Political Affairs Intern

New York

3-6 Months, starting approximately on 1 July 2026

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is seeking for a qualified intern for a maximum period of six months to work on advancements in science and technology within the context of international peace and security. This internship is located in the Science, Technology and International Security Unit of the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), New York. The Science, Technology and International Security unit advises and assists the Office of the High Representative, the Office of the Director, and the Secretary-General in the discharge of their responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations and implements mandates given by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other organs of the United Nation's systems. Its programmatic work focusses on scientific and technological issues in the context of international peace and security, including artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons, information and communications technologies, uncrewed aerial vehicles, missiles technologies, among others. This internship is unpaid, full-time and in-person at the New York duty station. The manager may allow part-time, remote or hybrid internships at the request of the successful candidate. Interns will be assigned to a primary supervisor and must adhere to the established official working hours five days per week with one hour for lunch break. The Intern, under the supervision of a primary supervisor, shall be assigned to the Science, Technology and International Security Unit of the Office for Disarmament Affairs. For more information, please refer to: https://disarmament.unoda.org. Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background, the intern's assigned tasks, and the internship period. Interns shall undertake the following duties which may include, but are not limited to: • Assists in drafting and preparing official documents, summaries, talking points, speeches, remarks and web content. • Monitors trends and developments on emerging technologies and other cross-cutting issues. • Conducts research on science and technology related matters, such as cybersecurity/information communication technologies security, artificial intelligence, uncrewed aerial vehicles, lethal autonomous weapons systems etc. • Assists during conferences and intergovernmental meetings. • Performs other related duties as required.

Applicants must 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 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 is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the Internship Programme. 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.

Not available.

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.

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.