Political Affairs Intern, Information Integrity Unit

Internship

Overview

Support research and analysis on harmful speech affecting peacekeeping missions.

You have:

• 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.
• A field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
• Experience in supporting the development of policies, papers, guidelines, training materials, presentations, and visualizations is desirable.
• Experience in conducting research and analysis 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

Flexible (Hybrid, Remote, or In-person)

Expected duration

2-6 months. Desired start date is 2 March 2026, or sooner.

Duties and Responsibilities

This internship is located in the Information Integrity Unit in the Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS), Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training (DEPT) in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). The Unit supports peacekeeping missions in addressing harmful speech (including mis- and disinformation and hate speech) which threaten the safety and security of peacekeepers and the ability of missions to implement their mandates. The Intern will report to the Senior Programme Management Officer of the Information Integrity Unit. The Policy and Best Practices Service (PBPS) is part of the Policy Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) of the Department of Peace Operations. The core function of PBPS is to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations through the exchange of good practices between missions, the development of guidance material that reflects lessons learned, and thematic policy support in selected areas. This internship is UNPAID and is designed to be in person and full-time (35 hours per week) on the United Nations premises (New York, USA). This internship can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. Full-time internship is for an initial period of two months, and a part-time internship is for an initial four months. Internships may be extended up to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the Division. • Assist in conducting research on issues related to the mis/disinformation and hate speech; • Assist in monitoring and analysing the information environments, within peacekeeping settings, using various digital platforms; • Assist in the production and review of various policies, papers, and other documents/materials; • Assist in preparing reports, concept papers, policy documents, talking points, articles and other materials; • Assist in the development of strategic communications, presentations and visualizations; • Attend and take notes at conferences and meetings; • Assist in servicing conferences and meetings; • Assist in maintaining/managing databases; • Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications/special skills

• 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? - 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. (The field of study should be political science, international relations, peace and conflict studies, communications, media and information studies, journalism, data science, or a related field) - Experience in supporting the development of policies, papers, guidelines, training materials, presentations, and visualizations is desirable. - Experience in conducting research and analysis 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

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Common Systems cannot be engaged as an intern. Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Common System cannot be engaged as an intern. In your Motivational Statement, please indicate when you would like to start your internship. Please note that the start and end dates are flexible. A complete online application is required. The Motivational Statement must also include: • Title of degree you are currently pursuing. • Graduation Date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the programme?) • Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship • Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

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