UNICEF Mongolia is seeking two national interns to support relevant programme sections, government counterparts, UN agencies, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office. The interns will contribute to both technical and operational preparations for COP17.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
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For every child, commitment.
The 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17–28 August 2026 under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.” This major global conference will convene governments, UN agencies, development partners, civil society and technical experts to advance solutions on desertification, land degradation and drought resilience.
As part of the United Nations system in Mongolia, UNICEF is supporting the Government of Mongolia in COP17 preparations, with a focus on promoting child-sensitive climate action, resilient WASH systems, and youth engagement in environmental sustainability.
The UNICEF Internship Programme offers qualified students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain practical experience under the supervision of experienced UNICEF personnel while contributing to high-level national and international processes.
How can you make a difference?
The UNICEF Internship Programme offers eligible/qualified students the opportunity to acquire direct practical experience in UNICEF's work under the direct supervision of experienced UNICEF staff. This internship is for the purpose of acquiring organizational knowledge of rules, regulations and processes to supplement academic and theoretical knowledge.
Under the supervision of the WASH Officer, and in close coordination with relevant UNICEF programme sections, government counterparts, UN agencies and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the interns will support UNICEF Mongolia’s technical and operational preparation for COP17.
Key duties and responsibilities
The interns will support the following:
- Assist with coordination and logistical preparation for COP17-related activities, including meetings, consultations, site visits, events and stakeholder engagement processes.
- Provide documentation and knowledge management support, including preparing meeting notes, consolidating comments, maintaining action trackers, organizing reference materials, and supporting drafting or formatting of briefing notes, concept notes, presentations and background documents.
- Support inter-agency and government coordination, including follow-up with relevant ministries, implementing partners, UN agencies and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office on agreed actions and timelines.
- As needed, conduct background research and information gathering on COP17 thematic areas relevant to UNICEF’s mandate, including climate-resilient WASH, child-sensitive climate adaptation, land restoration, and youth engagement.
- Support preparation and implementation of Government-requested COP17 demonstration initiatives, including field coordination, monitoring of implementation progress, documentation of results, and liaison with local authorities and partners.
- Assist with event preparation and visibility activities, including preparation of communication materials, participant coordination, venue readiness checks, and support during UNICEF-led or co-hosted COP17 events.
- Participate in relevant coordination meetings and field visits, including activities related to river basin rehabilitation and other climate resilience initiatives.
- Perform other related tasks as assigned by the supervisor.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
JD for COP 17 support intern_VA.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
- Be enrolled in an undergraduate program and be at least in your junior and/or senior year in one of the following relevant disciplines: Environmental Science, Climate Change, Water Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Public Policy, International Relations, Development Studies, Project Management, or related disciplines.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- Relevant experience will be desirable but not required.
- Fluency in English is required.
- Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
- Knowledge/expertise/ skills required in Geo-referencing, Microsoft Planner and new technology usage, MS Excel, PDF, etc.
- Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.