Internship opportunity: Intern Economic Affairs

Duty Station: Addis Ababa

Department/Office: Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

Deadline: May 3, 2026

Job Description

The Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) is responsible for promoting regional cooperation and integration among African countries. It has three main sections: African Trade Policy Centre, Regional Integration and Economic Diversification Section and the Office of the Director. 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.

The core functions of the Division include contributing to enhancing the capacity of member States and regional economic communities to develop, implement and monitor policies and programmes to deepen regional markets and accelerate industrialization including in the pharmaceutical sector; contributing to enhancing the capacity of member States and regional economic communities to develop, implement and monitor policies and programmes in the areas of intra-African and international trade; assisting member States, Pan-African institutions, regional economic communities and intergovernmental organizations in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes for the advancement of Africa’s structural transformation; developing and disseminating policy tools, instruments and guidelines and helping to build the capacity of member States (including African landlocked developing countries) to identify opportunities for diversification, value adding and the development of manufacturing and industrial clusters; creating an enabling environment across the continent that is conducive to deeper regional integration; and supporting member States to ensure trade and industrialization policy coherence and the alignment of trade and industrialization policies with the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

These internship positions are in the Regional Integration and Trade Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, specifically in the Regional Integration and Economic Diversification Section, the African Trade Policy Centre, and the office of the Director respectively.

The internship is unpaid, full-time and in-person. Under the supervision of the Chiefs of the Regional Integration and Economic Diversification Section, the African Trade Policy Centre, and the Director of RITD the interns will:

• Assist with carrying out literature reviews and compiling databases to feed into research and analyses on regional integration and trade. Research areas could include but are not limited to, free movement of persons, labour mobility and skills portability, trade and the AFCFTA, regional and global value chains, customs union and common markets, and the development needs of landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).

• Assist in the organization of expert group meetings and policy dialogues.

• Assist in the preparation of briefing notes, talking points, and speeches for senior officials.

• Assist with any other ad hoc assignments of the Division.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

(a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in the area of economics, statistics, data science or related area.;

(b) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).

Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Masters or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Masters or PH.D. Programme in the area of economics, statistics, data science or related area is required.
Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
Ability to draft news articles and/or social media posts in desirable, and ability to design surveys and polls is desirable.
Knowledge standard software applications, such as MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel, and MS Teams is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of French is an advantage.

Additional Information

Women and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply. As per the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, do you identify as a person with disability? If Yes, please specify if you need any reasonable accomodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process?

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.