This may be the topic that arouses your interest and for good reason, since there are very few people who are able to spend months dedicating themselves to an unpaid internship. Many people wrongly believe there are no paid internships in the UN System. However, there are various organizations that belong to the UN System that offer stipends or some type of assistance. Obviously, you will not have a luxurious life as an intern but some of the programs provide sufficient and satisfactory living conditions for you to have this experience.

In this sense, the UN Internship Programs seek candidates interested in a highly diversified and multicultural work environment conducive to the development of their skills. The UN internships application process is a great opportunity for those interested in building an international career in the institution.

In pursuit of its mission, the OpenIGO network has prepared a comprehensive eBook (available soon) and support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in these competitive processes. These services include revising your UN internships application documents (curriculum vitae/resume and cover letter) and a mock interview, as per the United Nations model. We also offer a range of packages that combine the eBook with different services.

UN Internships – Products & Services

UN Internships e-Recruitment Websites

There is no single platform that houses all the internship programs that are part of the UN System. The vacancies are advertised on the internet, through the various recruitment sites available. In this article, we will present 3 main websites where the UN Internship opportunities are announced.

It was for this reason that OpenIGO created an intelligent system that brings together all the internship opportunities in just one place, facilitating your search for internships.

Search for UN Internship Opportunities

1) UN Careers Website

Many people think that all the UN System internships are advertised on the UN Secretariat careers site, believing that this is the only place that advertises vacancies. As mentioned above, the majority of UN System organizations have their own site for selecting interns.

In fact, UN Careers is one of the main sites to advertise internship and job opportunities within the UN System, including various vacancies, not only at the UN Secretariat, but at other agencies (UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNCTAD and UNODC, among others). However, there are various other sites that applicants should also be aware of.

2) World Bank Group Website

There is the World Bank Group site, and although many people do not know this, this organization also belongs to the United Nations System. The World Bank internship program is valid for three of the Group’s main agencies, namely, IBRD, IDA and MIGA. The other two WBG agencies, IFC and ICSID, have their own intern recruitment site.

Discover our products & services related to the WB Internship

WB Internship Products & Services

3) UNDP Website

Another major UN Internships e-Recruitment website that is worth mentioning is the one of UNDP. It is a transversal site that includes internship and job opportunities in various UN System categories, and sectors of activity. The majority of the internship vacancies available are distributed throughout the UNDP’s different regional and local units of activity. However, the site is also shared between other agencies, funds and departments to advertise internships, such as UN Women, UNCDF and UNOSSC, among others.

Lastly, there are various smaller agencies and funds that have their own sites for internship and job announcements. Many of these agencies have their own main site to advertise vacancies at their headquarters, while the regional units have specific sites to advertise internships, and other recruitment and selection processes.

The following tables present the different sites that advertise UN System internships.  First of all, examples of agencies with their own sites are given and, then, some which share the same site (the list is not exhaustive).

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