visitors about disarmament education? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What experience do you have in social media management or content creation? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 6 months ago - Updated 6 months ago - Source: careers.un.org