The Swiss UN Rome academic internship is a 100% full-time placement with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations organisations in Rome, giving graduates hands-on exposure to multilateral diplomacy at the heart of the UN’s global food and agriculture agencies.
The Mission has confirmed it is recruiting an academic intern to join its team in Fall 2026, with a start date of 1 November 2026. Here’s everything prospective applicants need to know.
What the Swiss UN Rome Academic Internship Involves
Rome is home to three of the UN’s most important food and agriculture bodies — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). The Swiss Mission represents Switzerland’s interests before these organisations, working alongside its four sister missions in Geneva, New York, Paris and Vienna on issues spanning peace, human rights, poverty reduction, food security and environmental protection.
As an intern, you’ll directly support the Mission’s work on:
- Switzerland’s position within the governing bodies of the Rome-based UN agencies
- The governance and work streams of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
- Food systems transformation
- Financing for development
Who Can Apply
This internship is aimed squarely at Swiss graduates, so eligibility is strict. To qualify, you’ll need:
- A university degree, preferably at Master’s level, in natural, food or agricultural sciences, international relations, political science, or economics
- Swiss citizenship
- Excellent spoken and written English plus one Swiss official language, with a good grasp of a second Swiss official language
- A genuine interest in diplomatic, networking and analytical work, along with strong communication skills, dedication, flexibility and initiative
- Graduation within the past 12 months (applications are only accepted within this window)
Key Dates for the Swiss UN Rome Academic Internship
- Application deadline: 2 August 2026
- Written tests for shortlisted candidates: 26 August 2026
- Interviews: 3 September 2026
- Internship start date: 1 November 2026
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF containing a motivation letter written in a national language, a CV with photo, and copies of diplomas and any work or internship certificates. Send everything to roma.onu.candidature@eda.admin.ch, addressed to the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations organisations in Rome, Via Aventina 32, Rome, using the reference Internship MiRo, 11/2026.
Is This Internship Open to South African and International Students?
Because the Swiss UN Rome academic internship requires Swiss citizenship, it isn’t open to South African applicants directly. However, it’s a useful example of how national missions to UN agencies structure academic internships — and there are comparable, nationality-open routes worth exploring:
- The UN Internship Programme accepts applications from final-year and postgraduate students worldwide, including South Africans
- UN Volunteers, active in around 80 countries, offers another entry point into UN-affiliated work
- Rome-based agencies like UNICRI, UNICEF and UNDP regularly list internship vacancies open to international applicants through their own recruitment portals
For students eyeing a career in international relations, diplomacy or global food security, tracking how missions like Switzerland’s structure their academic internships is a good way to understand what UN-adjacent recruiters look for — strong language skills, subject-specific postgraduate study, and genuine interest in multilateral policy work.
Source: Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations organisations in Rome — Jobs and Career