Internship (Development as Defense: Stakeholder Mapping, Partnerships, and Financing)

About the role

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Its focus areas are sustainable development, democratic governance and peacebuilding, and climate and disaster resilience, with human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities, and the most vulnerable at the core.

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) develops policy and guidance for UNDP’s Strategic Plan, provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates corporate messages, and engages in multi-stakeholder and inter-agency coordination. The BPPS Front Office manages the substantive flow of information to and from BPPS, coordinates the Director and Deputy Director’s internal and external engagements, and ensures alignment with the Crisis Bureau.

The objective of this internship is to identify how UNDP can position itself with defense and security stakeholders, develop concrete partnerships, and access new sources of financing. The work has three objectives:

• Evolve UNDP's message: identify how the development-as-defense narrative can connect with the priorities and language of the defense and security community.
• Identify partnership opportunities: map where UNDP could partner with defense and security actors in government and industry.
• Identify financing opportunities: map defense and security-related funding streams that could support UNDP's work, and how to access them.

The work covers four thematic angles:

• Climate and health resilience
• Governance systems
• Digital systems and AI
• Economic security

Responsibilities

• Map Defense and Security Narratives: Review national security and defense strategies, alliance and regional security frameworks, defense ministry and parliamentary statements, and defense industry and think tank publications. Document how these actors define threats and priorities, and how they describe the role of development, resilience and prevention.
• Climate and Health Resilience: Map how defense and security actors treat climate change and health emergencies as security threats, including climate-related instability, disaster response and biosecurity. Identify where UNDP's resilience work aligns with these concerns.
• Governance Systems: Map how security actors approach fragile states, stabilization, counterterrorism and preventing violent extremism. Identify where UNDP's governance, rule of law and stabilization work complements security objectives.
• Digital Systems and AI: Map defense and security priorities on cyber resilience, disinformation, critical infrastructure protection and AI. Identify where UNDP's work on digital public infrastructure, information integrity and AI governance connects with these priorities.
• Economic Security: Map how security actors frame economic resilience, supply chain security, energy security, youth unemployment and private sector recovery in fragile settings. Identify where UNDP's work on livelihoods, jobs, energy access and private sector development speaks to these priorities.
• Message Gap Analysis: Compare UNDP's current framing with the language and priorities of defense and security audiences. Recommend how messaging can evolve to build credible connections without compromising UNDP's development mandate.
• Partnership Mapping: Identify potential partners and entry points across defense ministries, security alliances, national security agencies and the defense industry. Look for opportunities in joint analysis, early warning and data, stabilization and recovery, civil preparedness, economic resilience and technology.
• Financing Opportunities: Map defense and security-related financing that could support UNDP programming, including resilience and civil preparedness commitments within defense spending, stabilization and peace and security funds, security cooperation budgets, and co-investment with the defense industry and private sector. Assess eligibility, entry points and the positioning UNDP would need to access these resources.

Requirements

Education

Applicants must meet one of the following academic requirements at the time of application:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent);
• Have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one year of graduation;
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Preferred fields of study: Development Studies, Economics, Governance, Health or Development, or other related field.

IT Skills

• Knowledge and proficient user of Microsoft Office productivity tools;
• Familiarity with digital platforms, AI tools and data visualization tools is desirable;
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel skills.

Language Skills

• Fluent in English (both written and spoken) is required;
• Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

Other Competencies and Attitude

• Interest and motivation in working in an international organization;
• Good analytical skills in gathering and consolidating data and research for practical implementation;
• Outgoing and initiative-taking person with a goal-oriented mindset;
• Communicates effectively when working in teams and independently;
• Good at organizing and structuring various tasks and responsibilities;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Responds positively to feedback and differing points of view;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Benefits

• Monthly stipend of USD $500 in accordance with UNDP internship policy.

Schedule

• Full-time internship with flexibility allowed for education programmes.
• Office-based internships: Intern responsible for travel, housing, visas, and associated costs; UNDP does not provide assistance.
• Home-based/remote internships: Intern responsible for providing own equipment (laptop/notebook), internet and communication access, and workspace; visas not provided for remote internships.
• Interns must secure adequate medical insurance for the duration of the internship and provide self-certification of good health prior to starting; UNDP does not reimburse medical insurance.
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.