Water & Climate Intern- Gulf Area Office- In Abu Dhabi for Two Months

For every child, Empowerment

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

This internship aims to support UNICEF GCC office in designing, planning, organising and reporting of sessions and activities that are child‑oriented during the DIHAD, Water conference in December and COP 31 in November 2026.

• Compile all facts and follow up on updates about the two UAE based events and the COP in Turkey
• Keep track of governmental and private sector child‑focused engagements in all events
• Support the design of specific sessions and activities related to children in all three conferences
• Report and compile stories from the 3 events highlighting UAE engagement.

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in, or have graduated within the past two years from, an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. degree programme, preferably in international development, social work, media and communication or environmental studies.
• Exposure to political and ethical discussions about water and climate and expressed interest in climate issues.
• Proficiency in at least one of UNICEF’s working languages:
  English, French or Spanish and fluent in the working language of the office of assignment
• Strong academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with UNICEF Values.

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self‑awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

add the 8th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role.

Familiarise yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realisation of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio‑economic background, minority or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

Should you be shortlisted, please get…