Political Affairs Intern – West Africa Monitoring

About the role

This unpaid internship with the United Nations in New York supports the Western Africa Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. The intern will assist senior officers in monitoring political and security developments across 15 West African countries and the Sahel region.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor and analyse daily political and security events in West Africa and the Sahel.
• Produce a daily news feed and weekly analytical reports for the regional section.
• Summarise public, academic and media articles, with a focus on climate security and ECOWAS initiatives.
• Track implementation of the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) and maintain a related information repository.
• Prepare briefing materials for senior UN officials and draft meeting minutes.
• Conduct individual research assignments as required.

Required profile

• Enrolled in or have completed a graduate programme, or be in the final year of a bachelor’s degree.
• Field of study should be closely related to political affairs, international relations, security studies or a similar discipline.
• No prior professional experience is required.

Required skills

• N/A

What we offer

• Hands‑on experience in UN political analysis and reporting.
• Opportunity to work with senior UN officials on real‑world issues.
• Exposure to West African and Sahel regional dynamics.