For most of the United Nations' history, internships were unpaid, and that quietly decided who could afford to take one. That has been changing. Since around 2020 and 2021 a growing number of UN organizations introduced stipends, and the UN Secretariat itself began paying interns in 2021 to widen access. But "paid" still means very different things across the system, so this report lays out who pays, how much, and what to watch for.
Two things to hold in mind before the numbers. First, almost every figure varies by duty station, because stipends are set against the local cost of living, so the same organization can pay very differently in Geneva versus a field office. Second, these amounts change, so treat everything here as indicative and always confirm the exact stipend on the specific internship posting before you rely on it.
The shift from unpaid to paid
The old model was stark: a 2018 review found the large majority of UN interns were unpaid, which effectively limited internships to people who could fund several months of living costs in an expensive city out of their own pocket. That drew sustained criticism for excluding talented candidates from lower-income backgrounds and from the Global South.
The response has been a steady move toward stipends. Several specialized agencies already paid, and the UN Secretariat started providing a stipend in 2021. The result today is a mixed landscape: some organizations pay a meaningful monthly stipend, some pay a modest contribution to living costs, and a few still expect you to be self-funded or externally sponsored. The table below shows where the main players sit.
Which UN organizations pay interns, and roughly how much
The figures below are indicative monthly amounts drawn from official programme pages and recent postings, converted to US dollars for comparison. They move with the duty station and with policy changes, so use them to set expectations, not as a quote.
| Organization | Pays a stipend? | Indicative monthly amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNICEF | Yes | About US$1,000 to US$1,700 | Among the more generous; varies by office |
| WHO | Yes | About US$1,600 to US$1,750 (Geneva) | Geneva pays roughly CHF 1,600; lower elsewhere |
| WFP | Yes | Up to about US$1,000 | Tied to the duty station |
| UN Secretariat | Yes (since 2021) | Modest, varies by duty station | Was unpaid before 2021 |
| UNDP | Yes | Varies widely (e.g. about US$360 in Bangkok) | Set to local cost of living |
| FAO | Yes | Up to about US$700 (local currency) | Rome headquarters and field offices |
| IOM | Yes | Varies by location | Paid programme across global offices |
| ILO | Yes | Stipend (varies by duty station) | Geneva and field offices |
| UNHCR | Partial | Living and transport allowance | For interns without external funding |
| UNITAR / UNAIDS | Yes | Stipend (varies) | Among the paying agencies |
| IMF / World Bank | Yes (well paid) | Competitive, often above UN stipends | UN-system adjacent; finance and economics focus |
Why the amounts vary so much
- Duty station and cost of living: stipends are pegged to local living costs, so a Geneva or New York internship pays far more in dollar terms than a field office in a low-cost country, even at the same organization.
- Currency: many stipends are set and paid in local currency, so the dollar figure shifts with exchange rates.
- Policy and budget: each organization sets its own intern policy, and some have moved faster than others from unpaid to paid.
- External funding: some interns are sponsored by a university or government scheme, which changes what, if anything, the host organization pays on top.
What a stipend does and does not cover
Even at the more generous agencies, an intern stipend is a contribution to living costs, not a salary, and it rarely covers everything in an expensive duty station. Interns are generally responsible for their own travel, visa, accommodation and insurance, and the stipend does not come with the pension or staff benefits attached to a job. Budget realistically: in a high-cost city, even a four-figure stipend can be tight once rent is paid.
How to find and confirm a paid internship
Search the aggregated internship listings, filter by organization and location, and read the compensation line on each posting carefully, it will state whether a stipend is offered and, increasingly, the amount. Set a free alert for internships so you catch them as they open, since they are competitive and close quickly. For the wider picture of how UN internships work and how they fit the entry routes, see the UN internships guide and the comparison of entry routes (internship vs UNV vs JPO vs YPP).
When in doubt, the only authoritative figure is the one on the official posting or the organization's own internship page. Treat third-party numbers, including this report, as a starting point to confirm.