Work Location

In-person

Expected duration

3-6 months. Desired start date is 14 September 2026, or sooner.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duration of the internship is for three (3) to six (6) months, with a five-six months commitment preferred. This internship is UNPAID in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise working arrangement from (New York, USA). This internship is located in the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) at United Nations Headquarters in New York. A full-time internship is for a period of three to six months, with the duration agreed by the selected candidate and UNCCT. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 45 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of UN counter-terrorism capacity building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for UN counterterrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the UN System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the UN Global Strategy. The overall aim of the Centre is to support Member States in the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy through capacity building. The internship is situated within the Countering Terrorism Section of UNCCT, which deals with issues such as Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), Border Security and Management (BSM), Cybersecurity and New Technology, addressing Terrorist Use of Weapons, as well as regional engagements in Central Asia and the Arab region. The intern will perform the following functions:

Contribute to substantive research and analysis of issues related to the programme and support the preparation of project documentation, technical inputs, visibility materials, reports, briefing papers, talking points, background notes, speeches, webstories.
Participate in meetings, as appropriate, and draft the respective notes, summaries and reports.
Keep abreast of the latest trends and monitor events and developments on issues related to countering terrorism, including in particular as it pertains to countering the finance of terrorism, border security and management, cybersecurity and new technologies, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear, small arms and light weapons and improvised explosive devices; and/or as it relates to Central Asia and the Arab region
Process and organize relevant information and data, categorizing the information by its relevance to the Programme as well as inputting into various UNOCT databases.
Provide assistance in tasks related to organizing fact-finding missions, training courses, workshops, round-table meetings, conferences, events, etc. to enhance capacities and policies in Member States.
Perform other tasks, as required.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent) 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. Proficiency in standard word processing and software applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Copilot, is required. Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the United Nations Charter. 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. Please note that you may be asked to provide relevant certificates at a later stage as proof of educational background.

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 UN language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations.

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. 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.

Programme Management Intern: Support Counter-Terrorism Programming