Work Location

Geneva – remote

Expected duration

3-6 months, flexible start date

Duties and Responsibilities

We are looking for motivated interns to join the Innovation and Analytics Hub (the Hub) at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva. The Hub leverages cutting-edge methodologies to analyze global human rights trends and patterns, supporting early warning and monitoring efforts. It also leads the integration of advanced data analytics and frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance human rights analysis. As an intern, you will be assigned to at least one of the following Hub workstreams : 1) Strategic coordination and planning; 2) Digital technology, data and innovation; 3) Risk analysis and early warning; and 4) Global analytics and field support. Our interns report to full-time professional staff and work as full members of our team. As an intern, you will pursue projects that are designed to make a permanent difference, and benefit from insights into the work of the entire UN System. We encourage candidates who can ideally commit to a full-time schedule and in person for a minimum duration of three months up to six months. Depending on the situation of the successful candidates, the internship may also be conducted remotely. In your application, you should indicate your period of availability and the workstream you are interested in. Candidates for the UN Internship program in person are required to cover the cost of travel including visa, accommodation, health insurance and other living expenses for the duration of the internship. OHCHR offers internship opportunities in the following workstreams: Workstream 1: Strategic Coordination and Planning • Assist in the and coordination of strategic planning meetings, communications and outreach activities, training workshops, webinars, round-tables etc., including by drafting relevant materials. • Support the tracking and analysis of strategic initiatives and their implementation. • Support the establishment of an Office-wide Community of Practice on data and analytics, digital transformation, innovation and behavioral science. Workstream 2: Digital Technology, Data and Innovation • Contribute to the planning, design, and implementation of digital transformation projects. • Assist in the development and deployment of data analytics tools and platforms. • Support the integration of innovative technologies into existing workflows. • Provide technical support and training for digital tools and platforms. Workstream 3: Risk Analysis and Early Warning • Monitor and analyze emerging human rights risks and protracted crisis situations • Contribute to the development of human rights risk assessments and early warning reports. • Assist in the coordination of human rights risk analysis activities • Support the preparation of briefings and presentations on risk analysis, including for UN prevention processes. Workstream 4: Global Analytics and Field Support • Contribute to the collection, analysis, and visualization of data from field offices. • Assist in the development of analytics reports and dashboards for decision-making. • Support the dissemination of innovative tools and best practices to field offices. • Provide technical assistance and training to field offices on data analytics and reporting.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: Applicants to the United Nations Internship Program must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: 1) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent or higher such as master’s degree or equivalent, Ph.D. or post-graduate degree). 2) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent). If selected, applicants must commence the internship on the date specified in the Acceptance letter. Interested candidates can pursue studies in the following fields relevant to each workstream. Please specify in which workstream you are interested in. Workstream 1: Strategic Coordination and Planning: Political Science, Communication, Business Management, Public Administration, or related fields. Workstream 2: Digital Technology, Data and Innovation: Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Human Rights Statistics, or related fields. Workstream 3: Risk Analysis and Early Warning: International Relations, Law, Political Science, Social Sciences, or related fields. Workstream 4: Global Analytics and Field Support: International Development, Geography, Political Science, Data Science, or related fields. Experience: Most interns have prior internships or a year or two of full-time work experience; however, this is not formally required for participation in the UN Internship Program. The following skills and experiences are desirable for this internship: Workstream 1: Strategic Coordination and Planning: Strong organizational and coordination skills, analytical thinking, excellent written and verbal communication, experience with visual design, and attention to detail are desirable. Workstream 2: Digital Technology, Data and Innovation: Interest in emerging technologies, innovation, and digital transformation; familiarity with digital tools, and experience in data analysis are desirable. Workstream 3: Risk Analysis and Early Warning: Solid knowledge of human rights principles and international human rights mechanisms, excellent drafting skills. Previous experience in human rights and demonstrated proficiency in report-drafting based on diverse data sources are desirable. Workstream 4: Global Analytics and Field Support: Interest in system-wide analytics, data collection methods, capacity-building, data analytics, and geospatial information management is desirable. Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship fluency in English is required (both oral and written). Knowledge of another United Nations official language would be an advantage (i.e. French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Additional Information

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.