UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, runs an internship programme that places students and recent graduates across all of its programme sectors, central services and Category I Institutes. This “All Sectors / Bureaus” call is a general talent-pool posting: applicants apply once, enter a pool of intern candidates, and are then assessed and selected by individual hiring managers as needs arise rather than against a single named vacancy. Internships last one to six months and can be based at UNESCO Headquarters (Paris), field offices or institutes. The programme is intended to give interns first-hand experience of UNESCO’s work while they contribute to research, document preparation, data analysis and the organization of events.
Benefits & funding
- Unpaid: UNESCO does not remunerate interns; there is no compensation, financial or otherwise, for internship assignments.
- Limited workplace insurance coverage against the risk of injury, illness, disability or death.
- 2.5 days of leave per month during the internship.
- Hands-on experience across UNESCO sectors and development of core competencies (accountability, communication, teamwork, innovation).
- Note: travel, accommodation and living costs are not covered by UNESCO and must be met by the intern or an external sponsor.
Eligibility
- Minimum 20 years old.
- Academic status, one of: currently enrolled in the 3rd or final year of a Bachelor’s degree; currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD; or having completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD within the last 12 months. Technical/vocational applicants must be in their final year or have graduated within 12 months.
- Excellent command, written and spoken, of English or French; working knowledge of the other is an asset.
- Open to external candidates; no specific nationality restriction is stated.
- No prior professional work experience is required.
Can you apply?
Worth a closer look
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Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled · PhD
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Age requirement
≥ 20 yrs
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Prepare a CV/résumé and a motivation statement (documents not in English or French need unofficial translations).
- 2Apply online through the UNESCO careers portal; the online form must be completed within a one-hour session.
- 3Once submitted, your candidacy enters the pool of intern candidates and remains valid for six months.
- 4Hiring managers review the pool and contact only the candidates they wish to assess and select.
Program timeline
Application deadline (midnight) for this call
Dec 31, 2026
Rolling
Internships start on dates agreed with the hiring office; candidacy stays valid for 6 months after submission