UNFPA Global Internships — Paid Opportunities for Students and Graduates in Nairobi, Copenhagen, New York & Global Internship Roster

Overview

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) runs an internship programme giving students and recent graduates practical experience in international development, humanitarian programmes, youth engagement and supply chain operations. Interns work alongside specialists on reproductive health, gender equality, population data and youth empowerment. UNFPA operates in more than 150 countries. This listing covers four separate openings.

What you get

Selected interns may receive a monthly stipend, experience within the United Nations system, hands-on exposure to programme management, research, policy and operations, mentorship from UN professionals and networking with UN and international NGO staff.

The openings

The Private Sector and Civil Society Internship is at UNFPA headquarters in New York. It lasts 24 weeks, is full-time and in person, and covers partnerships, philanthropy, fundraising, donor intelligence and due diligence. The deadline is 9 September 2026 at 5:00 PM New York time, and applicants send a two-page CV and a motivation letter of up to 400 words by email.

The Foresight and Futures Work Internship is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and described as remote. It runs three months with possible extension, with an expected September 2026 start, and covers foresight, trend analysis, scenario planning and AI-assisted foresight. The deadline is 31 August 2026.

The Global Internship Roster lets candidates be considered for placements in country offices, regional offices and headquarters worldwide. A Supply Chain Internship Roster is run by the Supply Chain Management Unit in Copenhagen, Denmark, covering procurement, logistics, health commodity distribution and data analysis. Both rosters close on 31 December 2026.

Who can apply

Applicants are typically enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD programme or graduated within the past year, with strong academic performance and interest in development, population issues, gender equality or humanitarian work. For New York, applicants should be in a postgraduate programme, in the final year of a first degree, or recently graduated with an advanced degree in social sciences, public administration, international relations, business administration, development studies or a similar field. The foresight internship suits final-year Bachelor's or Master's students or recent graduates in futures studies, public policy, economics, demography, data science and related fields.

Requirements

Strong communication and research skills and proficiency in English are expected. Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.