About us

The Permanent Mission of Belgium to the United Nations in New York provides a select number of internships for talented students. Interns become integral members of our mission's team, enjoying a unique chance to accumulate experience in diplomacy and international relations in a dynamic multilateral setting.

Internship Period

The internship usually lasts for three months:

• Q1: January-March;
• Q2: April-June;
• Q3: July-September (including the High Level Week of the General Assembly);
• Q4: October-December (annual session of the General Assembly).

Selection Criteria

To be eligible for our internship program, aspiring candidates should meet the following criteria:

• A strong interest in international relations and a thorough understanding of the UN system.
• Demonstrated analytical capabilities.
• Exceptional writing skills.
• Effective communication skills (social media management is a plus).
• Proficiency in multiple languages, including French, Dutch, and English.

Interns must be affiliated with an educational institution as a student for the entire term of the internship. To meet this requirement, two options are possible:

• the internship is part of the educational curriculum and is thus linked to obtaining a certain number of credits or ECTS credits;
• the internship falls outside the educational curriculum but carries the approval of the educational institution which delivers a certificate of approval.

An internship application that does not meet the above conditions will not be evaluated by the mission.

Duties of Interns

Interns can look forward to engaging in a wide range of responsibilities during their internship, including:

• Participation in UN meetings, monitoring the proceedings of key UN bodies such as the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the Security Council.
• Conducting in-depth research on various topics, ranging from sustainable development goals to international law and peace and security.
• Providing invaluable support to our diplomats by helping them to prepare their files. This includes tasks like assisting with UN resolutions, taking notes, and drafting comprehensive reports to our headquarters in Brussels.
• Collaborating on the coordination and execution of essential events, seminars, and meetings, among other duties.

Our internship program offers a rich and multifaceted learning experience that contributes significantly to the professional growth of students in this field.

Practical Information

The internship is unpaid. Interns cannot claim reimbursement for travel, housing, insurance or any other expenses. All such expenses are the sole responsibility and at the expense of the intern(s).

The interns are required to have health and disability insurance that covers repatriation to Belgium (or a third country).

Interns should also have a work place accident and civil liability insurance. Usually, they are covered by an insurance policy obtained through their educational institution. In the event that the intern’s educational institution does not provide workers' compensation and civil liability insurance, the interns should obtain such specific insurances for an unpaid internship in the United States on their own.

Please note that having adequate insurance is a prerequisite to participating in our internship program.

Application Process

Candidates interested in an internship should submit an internship application via the eStage platform with the following documents (multiple scanned documents can be grouped into one PDF file):

1. a curriculum vitae
2. a cover letter indicating the preferred internship period (Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4)
3. a letter of recommendation signed by a university professor
4. proof of enrollment in the educational institution
5. proof that the internship is part of the educational curriculum (ECTS) or the approval of the educational institution if it concerns an internship outside the curriculum
6. proof of coverage by work place accident insurance, civil liability insurance and health and disability insurance for the entire duration of the internship (if not explicitly mentioned in the internship agreement provided by the educational institution)

Candidates may send their questions to newyorkun@diplobel.fed.be.

Pre-selected candidates will be contacted for an interview at least three months prior to the start of the internship period.