The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the world organization of national parliaments. It is the oldest political multilateral organization in the world, dating back to 1889. The IPU promotes the peaceful settlement of conflicts through political dialogue and negotiation. Its mission is to work for stronger parliaments and better democracies. Its current membership stands at 183 Member Parliaments.
The IPU Secretariat is at the heart of the IPU's organization, and carries out its daily work. Based on a strong commitment to gender equality in our employment practices, the Secretariat has around 50 members of staff, supported by a number of consultants and interns, mostly based at the Geneva Headquarters, in the House of Parliaments. Led by the Secretary General, the Secretariat supports our Member Parliaments to be stronger institutions and to help them deliver on seven policy priorities. The Secretariat prepares its programme of work and budget aimed at helping the IPU achieve the Strategic Objectives of its 2022-2026 Strategy and the next 2027-2031 Strategy.
The Secretariat works as a cohesive unit with services and divisions focused on Member Parliaments External Relations, Programmes (Technical Cooperation, Resource Centre, Gender Partnership, Youth Empowerment, International Development), Human Rights, Communications, Support Services and the Executive Office.
Working under the authority of their manager, the intern would be required to support the administrative and substantive functioning of the relevant service or division, inter alia by:
- Supporting the team with the logistical preparations for activities and meetings, including documentation and materials;
- Providing backstopping to the division and team in terms of correspondence inflow and outflow and ensuring workflows and processes are aligned;
- Maintaining spreadsheets and correspondence records;
- Supporting the processing of communications for the Secretary General’s signature;
- Attending meetings, including those of the President and Secretary General if required, for the draft of concise minutes, with a focus on meeting outcomes and follow-up actions;
- Providing overall support during IPU activities, meetings, biannual assemblies and other ad hoc events;
- Carry out research related to the specific activity or programme, as required.
Given the sensitive nature of matters dealt with by the IPU, the selected intern will be expected to display discretion and respect confidentiality. The intern should be able to communicate orally and in writing in English and French, the IPU’s two official languages. Additional languages are an asset.
Tasks
The intern should assist in carrying out all the tasks assigned to the service/division as part of the team. The workflow will depend on the schedule of meetings and missions.
The intern should carry out any other tasks deemed suitable by the manager.
Location, working hours and length of internship
The internship would be based at IPU Headquarters in Geneva at 100% although other options - including telecommuting - may be available depending on the service or division where the internship is placed. The internship would be for a one-year period.
Remuneration: The IPU will pay the intern a monthly stipend of CHF 1’500 for a 100% contract (37,5 hour working week).
How to apply
Candidates should provide the following:
- Curriculum vitae
- A brief description (maximum 200 words) of why they are the right person for this internship
- Information about their availability to begin the internship
- Current Swiss resident/ work permit status
The deadline for applications is 23:59 (Central European Time, CET) on 3 September 2026. Candidates will only be contacted if they are under serious consideration. Incomplete applications or those received after the deadline will not be accepted.
Applications should be sent by e-mail to [email protected] with “Internship” in the subject line. For further information about the internship, please contact [email protected].
Recruitment principles
Our guiding principle in selecting candidates is to secure the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. We do not discriminate on any grounds and are committed to promoting diversity in our workforce.
Particular attention is paid to candidates from developing countries and to achieving gender balance. We strive to provide an environment where the contribution of each individual is valued.
All our personnel are expected to possess the following qualities:
- Motivation and a strong commitment to our principles
- Ability to work well in a multicultural team
- High level of technical knowledge relevant to the post
- Work experience at national and/or international level
- Fluency in at least one of our official languages (English, French) and a working knowledge of a second language. Additional languages are an asset
We ask all our staff, consultants and interns to agree to our Code of conduct for personnel and our Fraud and corruption prevention policy available at https://www.ipu.org/about-us/working-with-ipu..
