Sustainable Development Intern

Work Location

Bangkok

Expected duration

6 months starting from September 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the division or office to which they are assigned. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. 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 Sustainable Development and Countries in Special Situations Section is based in the Office of the Executive Secretary and coordinates the work of relevant ESCAP divisions to support these countries as well as coordinating the annual intergovernmental Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. The work of the Section focuses on the follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. This position is located in the Sustainable Development and Countries in Special Situations Section (SDCSS). The intern works under the supervision of the Sustainable Development Officer. Interns will gain first-hand experience regarding the activities of the SDCSS and will have direct engagement in the implementation of one of ESCAP's flagship meetings, the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. The internship is centred on assisting the SDCSS in range of tasks related to event organization, communications and the engagement of various stakeholders in the APFSD and Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda processes. The intern will be working within a dynamic team and depending on the intern's background experience, education, skills and interests, duties may include, but are not limited to the following: COORDINATION: -Provides logistical and coordination support to meetings and events being organized by the section, specifically for the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development -Assist with logistics before and during meetings, including registration, presentations and assisting with relevant tasks related to servicing intergovernmental meetings -Prepares meetings with different internal and external stakeholders, including speakers, moderators, youth representatives, civil society organizations, partner organizations and other stakeholders, as required -Monitors, moderates, and engages with online communities and supports stakeholder outreach and engagement activities -Supports the delivery, documentation and reporting of trainings, learning events and other capacity development initiatives -Supports youth engagement processes, consultations, interactive dialogues and activities surrounding the APFSD and related sustainable development initiatives COMMUNICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: -Designs and creates communications multimedia and social media outreach materials, which may include videos, flyers, social media cards, briefs, presentations, documents, blogs, visual assets, promotional materials and event content -Provides support in updating and maintaining related websites with relevant materials and content in a timely manner -Performs tasks related to strategic communications, public information and digital outreach; -Uploads knowledge management products, publications and multimedia resources to external websites and knowledge platforms OPERATIONS AND RESEARCH SUPPORT: -Researches, analyses and presents information gathered from diverse sources, including synthesizing data and outcomes from forums, consultations and stakeholder engagement activities into reports, presentations, infographics and other knowledge products -Assist in background and preliminary research for the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Goals in the Asia-Pacific region, including, but not limited to, education, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management -Assist in the organization of substantive materials related to the work of ESCAP in support of the Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda -Supports the team in their day-to-day activities and tasks and other ad-hoc duties, as assigned.

Qualifications/special skills

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, applicants must meet one of the following requirements: a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or 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) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one year period of graduation. Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the Programme. Are you a student in a Bachelor’s (final year), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have you completed a degree and are able to commence an internship within a year of graduation?

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 asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

A completed online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. In your motivation statement, please outline any relevant information not already included in the application as well as the following: • Your desired start date and length of availability • Explanation of your interest in the United Nations internship programme and your familiarity with sustainable development challenges in the Asia-Pacific region • Any knowledge or experience in intergovernmental meetings or international organizations Please note that due to the large number of applicants, divisions are not in a position to reply to each application and that only short-listed applicants 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.