The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), through its Cluster on Conflict Prevention, Governance and Institutions, supports Arab countries in building resilient, effective, and inclusive governance systems, particularly in contexts affected by conflict, fragility, and political transitions. The Cluster’s work focuses on strengthening state institutions, fostering transparent and accountable governance, and promoting conflict-sensitive public sector reform. It provides analytical, normative, and advisory support on issues related to institutional resilience, rule of law, anti-corruption, public administration performance, and post-conflict governance reconstruction.
ESCWA’s work in governance also involves the development of regional and national indices to assess the quality of governance, public service delivery, and the performance of state institutions. This includes producing knowledge products and policy tools that help member States address structural governance challenges and design evidence-based institutional reforms. The internship offers a unique opportunity for students and recent graduates in international relations, public administration, or international development to contribute to impactful, data-driven work on governance in fragile and transitioning settings. The intern will support ESCWA’s work on governance and conflict prevention by contributing to both analytical and operational activities.
Duties will include, but are not limited to:
• Conducting research and preparing analytical briefs on governance structures, institutional reforms, conflict prevention strategies, and international policy frameworks relevant to fragile and conflict-affected contexts;
• Contributing to comparative analysis of governance systems and public administration reforms across Arab States, using sources such as national strategies, UN resolutions, and global governance indices;
• Assisting in the design, review, and interpretation of governance-related indicators and indices that measure transparency, institutional resilience, rule of law, and administrative effectiveness;
• Supporting the drafting of policy notes, country briefs, and background papers for high-level events, workshops, and internal meetings—drawing on frameworks from public policy and international governance;
• Assisting in the development of knowledge products related to institutional development, anti-corruption, and state-building, particularly those targeted at regional policy harmonization and capacity-building;
• Participating in the mapping of regional and international actors and policy frameworks relevant to conflict prevention and governance reforms;
• Assisting with event coordination, including concept notes and agendas for expert group meetings, technical dialogues, or capacity development sessions;
• Supporting internal and external communication through translation, editing, and content development in English and Arabic;
• Performing any additional duties as assigned by the Section Chief or Subprogram Director.
The duration of a United Nations internship is for a minimum of two months on a full-time basis - this may be exceptionally extended for a maximum period of six months.
To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:
1. Applicants must: (a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent); or (c) have graduated with a university degree (as defined above);
2. Applicants must: (a) be computer literate in standard software applications. (b) have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the UN Charter; and (c) have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views
No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme.
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