Internship, Adolescents and Youth

The Position:

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Technical Advisor for Adolescents and Youth, Arab States Regional Office, the Intern will provide crucial support to the Arab States regional team. This role focuses on advancing youth participation and engagement, with a particular emphasis on Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health, youth-responsive programming in humanitarian settings and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) initiatives.
A comprehensive work plan outlining achievable milestones and learning opportunities will be mutually agreed upon. Regular progress meetings will foster a supportive environment, significantly enhancing the Intern's skills and capacity in areas aligned with UNFPA’s mandate.

You will report to the Regional Technical Advisor for Adolescents and Youth

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Key Responsibilities
As an Intern with the Adolescents and Youth Team, you will be responsible for a dynamic range of tasks, contributing significantly to our regional initiatives:

1. Support to Adolescents Girls Social Practice Lab & Country Team Coordination

• Provide direct support to the adolescents girls social practice lab, including logistical coordination, interpretation preparation and managing Zoom links.
• Facilitate engagement with adolescent girls by creating targeted activities and responding to their needs.
• Ensure consistent engagement with country teams and assist in reviewing their assignments.
• Manage and track assignments to ensure timely completion.
• Provide essential translation services from Arabic to English and vice versa for key documents.
• Assist with comprehensive documentation and reporting for various activities and initiatives.
• Support facilitators in preparing presentations and designing interactive activities using design thinking and knowledge-sharing approaches (e.g., brainstorming sessions, World Cafes, peer-to-peer learning, online polls, Q&A sessions).
• Designing communication materials and promotional visuals (e.g., flyers and posters) related to the lab.

2. Knowledge Management and Documentation:

• Lead the review, and translation of CSE Academy online content.  
• Update the UNFPA ASRO Youth microsite with identified resources, including links to publications, online tools, training materials, and multimedia content. Develop a content management plan to ensure the microsite remains current.
• Conduct a desk review and mapping of available global, regional, and national resources and knowledge products related to UNFPA's youth mandate, focusing on key themes such as CSE, youth leadership, youth policies and strategies, and humanitarian action.
• Contribute to the reactivation process of the Menassati youth platform by developing and implementing content management strategies.
• Support engagement, monitoring, and follow-up with Country Offices related to mapping 2025 country-level interventions in their youth programs. This includes:
  • Update UNFPA ASRO internal Country Profiles and continuously track UNFPA youth country teams' program and policy updates.
  • Support country-level youth mapping by gathering inputs through bilateral meetings and updating country profiles accordingly.
  • Review the standardized mapping template to capture essential information on youth program interventions.
  • Analyzing and summarizing mapping data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities in UNFPA's youth programming.
• Consolidate good practices and lessons learned from UNFPA's field implementation of youth programs focusing on sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence prevention, and meaningful youth participation, as guided by the youth advisor.

3. Administrative and Coordination Support:

• Provide ongoing coordination and administrative support to the Adolescents and Youth Unit, including follow-ups, document consolidation, participating in meetings, taking notes, and tracking action points to ensure effective team coordination.
• Provide essential translation services (Arabic - English and vice versa) for key team documents.
• Support the Youth team program assistant in coordinating logistics, including procurement processes and drafting notes.
• Support the Youth team in the preparation and documentation of regional events and webinars, including those dedicated to YPS, Youth in Emergencies, Adolescent Girls, and CSE. This involves:
  • Drafting concept notes, TORs, and agendas in collaboration with the Youth team.
  • Coordinating logistics, such as venue/zoom booking and participant recruitment.
  • Preparing presentations and reports that capture key outcomes and recommendations.
  • Designing interactive activities using design thinking and knowledge-sharing approaches (e.g., brainstorming sessions, World Cafes, peer-to-peer learning, online polls, Q&A sessions).
  • Designing communication materials and promotional visuals (e.g., flyers and posters) to support youth-related events and initiatives.
     

General requirements to qualify for an internship with UNFPA: 

All interns must meet the following educational and other eligibility requirements:

Educational Requirements:

• Be currently enrolled in a first university degree program (such as a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and have completed at least one full academic year; OR
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree program (such as a Master’s program or higher); OR
• Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within one year of graduation; OR
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional trainee program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Other Eligibility Requirements:

• Demonstrated interest in the field of youth participation and engagement.
• Demonstrated written and spoken proficiency in English & Arabic; additional fluency in French and is a strong asset.
• Ability to adapt to new environments and establish and maintain positive working relations with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Previous engagement with youth networks and/or youth-led organizations is a plus.
  
   

Your Education: Academic background in social work, youth work, development studies, political sciences, social sciences, conflict resolution, or public health.

Your Experiences: 

• Some experience working with development agencies, including in a volunteer capacity.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of other languages is an asset.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Initiative, sound judgment, and a demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members from different national and cultural backgrounds.
   

Learning Elements

Upon completion of the assignment, and depending on its duration, the Intern will gain valuable knowledge and experience, including:

• Increased understanding of UNFPA and the Arab States Regional Office within the broader UNFPA structure.
• A deeper comprehension of the UNFPA mandate and policies, including its regional setup and humanitarian mandate.
• Insight into UNFPA’s program design and delivery mechanisms.
• Understanding the dynamics of operational and program support and communications between field, regional, and HQ levels.
• Familiarity with UN technical language, working procedures, and coordination mechanisms.
• Enhanced ability to write and formulate substantive documents.
• Opportunities to network with UN colleagues.
• Valuable work experience as a team member in a multicultural setting.
   

Financial Aspects:

Interns do not receive a salary or any other form of remuneration from UNFPA. The costs associated with an intern's participation in the program must be assumed either by the nominating institution (which may provide financial assistance to its students) or by the students themselves. Interns are responsible for meeting their living expenses and making their own arrangements for accommodation, travel, and other requirements.
However, interns will receive a stipend to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, if they are not financially supported by any other institution or program (such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship program). The stipend amount is based on the intern’s agreed place of work, which may differ from the hiring office's duty station in cases of remote arrangements.
Additionally, applicants must have medical insurance for the entire duration of the internship. Proof of insurance will be required before the internship begins. UNFPA does not provide medical insurance for interns.

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:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

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. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.