Youth, Peace and Security(YPS) Intern

The Position

The YPS Intern will be based at the UNFPA West and Central Africa Regional Office in Dakar. Under the direct supervision of the Youth, Peace and Security Specialist, the intern will work in close collaboration with relevant program teams.
A work-plan with achievements for the duration of the Internship and learning opportunities will be agreed upon. Periodic progress meetings will lead to a beneficial environment for the Intern enhancing her/his skills and capacity in areas related to UNFPA’s mandate.

How you can make a difference

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

You would be responsible for:

Under the supervision of the YPS Specialist, the intern will support:

Research and Analysis

• Support background research on youth participation in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and humanitarian action in the country office.
• Support in monitoring and compiling reports on national and regional YPS policies and initiatives.
• Support the development of briefing notes, fact sheets, and policy documents on YPS-related topics.

Project Support:

• Assist in facilitating the regional planning, coordination, and technical oversight of Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) projects and initiatives across country offices.
• Support implementation of regional office activities related to youth engagement in peace processes, mediation, and conflict prevention.
• Contribute to the design of youth-led peacebuilding initiatives and training sessions.

Communication and Advocacy:

• Draft social media content, newsletters, and blog posts to promote YPS activities.
• Assist in developing advocacy materials for youth-focused campaigns on peace and security.
• Support the organization of webinars, dialogues, and workshops with young peacebuilders.

Partnership and Coordination:

• Support engagement with youth networks, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders.
• Assist in documenting best practices and lessons learned from YPS interventions.
• Participate in inter-agency meetings and provide administrative support for YPS coordination efforts.

Qualifying for an Internship

All interns must meet the following educational and other eligibility requirements:

Educational requirements

• Be enrolled in a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and have completed one full academic year;
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as master’s programme or higher);
• Have recently graduated with a university degree as defined above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation; or
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional trainee programme and undertake the internship as part of this programme.

Other eligibility requirements

• Demonstrated interest in the field of development, peace and security, youth engagement, and related fields.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word,
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