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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, an advocate

UNICEF’s Child Survival Advocacy Team is hiring two advocacy interns to support the team for six months starting in May or June 2026. These paid internships are located in the Division of Global Communication and Advocacy. The interns will be supervised by the Advocacy Manager and Advocacy Specialist in the team.

We are looking for individuals who are passionate about securing new policies, resources, and commitments which will accelerate action on child survival. UNICEF uses a range of advocacy tactics and approaches to reach decision makers and the public, and an interest in learning more about how change happens is a necessity for this role. Working collaboratively with UNICEF offices and partners is a core part of the advocacy team’s role, and we are looking for individuals with a passion for partnership and coordination. Our strength as a team is driven by good communications, teamwork, and collective determination for high-impact actions and activities.

The internship aims to provide an opportunity to be embedded into UNICEF’s Child Survival Advocacy Team and part of cross-divisional project teams to learn more about global advocacy and communications strategies, initiatives, and activities, while also providing opportunities the selected individuals can undertake and lead on key tasks and projects to contribute to the team’s overall goals. Successful candidates will have an opportunity to work on UNICEF’s global advocacy and communications moments and priority workstreams, which could include report launches, data releases, influencing the outcomes of political processes and meetings, and the design and implementation of champion and influencer engagement strategies.

Both interns will have the opportunity to work on multiple issues and on cross-cutting projects, determined by areas of interest and expertise.

How can you make a difference? 

Key tasks during the internship will include:  

• Supporting the coordination of meetings, webinars, and workshops, and producing relevant resources for these
• Desk research and analysis to produce short briefings on key child survival topics
• Developing background materials and undertaking scoping for new projects and activities, including UNICEF’s new champion and influencer engagement workstream
• Writing key messages, drafting briefings, and developing communications related to events, meetings, and key moments
• Support monitoring and case study development to showcase results from advocacy activities at country, regional and global levels
• Attending and supporting meetings, partner workshops, and other internal events
• Improving and supporting internal coordination systems for knowledge sharing across UNICEF offices and National Committees
• Prepare pitch decks or presentations for advocacy and communications activities

To fill this role, we are looking for students and recent graduates with a background in international development, public health, public policy, or international affairs who see themselves in an NGO/non-profit sector advocacy, policy or communications role in the future. A background in communications, advocacy, or related fields with demonstrable knowledge in vaccines, food systems, nutrition, public health or international development is desirable. This role requires strong writing and organizational skills, and attention to detail.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
• Be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. degree programme in Public Health, Global Health International Relations, Public Policy, International Development, Human Rights, Communications, Journalism or have graduated within the past two years.
• Work Experience:
• Have a relevant background in nutrition, food systems, community health, global health, international development, or public policy. Experience in a prior NGO/non-profit role, especially in advocacy and communications, is an asset.
• Excellent writing and research skills, including experience in writing short reports and briefing notes.
• Experience developing or maintaining knowledge management tools and systems is desirable.
• Good working knowledge and experience across Microsoft SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, Excel is required.  
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to.​​​​​​​
• Additional consideration will be given for any relevant past experience.
• Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

please click here for the TOR   TOR_ Child Survival Internships 2026_approved and signed.docx

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable applicants are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.