Economic Affairs – Intern

The position is in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Internship Programme is unpaid and full-time, i.e., an intern is expected to work five days per week (40 hours). The position is located in the Productive Capacities and Sustainable Development Branch (PCSD) of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes (ALDC). The internship will tentatively start on 5 January 2026 for an initial period of three months. For in-person internships, interns must have a valid visa. All costs of travel, accommodation, medical insurance and living expenses must be covered by the intern. To work remotely the applicant shall have full access to a computer with a modern browser in which to run the latest version of Office 365 applications that will allow him/her to perform the tasks within the scope of the internship. The computer must have basic IT security best practices implemented. At a minimum, the applicant should have: • Installed on his/her computer the latest version of the Microsoft Windows operating system, software and security updates as soon as they are issued. • Enabled the built-in software firewall that comes with the operating software of the computer. • Enabled the password manager for the creation of strong passwords and to secure access to all UNCTAD/UN-related resources. RESPONSIBILITIES: Training and mentoring will be provided all along the internship. Carrying out his/her tasks under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer, under the overall guidance of the Head of PCSD, the intern will: – Assist the Branch in the implementation of technical assistance to strengthen productive capacities holistically in various developing countries, including in the area of Blue Economy, agricultural value chains, and value addition strategies in Southern African countries; – Assist in preparing the Holistic Productive Capacities Development Programmes based on National Productive Capacities Gap Assessments, under the guidance of the Programme Management Officer; – Assist in collecting and synthesizing information and preparing summary notes as input to broader sectoral studies, both country-based and global, and supporting project proposal development to assist in productive capacities development in African countries, LDCs and other target regions. More generally, interns shall: 1. Observe all applicable rules, regulations, instructions, procedures and directives of the Organization notwithstanding their status as described in section 4 of the UN Internship Programme Administrative Instructions ST/AI/2000/9 & ST/AI/2005/11. 2. Provide the receiving departments/offices with a copy of all materials prepared by them during the internship. The UN shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material which bears a direct relation to or is made in consequence of, the services provided under the internship. At the request of the UN, the interns shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to the UN in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law. 3. Respect the impartiality and independence required of the UN and of the receiving department/office and shall not seek or accept instructions regarding the services performed under the internship agreement from any Government or from any authority external to the UN. 4. Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the receiving department/office, they may not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or any other external source any information which has become known to them by reason of their association with the UN or the receiving department/office, that they know or ought to have known has not been made public. They may not use any such information without the written authorization of the appropriate official, and such information may never be used for personal gain. These obligations also apply after the end of the internship with the UN. 5. Refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the UN or on the receiving department/office and will not engage in any activity which is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the UN. There should be no expectation of employment within the UN after an internship. Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, positions at the professional level and above carrying international recruitment status in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship.

The United Nations internship programme is intended to expose students or recent graduates to the United Nations in order to enhance their educational experience and to help them to gain experience in the work of the Organization. Therefore, applicants to the programme must at the time of Application meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or, (b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent). Moreover, interns should: • Should be computer literate in standard software applications; • 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 includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. No working experience is required for this internship. 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. For this position the University degree must be in the area of economics, development, law, political science or other social sciences deemed appropriate.