UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) – Geneva Branch
Listed on Orbital Diplomat 17 Sept 2026
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) Geneva Branch provides substantive and organisational support to the multilateral disarmament architecture — including the Conference on Disarmament, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (including the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems), and the Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats (OEWG-RST). This Political Affairs internship is of direct relevance to the space security and governance community. Interns may be assigned to support the OEWG-RST — one of the most active current multilateral processes addressing the weaponisation of outer space and the development of norms of responsible behaviour for space activities — alongside other disarmament bodies. Responsibilities include drafting and preparing official documents, press releases and statements; maintaining records and datasets; attending and summarising conferences and meetings; conducting legal and documentary research; supporting conference logistics; and contributing to web and social media communications. The internship is based full-time in Geneva (40 hours per week), lasts a minimum of two months with extension up to six months, and is unpaid. Interns are responsible for their own travel, visa, accommodation, and living costs. For early-career professionals in space security or disarmament law, placement in the OEWG-RST support team offers direct exposure to the UN multilateral process most actively shaping the future normative framework for responsible state behaviour in outer space.
Currently enrolled in or recently completed a Bachelor's (final year), Master's, or PhD programme in a relevant field — political science, international relations, disarmament, international law, or peace and security studies Fluency in spoken and written English (mandatory); knowledge of another UN official language desirable Proficiency in MS Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) Demonstrated interest in the work of the United Nations and commitment to the ideals of the UN Charter Ability to work in a multicultural environment Internship is unpaid; interns are responsible for their own costs and visa arrangements