Trade Development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Middle East and North Africa Intern

Assist in trade development projects in Eastern Europe and MENA regions.

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ITC - International Trade Centre

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Application deadline 7 months ago: Friday 10 Oct 2025 at 03:59 UTC

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Overview

Assist in trade development projects in Eastern Europe and MENA regions.

You have:

  • Be enrolled in a graduate school programme in Economics, Law, development studies, social sciences or politics.
  • Have graduated with a first university degree or master degree in relevant fields within the last year.
  • Advanced level of written and spoken English.

Contract

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

Work Location

HQ-Based, Geneva, Switzerland

Expected duration

3 months renewable

Duties and Responsibilities

BACKGROUND ITC is the joint cooperation agency of the WTO and the UN for trade-related technical assistance. ITC's mission is to foster sustainable economic development of developing countries and countries with economies in transition through trade and international business development. ITC works to support the achievement of the sustainable Development Goals by connecting micro, small and medium enterprises to global value chains. By enabling small business export success in developing countries, ITC helps generate sustainable incomes and livelihoods, especially for women and youth while taking into consideration sustainable elements such as the environment and social responsibility. The Division of Country Programmes, comprising of five regional Offices, is responsible for conducting country needs assessments and providing required solutions through implementation of trade related technical assistance programmes. In addition, it is responsible for country intelligence, managing strategic relationship with clients, and overall coordination of ITC activities in each region. The Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (OEECA) covering 18 countries and the Office for Middle East and North Africa (OMENA) covering 21 countries are responsible for developing, monitoring, coordination and implementation of ITC’s export development activities and projects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES Under the overall guidance of the Chief, Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Acting Chief of the Office for Middle East and North Africa as well as under direct supervision of other members of the team, the intern will:  Assist in collecting and compiling background economic information in EECA and MENA regions and on selected countries;  Undertake research and analysis of strategic goals and priorities of development partners in the EECA and MENA regions, and help design effective resource mobilization approaches;  Assist in project development for selected EECA and MENA countries  Contribute to the development of project-related documents  Assist in the preparation of briefing notes, presentations and progress reports;  Undertake socio-economic research on the region and develop country profiles reflecting up-to date information. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind.

Qualifications/special skills

EDUCATION Applicants to the programme shall, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: a) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in Economics, Law, development studies, social sciences or politics; b) Have graduated with a first university degree or master degree and, if selected, shall commence the internship within one year of graduation, in Economics, Law, development studies, social sciences or politics.

Languages

Languages and skills  Advanced level of written and spoken English.

Additional Information

Training Components and Learning Elements  Gain meaningful work experience in the area of trade-related technical assistance aimed to expand their academic, professional and personal learning;  Gain experience in the work of ITC and deepen knowledge and understanding of ITC’s goals, mission and projects’ implementation;  Have access to ITC’s Learning and Development’s presentations and briefings as well as trainings, as applicable. On completion of the assignment, the Intern is expected to:  Have acquired a clear understanding of the United Nations system and more particularly ITC’s mandate, goals, services and impact.  Have gained knowledge of the complexity of technical assistance for trade development, with a focus on the Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the MENA regions;  Be better equipped to analyse trade development priorities of beneficiary countries, in particular in the EECA and MENA regions, and draft relevant chapters for project proposals;  Have acquired the skills to draft and consolidate inputs for various internal documents, such as progress reports, briefing notes, communication items.

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 conducted research for a project. What process did you follow? To assess your research skills and methodology in a professional context. Detail your approach to research, including any challenges and how you overcame them.
How do you ensure accuracy in your written communications? To evaluate your attention to detail and communication abilities. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies would you use for effective project management in a multicultural team? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Explain a challenging report you prepared and how you went about it. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What do you believe are key factors in successful international trade development? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you give an example of how you adapted to a new environment or culture? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you gather data for a socio-economic analysis of a country? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 8 months ago - Updated 7 months ago - Source: careers.un.org