Global Internship Roster 2026

UN News; Davenport (IA); On-site; USD 11,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stipend for living expenses

Local currency stipend

Job summary

UNFPA internship opportunities for 2026 are open to students enrolled in bachelor’s or master’s programs or recent graduates. The program supports learning in development and gender equality through a structured internship.

Stipend provided for living expenses, with payments in local currency for the applicable duty station, and eligibility includes language proficiency and adaptability to diverse environments.

Qualifications

• Be enrolled in a first university degree programme (bachelor’s) and have completed one full academic year.
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (master’s or higher).
• Recent graduate must start internship within one year of graduation.
• Enrolled in a postgraduate professional trainee programme.

Skills

English proficiency

Interest in development

Adaptability

Education

Enrolled in bachelor’s or equivalent

Enrolled in postgraduate degree program

Recent graduate (within 1 year)

Postgraduate professional trainee program

Job description

The Position:

Internship opportunities with UNFPA in 2026.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

Eligibility:

• a. Be enrolled in a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and have completed one full academic year;
• b. Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as master’s programme or higher);
• c. Have recently graduated with a university degree as defined above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation; or
• d. Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional trainee programme and undertake the internship as part of this programme.

Other eligibility requirements

• e. Demonstrate interest in the field of development;
• f. Demonstrate written and spoken proficiency in at least one of the working languages of the United Nations (English or French) and fluency in the official language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish) of the UNFPA office; and
• g. Demonstrate ability to adapt to new environments and to establish and maintain good working relations with individuals of different cultural backgrounds.

An individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a UNFPA staff member is not eligible for an internship with UNFPA.

Required Competencies:

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change.

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships.

Financial Support:

• Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party (such as an academic institution, university, government) are eligible to receive a stipend as a contribution towards living expenses.
• The stipend is based on the intern’s agreed place of work, which may be different from the duty station of the hiring office in cases of remote arrangements.
• The stipend is normally paid in local currency at the end of each month.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.