FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO)

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME FOR AFRICA (RAF)

Vacancy Announcement No.: 2601980

Job Posting Date: 21 September 2026

Application Deadline: 31 December 2026

Job Type: Internship

Duration: 3 to 11 months

Duty Station: Various Locations

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger and achieve food security for all, ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 195 Members, FAO works in more than 130 countries worldwide.

The FAO Internship Programme aims to attract talented young women and men who are strongly motivated to share their new perspectives, innovative ideas and latest academic experience in FAO's areas of work.

The programme provides participants with an opportunity to supplement their academic knowledge through practical work assignments in fields related to FAO's mandate.

Through the internship experience, interns will contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and FAO's Strategic Framework in support of the 2030 Agenda.

REPORTING LINES

The intern will report to an assigned supervisor.

TECHNICAL FOCUS

Interns will be assigned to different fields of work according to their academic profiles and the needs of the Organization.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The intern will perform the functions specified in the Terms of Reference (TOR) prepared by the hiring office.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree programme at a recognized educational institution at the time of application, or be a recent graduate.
Hold higher educational qualifications from an institution accredited or recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), available at http://www.whed.net/.
Specialize in a field relevant to FAO's mission and work.
Have a working knowledge of at least one FAO official language: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish. Knowledge of a second FAO language will be considered an asset.
Be a national of an FAO Member country.
Be between 21 and 30 years of age.
Be able to adapt to an international, multicultural environment and demonstrate good communication skills.

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus
Teamwork
Communication
Building Effective Relationships
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Relevant academic studies in one of the fields of work of the Organization.

All candidates must adhere to FAO's values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All, and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview or processing.
Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non- and under-represented Member countries are encouraged to apply.
Candidates from Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land-Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are also encouraged to apply.
All applications will be reviewed. Only qualified applicants will be contacted directly by the hiring office for interviews and contacted again if selected.
Candidates who have already undertaken an internship assignment at FAO are not eligible for another internship.
Selected candidates must have the appropriate residence or immigration status in the proposed country of assignment before joining the Organization.
Candidates whose family members (mother, father, sister or brother) are employed by FAO under any type of contractual arrangement are not eligible for the Internship Programme.
FAO provides a monthly stipend to interns who are not sponsored by their sending universities or other entities.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should follow these application procedures:

Visit the official FAO recruitment website: https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=2601980
Complete an online candidate profile. Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure that their profiles are accurate and complete, including employment records, academic qualifications and language skills.
Attach a motivation letter and evidence of attendance at a recognized university or a copy of academic qualifications to the online profile.
Once the profile is complete, submit the application through the FAO recruitment portal.
Only applications submitted through the official FAO recruitment portal will be considered. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications will be screened based on the information provided in the online profile.

Personal information provided in applications may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO's behalf to provide employment support services, including application pre-screening, assessment tests and background checks. Applicants will be asked to provide consent before submitting their applications. Consent may be withdrawn at any time by withdrawing the application.

Candidates who are not selected before the closing date but wish to remain eligible for future assignments are requested to reapply when new calls are published.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications well before the deadline.

For assistance or enquiries: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 31 DECEMBER 2026

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

Official Application Link: https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=2601980

FAO INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR AFRICA