Internship Programme

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger and to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.

The Internship Programme of Human Resources aims to attract talented young women and men who are strongly motivated to share their new perspectives, innovative ideas and latest research experience in FAO’s domains. The Programme provides a learning opportunity to the participants to supplement their academic knowledge with a practical work assignment in a field related to the work of FAO. Through the FAO internship experience, interns will contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and FAO Strategic Objectives to achieve Zero Hunger World – SDG2.

Reporting Lines

The intern will report to an assigned supervisor.

Technical Focus

The intern will be assigned to different fields of work according to his/her profile and to the needs of the Organization.

Tasks and responsibilities

The intern will perform the functions specified in the Terms of Reference (TOR) prepared by the hiring office before the beginning of the assignment.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

• Enrolled in an under-graduate, graduate degree programme in a bona fide (i.e. listed in the IAU/UNESCO data base) educational institution at the time of application or recent graduates.
• Candidates must specialize in a field relevant to the mission and work of FAO.
• Working knowledge of at least one FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish). Knowledge of a second FAO language will be considered an asset.
• Be nationals of FAO Member Nations.
• Candidates should be aged between 21 and 30.
• Candidates should be able to adapt to an international multicultural environment and have good communication skills.
• Candidates with family members (defined as brother, sister, mother or father) employed by FAO under any type of contractual arrangement are not eligible for the Internship Programme.
• Candidates should have appropriate residence or immigration status in the proposed duty station prior to the start of the internship assignment.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Relevant academic study in one of the fields of the Organization.

Information to applicants

• Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non- and under-represented member nations as well as candidates from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Land-locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) are encouraged to apply to this Call for Expression of Interest.
• All applications will be reviewed and only qualified applicants will be directly contacted for interviews by the hiring office and contacted again, if selected.
• Candidates who have already undertaken an internship assignment at FAO, will not be eligible for another internship.

FAO pays a monthly stipend to interns if they are not sponsored by sending universities or other entities.