Policy Intern

Work Location

In person in New York or remote, full time or part time modalities would be considered.

Expected duration

Expected duration: 3 months. Desired start date: October/November 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: On 8 September 2022, the General Assembly unanimously adopted resolution 76/306 to establish a UN Youth Office as a dedicated entity for youth affairs within the Secretariat. The UN Youth Office is mandated to lead system-wide youth coordination, advocacy and policy coherence across the UN, while also promoting the meaningful engagement of young people in UN processes and decisions. A critical dimension of this work includes facilitating youth consultations, promoting intergenerational dialogue, and amplifying the voices and contributions of young people at the global level, including during key UN moments such as the General Assembly. Youth2030, the UN's system-wide strategy on youth, launched by the Secretary-General in 2018, outlines the achievement of impact for youth through joint action of the UN and collaboration with young people. The strategy delineates four foundational areas and five priority areas of action. The intern will be placed in the UN System Coordination and Accountability section of the UN Youth Office and will contribute to the work on Youth2030 strategy as well as the event on UN Youth Townhall that will bring young people, governments, the United Nations, civil society, the private sector and others into one space. The intern is expected to work four to five days per week, within the United Nations Youth Office, located at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, carrying out his/her tasks under the supervision of a staff member - the supervisor. Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background, the department to which he/she is assigned and the period during which he/she will undertake the internship. The intern is expected to perform various activities, and will work in areas of policy on youth issues, including: • Assist to carry out research on selected aspects of youth policies, programmes, youth-led ideas and solutions and other activities or systems relevant to the youth agenda. • Assist in data collection, analysis, and dissemination on working with and for youth; support knowledge sharing and management. • Assist in mapping and collating tools and resources to advance the youth agenda and support the development of a toolkit. • Assist in identifying, compiling and drafting case studies, and promising practices on youth issues, to support global showcase; support capacity building efforts. • Support in youth engagement and organization of special events, conferences, workshops, and High-Level events, highlighting youth leadership. • Support the preparation of substantive materials across a range of issues through briefs, talking points, speeches, and provide succinct analysis of key developments. • Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications/special skills

(a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent). (b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience; however, a field of study that is related to the type of internship 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. Good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel and other analytical tools is required. Experience on youth engagement or youth related policy-programming is an asset. Experience in Sustainable Development, Human Rights, Peace and Security or Humanitarian action is desirable. Candidates for the UN Internship Programme are required to cover the cost of travel including visa, accommodation, health insurance and other living expenses for the duration of the internship. Will you be able to cover all the above-mentioned expenses? Have you completed a UN Internship before? If yes, please include the UN entity as well as concrete dates? Applicants who are children or siblings of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations Secretariat. An appointment shall not be granted to a person who is the father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister, including step-parents, step-children, and step-siblings of a staff member. Do you have a family member(s) currently working in the UN Common System (UNCS)? If yes, please include the type of family member, first name, last name, date of birth, nationality, birth date, what UNCS the person works for, and if the person is an active or inactive staff member.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Additional Information

Visa and Work Authorization Mandatory Requirements: For internships in the United States of America, persons who are not United States citizens, permanent residents or on another non-immigrant (such as F1 or J1 visa) status, will be required to obtain a G4 visa. The selected person will be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa, and approved employment authorization (CPT/OPT/AT), allowing them to undertake the internship.

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.