Job Opportunities
Internship Programme
The Internship Programme of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
General
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) accepts unpaid interns on an ad hoc basis. The purpose of our Programme is to offer students from diverse academic backgrounds an educational experience through practical work assignments within the international environment of the UN, while offering the United Nations the assistance of qualified students specializing in various professional fields.
Eligibility
1. Applicants to the UNICRI internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
- Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or,
- Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent).
2. A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member.
Also, please bear in mind that:
- United Nations interns are not paid. All costs related to travel, insurance, accommodation and living expenses must be borne by either the interns or their sponsoring institutions;
- Selected candidates are responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and for arranging their travel;
- Interns are responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the internship and must show proof of a valid major global medical insurance coverage.
Application procedures for the UNICRI Internship Programme
Effective immediately, the hiring of interns for our Programme will be done using the United Nations Secretariat online recruitment system, Inspira, and eligible candidates can apply on the United Nations Career Portal. The first step in the process is to create a profile which is a prerequisite for submitting job applications in Inspira.
Once the profile is completed, applicants can search for Internship Job Openings they are interested on the Job Openings page of UN Careers under the category "Internship".
All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online well before the deadlines stated in the Internship Job Openings. No applications will be accepted after the deadlines. The deadlines for all current applications will be stated on the Careers Portal website as well as in the Internship Job Openings.
Online applications will be automatically acknowledged where an e-mail address has been provided. Please note that you will receive two (2) confirmation e-mails:
1. First e-mail confirms your registration
2. Second e-mail confirms your application for an internship. This e-mail will be sent after the successful submission of your application.
Languages required
Applicants must be fluent in at least one of the working languages of the United Nations (English and French). Knowledge of other official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
Fields of study
Fields of study may include international relations, international law, social and political sciences, psychology, economics and public administration.
Duration
The minimum duration of an internship is two months, which may be extended depending on the needs of the office to a maximum period of six months.
The internship programme is on a full-time basis. Interns are expected to work five full days a week in the Unit that has selected them, under the supervision of an experienced staff member.
Medical insurance and certificate
Interns are required to provide proof that they have valid health or medical insurance coverage in the countries of UNICRI duty stations during their internships. UNICRI accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance of an intern or compensation in the event of death, injury or illness during an internship. Interns must provide a medical certificate of good health issued by a duly qualified medical practitioner.
Expenses
The United Nations does not remunerate interns in any way. All costs related to an intern's participation in the programme must be borne by the applicant who will have to make his/her own arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, etc. Interns do not receive a salary or emoluments from the United Nations.
Claims, privileges and immunities
The United Nations is not responsible for any claims by any parties where the loss of or damage to their property, death or personal injury was caused by the actions or omission of action by an intern during his or her internship.
The United Nations is also not responsible for compensation for damage to property or for service-related death, injury or illness incurred by interns during their period of internship.
Interns are not staff members and therefore are not entitled to the privileges and immunities extended by the host country to the staff of UNICRI. They shall not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against posts authorized for the implementation of mandated programmes and activities.
Commencement of the internship
Interns will be requested to report to the Internship Coordinator at the beginning of the first day of their internship to complete the necessary formalities, which include: providing proof of medical insurance and the certificate of good health, and receiving an induction briefing.
Working location and hours
The work performed by the intern during the internship will be on the premises of the office to which he or she is assigned. Interns are not permitted to travel outside of the immediate duty station for official purposes.
Interns carry out their assignments according to the schedule of working hours agreed upon with the substantive office.
Interns must inform their supervisors in writing in case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances that prevent them from observing those working hours. For absence of longer than three days on medical grounds, a sick leave certificate is required and for periods of longer than two weeks the intern has to provide to the Internship Coordinator with a certificate from the treating physician that he/she is fit to return to work in order to resume the internship.
Visa
Interns are personally responsible for obtaining their visas in the country of their nationality/residence. Visa matters are handled solely by the local Governments through their representations abroad.
Conduct
Interns are required to conduct themselves at all times in a manner compatible with the standards of conduct of international civil servants.
Interns shall respect the impartiality and independence required of the United Nations and of the receiving office and shall not seek or accept instructions regarding the services performed under the internship agreement from any Government or from any authority external to the Organization.
Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the receiving office, they may not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or any other external source any information that has become known to them by reason of their association with the United Nations or the receiving office and that they know or ought to have known has not been made public. They may not use any such information without the written authorization of the appropriate official and such information may never be used for personal gain. These obligations also apply after the end of the internship with the United Nations. Interns may not represent the United Nations in any official capacity.
Confidentiality
Interns are required to keep confidential any and all unpublished information acquired during the course of their internships and may not publish any reports or papers on the basis of information obtained, unless authorized to do so by UNICRI.
Interns are also expected to provide the receiving office with a copy of all materials prepared by them during the internship. The United Nations shall be entitled to all property rights (including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks) with regard to material that bears a direct relation to, or is made in consequence of, the services provided under the internship. At the request of the United Nations, the intern shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to the Organization in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law.
Subsequent employment
The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with the United Nations but to complement an intern's studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment following an internship.
Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in the Professional or higher categories in any organization/office belonging to the United Nations Secretariat, regardless of source of funding or type and length of appointment for a period of six months following the end of their internship. Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to the positions of Junior Fellow, Senior Fellow and Consultant during the period of the internship and for the six months immediately following the expiration date thereof;
Reports
On completion of the internship, the intern's supervisor is required to complete a written evaluation of the intern's performance and organize a meeting with the intern to provide constructive feedback. In turn, the intern must complete a questionnaire on his or her experience.
