UN

Careers at the UN

Positions at UN can be difficult to find. There are limited number of jobs/internships for undergrads or recent grads, and an even more limited number of paid jobs/internships. 

Where to look?

The UN has a variety of job positing sites and not every position is posted on every site. Positions can also be posted on individual UN organizations websites. 

UN Careers Page 

The UN Careers page lists available Internships, Volunteer Opportunities, etc. 

UN Young Professionals Programme (YPP) 

The UN YPP is a recruitment initiative to start a career as an international civil servant with the UN Secretariat. It consists of an entrance examination process and professional development once those who are successful start their career with the UN. 

UN Inspiria

UN Inspiria is one of the primary job positing sites the UN uses. You will need to make a free account in order to search for open positions. 

UNJob Net

UN Job net is another way to look for UN job lisitings. To save jobs you will need to make a profile. 

Finding UN Organizations

The UN has a wide variety of funds, programs, specialized agencies, and other entities and bodies along with there headquarters. These individual entities often maintain there own websites and job postings. 

Here is a list of UN funds, programs, specialized agencies, and other entities and bodies along with their headquarter location: 

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-system  

UN Entities

United Nations Global Compact

The Global Compact’s goal is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the SDGs through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. To make this happen, the UN Global Compact supports companies to: Do business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption; and take strategic actions to advance broader societal goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with an emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

Internships are available at the UN Global Compact’s New York Office. Internships are offered for the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. 

The Programmes Team covers the following thematic areas: Anti-Corruption, Climate, Communication on Progress (CoP), Gender, Human Rights, Labour Rights and Decent Work, Ocean, Programme management, Sustainable Finance, Transformational Governance, and Water.

United Nations Association of the USA

The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) is a movement of Americans dedicated to supporting the United Nations. With over 20,000 members (60% under the age of 26) and more than 200 chapters across the country, UNA-USA members are united in their commitment to global engagement and their belief that each of us can play a part in advancing the UN’s mission and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Internships are offered on a variety of topics with a focus on advocacy and community engagement.. Some are remote and others are based in Washington, DC. Internships are offered in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Applications are due in October, March, and July respectively. 

United Nations Development Program

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.

UNDP offers internships to students and recent graduated located in one of the UNDP country offices, regional hubs, or their headquarters in New York. UNDP interns are provided with a monthly stipend based on their duty station amongst other factors. 

United Nations Environment Programme

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global authority on the environment. UNEP’s mission is to inspire, inform, and enable nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. The UNEP is headquartered in Kenya. 

The UNEP offers internships which are posted on the United Nations careers website. 

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF offers internships to students and recent graduates. Internships are typically between six and twenty-six weeks and can be taken on a full-time or part time basis. UNICEF provides a monthly stipend to interns and sometimes additional funding to cover travel and visa costs. UNICEF will provide relevant supporting documents for visa applications. Internships are offered year round. UNICEF is headquartered in New York. 

United Nations Population Fund

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. We promote gender equality and empower women, girls and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures. We work with partners in more than 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services. Our goal is ending unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal death, and gender-based violence and harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030. 

UNFPA offers internships to a small number of qualified applicants. These internships are unpaid. 

World Food Programme

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.