Economic intern

Geneva

01/10/26 to 31/03/27

The position is in the United Nations 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 internship is offered on an in-person basis. 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. The internship will tentatively start 12 October 2026 for a period of six months. The position is located in Geneva in the Statistics Analysis Unit, UNCTAD Statistics Service (STAT). The service engages in statistical compilation and dissemination (including infographics and visualization) in areas related to south-south cooperation, illicit financial flows, trade, investment, debt, global macroeconomy and sustainable development. Training and mentoring will be provided all along the internship. Carrying out his/her tasks under the supervision of the Chief of Statistical Methodology Unit, the intern will perform the following functions: • Assist with research and analysis on international trade, trade in services, digital trade, gender, and sustainable development issues. • Support the collection, compilation, validation, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data for statistical and development projects. • Contribute to the preparation and revision of project documents, analytical reports, policy briefs, presentations, and other technical documentation. • Provide support to the development and implementation of the Trade in Services Statistics Information System (TiSSTAT), including reviewing technical inputs, documentation, and capacity-building materials. • Assist in the preparation of project documents related to development cooperation initiatives, including costing exercises and results-based management frameworks. • Support the organization and coordination of meetings, workshops, webinars, and technical consultations, including preparing agendas, presentations, meeting minutes, and background documentation. • Contribute to communication, outreach, and knowledge-sharing activities related to UNCTAD's statistical and development programmes. • Assist with project coordination, monitoring, reporting, and follow-up of ongoing activities across multiple technical assistance projects. • Assist in drafting correspondence, briefing notes, programme documents, and other administrative or technical materials as required. • Perform any other duties as assigned in support of the implementation of the unit's statistical, methodological, and capacity-building activities. 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. 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

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) relating to economics, political science, international relations, development studies, gender studies or another relevant discipline; (b) be enrolled in a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent) in one of the above-mentioned fields; or (c) have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation. For this position, it is suggested to: - Be computer literate in standard software applications, including Microsoft Office. - Have a demonstrated interest in the work of the United Nations and international development. - Have a demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multicultural and collaborative environment. - Have strong analytical, research, organizational and drafting skills. - Have knowledge of quantitative data analysis tools (e.g. Excel, SPSS, R, Python, SQL or Power BI) and an interest in international trade, trade in services, gender, statistics and sustainable development. 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. 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. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for this Internship Programme. Knowledge of French is desirable.

ASSESSMENT: Candidates will be assessed based on their Personel History Profiles (PHP). Individual interviews may be conducted for further assessment. A complete online application (Cover Note and Personal History profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The cover Note must include: - Title of the degree; - Graduation date (when will you be graduating from the programme, if not yet graduated); - List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in;- Explain why you are the best candidate for the internship position. In your Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experience, if any; IT skills and three (3) references. Due to high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted. SPECIAL NOTICE: This profile is for the sole purpose of the Internship Programme of the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development. There should be no expectation of employment within the UN after the internship. Interns are not 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. Applicants who are children or siblings of a staff member are not eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. Applicants who are otherwise related to a staff member may be engaged as interns, provided that they are neither assigned to the same work unit as such. staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of such staff member.

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.