Categories: Vacancies, September 2026

Communication Intern

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Department/Office : Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Deadline: Mar 18, 2025

Job Description

Work Location

Addis Ababa

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

This profile is for the sole purpose of the Internship Programme of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, for the Regional Integration and Trade Division. There should be no expectation of employment within the UN after an internship.

Interns shall not be eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, positions at the professional level and above carrying international recruitment status in the Secretariat for a period of six months following the end of their internship. The intern must be a resident of Addis Ababa. Interns at the United Nations Secretariat are not paid. All costs of travel and accommodation, including living expenses, must be covered by the intern or any relevant sponsoring institution. Please see the Internship Programme website for more information on living expense estimates for Addis Ababa.

The Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) of the ECA is responsible for promoting regional cooperation and integration among African countries. It has three main sections: African Trade Policy Centre, Regional Integration, and Market Institutions. The division aims to enhance the capacity of member states and regional economic communities to develop policies related to deepening regional markets, boosting intra-African trade and investment, accelerating industrialization, fostering market institutions, and tackling the challenges of structural transformation. The division also supports member states in ensuring policy coherence and alignment with the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

Role and Responsibilities:

The Communication Intern will support RITD’s efforts in disseminating its research and knowledge products by distilling key messages and ensuring effective communication of its work to stakeholders. The intern will work under the supervision of ATPC’s communication focal person and in close collaboration with all RITD colleagues.

Key responsibilities include:

Assisting in the development of communication materials, including policy briefs, reports, and infographics, by extracting key messages from RITD’s knowledge products.

Supporting the drafting of social media content, newsletters, and web articles to enhance RITD’s outreach and visibility.

Reviewing and editing reports and policy documents to ensure clarity and accessibility for diverse audiences.

Assisting in the organization of webinars, workshops, and events by preparing communication materials and post-event summaries.

Supporting media monitoring and analysis related to trade and economic integration in Africa. Assisting in updating and maintaining ATPC’s digital platforms, including its website and social media channels.

Conducting research on best practices in communication and knowledge dissemination to improve RITD’s outreach strategies. Performing other communication-related tasks as required.

Qualifications/special skills

To qualify for the United Nations Secretariat Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:

1. Applicants must be enrolled in a degree programme in a graduate school (second university degree or higher) both at the time of application and during the internship; or

2. Applicants pursuing their studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages must have completed at least four years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of a degree.

Undergraduates (for instance, students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree) are not eligible to apply. Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme. However, specialized experience in various professional fields is an asset.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. Fluency in spoken and written English and/or French is required for the Internship Programme.
Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an asset.
In addition to English and French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish are also official languages of the UN.

Additional Information

Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/or skills and expertise. Applicants are asked to please indicate preferences which best match his/her suitability and do so carefully in order to enhance the value of the internship for both the intern and the receiving UN department.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.