EEAS Vacancy: Funded traineeships for young graduates at the EU Delegation to The United Nations in New York - Multiple sections

Are you a young graduate interested in international relations? Are you curious to learn more about work of a diplomatic mission and how the EU Delegation represents EU interests and values at the United Nations in New York?

We offer:

Traineeships of up to 6 months within the following sections of the EU Delegation to The United Nations in New York, starting in March2026, start date and duration subject to budget availability:

Section 1 - Traineeship in the Political Affairs and Security Council:

Dealing with these subjects including the activities of the United Nations relating to international peace and security, including peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and non-proliferation/disarmament issues, in particular at the Security Council and General Assembly, and coordinates as appropriate the position of the EU and its Member States in these fora.

Section 2 - Coordination, Press and Information:

The section ensures policy coordination across thematic issues (including contacts with the UN Secretariat, EU Headquarters, and partners; for the Delegation’s briefings and reports), organises the EU Ambassadors meetings and diplomatic outreach with the wider UN membership, coordinates EU positions and negotiates processes at the General Assembly plenary (including on the UN80 Reform process and the Revitalization of the GA, and notably the coordination of the EU presence during High-Level Week in September), organizes EU events, and conducts all press, information and public diplomacy activities of the EU at the UN.

Section 3 – International Partnerships and Sustainable Development:

This section works on the achievement of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals.  It covers issues structured in four clusters: (i) social, (ii) economic, (iii) green and blue and (iv) digital and infrastructure. These issues – and their geopolitical context - are discussed within the UN General Assembly and specifically its 2^nd Committee and the UN Economic and Social Council. In 2026, this Section will coordinate several processes such as the High-Level Meetings on HIV/AIDS, Pandemic Preparedness Prevention and Response and Sea-Level Rise and the International Migration Review Forum – in addition to the annual processes such as the Commission for Social Development, the Commission on Population and Development and of course the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development which will be crucial ahead of the 2027 SDG Summit. The Section will also focus on the sustainable development pillar of the UN80 process. Specific interest/qualification in one or more of the four clusters will be greatly appreciated.

Section 4 - Human Rights and Social Affairs

Dealing with human rights and social affairs – covering a wide range of issues in the area of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as gender equality, rights of children, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples – at the UN in New York, in particular at the General Assembly and its Third Committee, as well as at the Security Council and subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC (such as the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Social Development) as well as other processes, meetings and events, and coordinates as appropriate the position of the EU and its Member States in these fora.

Section 5 - UN Horizontal Issues, UN Budgets, Management and Reform

In the context of the UN80 initiative and the Organization's financial crisis, the Fifth Committee is a key decision-making body of the General Assembly where resources meet mandates—the engine room that keeps the entire UN operational. The Fifth Committee (5C) handles administrative and budgetary matters, effectively determining how the Organization translates its mandates into tangible outcomes. Without adequate resource allocation, even the most aspirational UN initiatives may face implementation challenges. This session will be dedicated to UN peacekeeping operations.

The EU Member States are collectively the largest financial contributor to the UN and play a key role in ensuring that all mandates receive the necessary funds to be fully implemented, especially in this financially significant period. This provides an opportunity to observe how the EU coordinates positions among the 27 Member States and speaks with one voice in negotiations that affect global challenges. In addition, it offers a unique vantage point to observe and contribute to intergovernmental negotiations and engage with UN officials across all departments.

Section 6 – Legal and Institutional Affairs, Counter-terrorism and Sanctions:

The Legal Section follows developments on: 

• UN legal affairs, in particular the work of the UNGA 6th Committee, as well as Law of the Sea, international courts and tribunals;

• Accountability issues (state responsibility for internationally wrongful acts, individual criminal responsibility, investigation mechanisms etc.);

• UN sanctions, in particular the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and their implementation in the EU legal system;

• UN counter-terrorism activities;

The Legal Section also provides legal advice to the Delegation on all EU and UN legal and institutional matters. 

Section 7 - Humanitarian Affairs 

The Humanitarian Section: 

• Represents the EU in international dialogues on humanitarian issues, including on the normative frameworks for humanitarian action (UNGA and ECOSOC);

• Attends operational and donor briefings and reports on their contents, and expresses on these occasions EU priorities, concerns and views on the operational activities and policies of the humanitarian organisations;

• Engages in humanitarian advocacy and diplomacy vis-a-vis UN bodies and UN Member States;

• Maintains contacts with representatives of the EU’s key humanitarian partners at the UN Secretariat (OCHA), international organisations (ICRC, IFRC) and other relevant actors in New York;

• Follows discussions on thematic issues and relevant country situations in the different UN bodies, including at the Security Council.

Main tasks for all sections: 

• Supporting the work of the section, by working on the coordination of the EU Member States’ positions for the negotiation of resolutions and the finalisation of EU statements.
• Supporting the team in drafting reports, organizing meetings, preparing the local outreach in support of the EU positions.
• Attending meetings organized at the United Nations, the EU Delegation, EU Member States, NGOs, etc.
• Attending external events.
• Any other task, which may be beneficiary to the trainee with the aim to better understand the dynamics of the EU Delegation in the UN policy context, to raise awareness of the main policy and legal challenges in the UN context and to gain first-hand insight into decision making and negotiations processes.

We look for:

Qualifications or special requirements:

• Excellent drafting skills in English, knowledge of French will be an asset.
• Knowledge of the workings of the European Union and of the United Nations would also be an advantage.
• Candidates must have less than one year of professional experience after graduation by the signing date of the traineeship agreement  (student jobs and internships are excluded).

Visa requirements:

The application for an entrance visa or a work permit must be arranged by the trainee in accordance to the local legislation. The Delegation will provide a letter to request a G3 visa at the US consulate of his/her country of residence.  Visas must be valid for the entire duration of the traineeship.

How to apply?

Candidates must apply to the e-mail address (delegation-new-york-intern@eeas.europa.eu) and send the following documents:

• A detailed standard Europass curriculum vitae (CV) https://europa.eu/europass/en (CVs in other format will not be considered). Please specify the type of employment (e.g. paid or unpaid internship, student job, etc.).
• a cover letter describing why you want to participate in a EU traineeship
• and an application form

Please mention in the subject of your e-mail: Funded Traineeship - Name/Acronym of the Section (you may only apply to 1 traineeship per delegation, however based on your profile, the delegation could offer you a traineeship in another section). Applications without the name of chosen section in the subject line will not be considered.

Important information to read before applying

Before applying you are requested to examine the dedicated website as well as the general eligibility criteria for a paid traineeship (Article 8 of the Decision ADMIN(2017)28 – Paid traineeship).

Each selected trainee will receive a monthly grant to cover living expenses. All costs related to travels, visa, insurance, accommodation must be borne by the trainee. 

Applications from non-eligible candidates will not be considered. After the evaluation of all applications, shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified by email. In case the selected candidates are not able to present the required documents, their application will be rejected.

The traineeships can only be offered in compliance with the local legislation as well as the legislation of the country of origin. 

Citizens from EU Member states:

• must provide proof that they will be covered against the risk of a pandemic and the costs of repatriation;

• must hold a relevant entrance visa and / or temporary residence permit where applicable, based on the traineeship agreement, the duration of the traineeship, and in compliance with the local legislation.