Work Location

Hybrid or in-person

Expected duration

6 Months. The desired start date is on 13 April 2026 or sooner.

Duties and Responsibilities

The internship is for a period of six (6) months. We are targeting to hire 1 intern who will serve 6 months. The internship is UNPAID and may be full-time (35 hours per week) or part-time (20 hours per week) under the supervision of a staff member in the Office of Military Affairs (OMA). The position is located in the Military Experts Section, of the Office of Military Affairs (OMA), Department of Peace Operations (DPO). The incumbent report to the relevant senior officer and other relevant Officers as required. The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) serves as a center of excellence for peace operations, responsible for preventing, responding to and managing conflict and sustaining peace in countries where peace operations under its purview are deployed, and provides support to other entities on peace and security issues. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) focuses primarily on five action areas in international peace and security, ensuring sound analysis and early warning, preventing conflict and engaging in peace making, managing political crises and violent conflicts, sustaining peace, and enhancing partnerships. The Department’s mandate is to prevent and resolve conflict through inclusive political solutions. Responsibilities Responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period. Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Produce regular analytical and thematic briefs on issues,policies and other related developments related to UAS and Counter-UAS actions and activities.
• Assist in the drafting and dissemination of relevant polices, guidelines and SOPson the use and misuse of UAS in mission contexts, including implications for mandate implementation, force protection, base defence, host-State relations, and information integrity.
• Support the development of strategic assessments linking UAS and C-UAS implementation to broader security, geopolitical, and conflict dynamics in relevant mission settings.
• Draft background papers, concept notes, policy, issue briefs, and senior leadership talking pointsas requested.
• Monitor open-source reporting, think tank publications, Member State doctrine, and multilateral discussions related to UAS and C-UAS including airspace governance, emerging technologies, operational development and ISR trends.
• Assist in integrating political risk considerations into UAS and C-UAS implementation planning and policy formulation, including analysis of reputational, legal, and host-nation sensitivities.
• Develop structured research products and dashboards that synthesize security trends and provide clear strategic recommendations for decision-makers.
• Provide analytical, IT and drafting support for internal and external briefings and inter-departmental partners, ensuring research outputs are concise, policy-oriented, dynamic, compelling, and actionable..
• Perform other duties as required. Qualifications/special skills To qualify for an internship with the United Nations, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:(a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent). Interested candidates must be pursuing or pursued their degree in areas related to this Job Opening, preferably in a subject matter related to Field of study to be preferably in political science, history, international relations, security studies, law or related fields. In addition, interested candidates must: – Be computer literate in standard software applications including MS Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point); – 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 and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English is required for this internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an asset. 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. The United Nations does not financially remunerate interns. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. For internships in the United States of America, interns who are not United States citizens, permanent residents, or not currently in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa status will be required to obtain a G-4 visa. If already in the United States of America on another non-immigrant visa status other than G-4, interns will be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa and, if required, employment authorization, allowing them to undertake the internship. For internships outside the United States, interns who are not citizens of the country, permanent residents, or not currently in the country’s nonimmigrant visa status will be required to obtain a valid visa and work permit, allowing them to undertake the internship. The United Nations must ensure all applicants for an internship, regardless of citizenship or national origin, are authorized to work from the country where the internship will be undertaken either remotely, hybrid or on the UN-premise duty station. Before resuming an internship, the applicant must submit proof of visa and/or work authorization. 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. reviewed. 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.