Internship at the United Nations Office at Vienna

Guidelines covering the Ad Hoc Internship Programme of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Since 1985, the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have accepted a limited number of unpaid interns on an ad hoc basis. The purpose of the programme is threefold:

• To provide a framework by which graduate and postgraduate students from diverse academic backgrounds may be assigned to the United Nations offices, where their educational experience can be enhanced through practical work assignments;
• To expose them to the work of the United Nations;
• To provide United Nations offices with the assistance of qualified students specialized in various professional fields.

The specific guidelines for the placement and admission of interns at United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are set out below. Students interested in interning at other UN offices should contact those offices directly for further information as they are administered separately.

1. Application Procedure
   Application forms specifically designed for internship are available at Human Resources Management Section, UNOV. Offices receiving applications for internships should refer such requests to the Human Resources Management Section. Applications must be accompanied by the latest copy of university transcript(s), an up to date curriculum vitae, and a short essay in English or French stating the purpose of obtaining an internship. Duly completed application forms and documentation should be submitted in duplicate, no earlier than 8 months and no later than 4 months before the start of your intended period, to the following address:
   Co-ordinator
   Ad-Hoc Internship Programme
   Human Resources Management Section
   United Nations Office at Vienna
   P.O. Box 500
   A-1400 Vienna, Austria
   internship@unvienna.org
2. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
3. Eligibility/Conditions
   1. Interns may be accepted to the programme provided the following conditions are met:
      • The applicant is a graduate student or holder of a first university degree or equivalent who intends to study further or to work in a field relevant to UNOV's and UNODC's activities; or
      • If the applicant is pursuing studies in a country where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages, he/she must have completed at least four years of university studies;
      Applicants who are undergraduates (with no completed first degree) will not be eligible to participate in the programme.
   2. Languages required:
      The applicant should be fluent in at least one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, i.e. English and French. Knowledge of other official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) would be an asset.
   3. Fields of study:
      Social and political sciences, psychology, economics, journalism, finance, business administration, international relations, and international law (trade, criminal, public, comparative laws).
   4. Duration:
      At least two months, which may be extended exceptionally for a period of up to six months, but no longer than one year.
      The internship programme is on a full-time basis. The interns are expected to work five days a week in a department/office which has selected them, under the supervision of an experienced staff member.
      Requests for part-time, shorter or longer periods will not be considered.
   5. Endorsement:
      Endorsements of application by educational/nominating institutions or, in exceptional cases, by the permanent mission of the applicant's country to the United Nations, must be clearly indicated with seal or stamp in Part II of the application form.
   6. Medical insurance:
      Interns are required to have and show proof of a valid health/medical insurance coverage in Austria during their internship and provide a medical certificate of good health. UNOV and UNODC accept no responsibility for the medical insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship.
4. Expenses
   Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of the intern or their sponsoring institution(s).
5. Receiving Offices
   It is the responsibility of the receiving office to create a working environment conducive to the interns' substantive learning and professional development. The Programme Managers should seek to ensure that an intern's assignment is related to his or her field of study, meaningful for both the department/office and the intern, and at the appropriate level of complexity and variety.
6. Third-party claims
   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/her internship.
7. Selection procedure/administration
   Selection procedure
   1. Should a substantive office wish to accept an intern, a short outline of the proposed assignment in the form of a job description/Terms of Reference must be prepared according to the requirements of that office and submitted to Human Resources Management Section. Human Resources Management Section will evaluate the job description proposed to ensure that it is in line with the aims of the Internship Programme. As openings occur, applicants' suitability will be reviewed in the light of the requirements.
   2. All applications are pre-evaluated by Human Resources Management Section to determine the suitability of candidates in terms of their qualifications and experience.
   3. Applications given a positive pre-evaluation will be submitted to the appropriate substantive offices for review and consideration.
   4. Should an applicant be acceptable to a particular office, they should indicate their agreement by completing the Placement of Intern Candidate form and obtaining confirmation from DACS/General Services that office space is available, and return the form to Human Resources Management Section along with a job description [if not already done previously - see a) above] at least two weeks prior to the intern's proposed start date. (Please note: UNODC requests should be sent through MAU)
   5. The Human Resources Management Section will obtain agreement from the successful candidate to the proposed internship and initiate reference checks.
   Administration
   1. Commencement of the internship
      Interns will be requested to report to Human Resources Management Section at the beginning of the day on the first day of internship to complete the necessary formalities which include signing a waiver statement and making arrangements for issuance of a grounds pass.
   2. Working hours
      Interns carry out their assignments according to the schedule of working hours agreed upon with the substantive office. Interns must provide written notice in case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances which prevent them from observing these working hours.
   3. Visa
      Interns are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas and to comply with local Austrian laws concerning police registration.
   4. Use of VIC Library
      Substantive offices accepting interns are responsible for making the necessary arrangements for their use of the VIC library, if required.
   5. Conduct
      Interns are required to conduct themselves at all times in a manner that is compatible with their responsibilities as UNOV/UNODC interns and in accordance 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 department/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 department/office, they may not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or any other external source any information which has become known to them by reason of their association with the United Nations or the receiving department/office, 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.
   6. 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 UNOV.
      Interns are also expected to provide the receiving departments/offices 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 which 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.
   7. Privileges and immunities
      Interns are not staff members and therefore are not entitled to any privileges and immunities extended by the host country to staff members of UNOV/UNODC. 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. They shall also not represent the United Nations in any official capacity.
      Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship.
   8. Reports
      On completion of the internship, interns are asked to complete a questionnaire on their experience and their supervisors are requested by Human Resources Management Section to complete the "Report on Intern" form.