The Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA) is offering internships in the area of sustainable development. The interns will be part of the OPGA 76th session and will assist in the work of the Office. The interns will assist the team of advisers, closely monitoring and assessing priority issues, as they relate to the work of the UN General Assembly.

Internships in the UN are UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of the team leaders. The positions are located in the OPGA in New York have a duration of maximum 6 (six) months.

Professionalism: Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter. Ability to demonstrate a high level of concentration. Ability to work under stress. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Interns must 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.

Teamwork:-Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals-Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others-Places team agenda before personal agenda- Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position-Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Client Orientation:-Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view -Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect -Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions -Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems -Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects -Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:

1. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent); (c) Have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one year period of graduation.
2. Be computer literate in standard software applications.
3. Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
4. 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.

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Completion of studies or work experience on sustainable development issues or sustainable financing for development issues is an asset.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat).

Candidates will be assessed based on their Candidate Profile. Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.