Intern - Intergovernmental Affairs

Work Location

Bangkok

Expected duration

6 months, commencing in December 2026.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is the main legislative organ of ESCAP and reports to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. The Commission meets annually at the ministerial level to discuss and decide on important issues pertaining to inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in the region, to decide on the recommendations of its subsidiary bodies and of the Executive Secretary, to review and endorse the proposed strategic framework and programme of work, and to make any other decisions required, in conformity with its terms of reference. The Commission session comprises a senior officials segment and a ministerial segment. The Special Body on Least Developed, Landlocked Developing and Pacific Island Developing Countries, is held during the ministerial segment. The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ESCAP also provides support to partners at the national level. ESCAP’s national offer is rooted in and linked with the implementation of global and regional intergovernmental frameworks, agreements, and other instruments. This position is located in the Office of the Executive Secretary, in the team of the Secretary of the Commission. The interns work under the supervision of the Secretary of the Commission and the Deputy Secretary of the Commission. The internship is UNPAID and full-time for the duration of 6 months, commencing in December 2026. Interns work five days per week (37.5 hours) in Bangkok. Interns will gain first-hand experience with regard to the activities of ESCAP in website, strategic communications, public information, digital outreach and knowledge management. They will also gain a greater understanding of how ESCAP works and its range of activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Responsibilities The internship is centred on assisting the team of the Secretary of Commission in preparing and delivering the annual sessions of the Commission, organizing meetings of the Advisory Committee of Permanent Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission, discharging a range of tasks related to organizing intergovernmental meetings, supporting negotiations of member States as well as providing website/information management and knowledge management support in relation to the annual sessions of the Commission. The interns will focus on the following work areas, as assigned: AREA 1: INTERGOVERNMENTAL SERVICES (40%) - Assist with logistics before and during meetings, including registration, presentations and assisting with relevant tasks related to servicing intergovernmental meetings; - Assist in the preparation of procedural scripts for meetings, and undertake other preparatory tasks; - Contribute to the preparation of talking points, and other papers and briefing materials; - Attend and take notes of discussions held in meetings; AREA 2: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (40%) - Assist with the creation and updating of website content; - Contribute and assist with developing and updating communication materials; - Perform tasks related to strategic communications and public information; AREA 3: OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION (20%) - Support the day-to-day management and activities of the team of the Secretary of the Commission; - Support issue management related processes and prepare related correspondence; - Prepare meetings with different internal stakeholders, as required; - Other ad-hoc related duties as assigned.

Qualifications/special skills

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or, (b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent). 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. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Studio, Drupal, HTML and CSS are desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. In your Candidate Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences (if any), IT skills, and three references. Have you completed a UN Internship before? If yes, please include the UN entity as well as concrete dates. Please also indicate your availability to commence in December 2026. Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted for further consideration.

Intern Specific text

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.

No Fee

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.