GCR Policy Intern

April 27, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

FamilyInternship

2026-05-01General Background of Project or Assignment:

The intern will be working in the Global Compact on Refugees Section at UNHCR HQ in Geneva, Switzerland. The selected candidate will assist the Section with support for the GCR policy process including follow up to the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review, preparations for the High
Commissioner’s Dialogue and 1951 Convention 75th anniversary more broadly in 2026, and key policy areas including GCR-GCM complementarity and support for UNHCR engagement in the GCM Multi-Partner Trust Fund, meaningful refugee participation and internal and external policy alignment.

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations

To view occupational safety and health considerations for specific duty stations, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Specific Occupational Safety and Health Considerations to this assignment (if applicable):
Consider the recommended vaccines for Switzerland as noted on the CDC travel page:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/switzerland?s_cid=ncezid-dgmq-travel-single-001

Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), affirmed by the UN General Assembly in December 2018, aims to transform the way the world responds to large-scale displacement. It is a powerful tool for fostering international solidarity and effective cooperation. The Compact sets out arrangements for ensuring more predictable and sustainable responsibility sharing to support host communities and refugees alike. Key amongst them is a Global Refugee Forum (GRF), convened every four years, whereby Statesand other stakeholders share good practices and make pledges towards the objectives of theGCR; mid-term GRF Progress Reviews to take stock of progress in implementing the Compact’s objectives and address challenges and gaps; and the High Commissioner’s Dialogues on Protectoin Challenges, the next of which will take place in December 2026 co-hosted by Switzerland.

UNHCR’s GCR Section was created to align internal efforts and support States and relevant stakeholders to implement the Global Compact on Refugees. Under the Executive Office of the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, the GCR Section promotes multi-stakeholder and partnership approaches and global policymaking in support of the Compact, and guides preparations for key GCR events and periodic multi-stakeholder briefings. The Section works closely with the Bureaux, Divisions, and Regional and Country Offices, as well as States and other stakeholders set out in the GCR.

Under the guidance of the supervisor, the GCR Policy Intern will support the GCR Section by drafting and compiling internal reporting that captures key takeaways and follow-up actions linked to the GRF Progress Review and preparations towards the GRF 2027. The intern will also contribute to stakeholder engagement and coordination, and support GCR related policy work through the preparation of briefings and other materials. The intern will further assist with fundraising and resource mobilization efforts for the Section and event preparations for the Dialogue and GRF 2027.


Duties and responsibilities:

- Support with preparation of outcome documents and materials, and development of the way forward post-GRF Progress Review.
- Draft and compile internal reporting on the GRF Progress Review follow up, capturing key takeaways and learnings on the road to the GRF 2027.
- Support the analysis of GRF Progress Review stakeholder inputs, including mapping key statements and highlights to relevant stakeholder groups and Multi-Stakeholder Pledges (MSPs).
- Support International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) related preparations with a focus on GCR–GCM complementarity.
- Contribute to UNHCR’s engagement with the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund by tracking processes and decisions, reviewing programme proposals, and preparing concise internal briefings.
- Contribute to the conceptualization and development of the next High Commissioner’s Dialogue in 2026 and preparation of project management tools and advocacy materials.
- Support on development of the programme content for the HCD to ensure alignment with key policy priorities and relevant GRF multi-stakeholder pledges.
- Support with event preparation and event management including coordinating with UNHCR and partners on the HLOM ecosystem and especially linked events, ensuring thematic as well as re-gional balance and stakeholder diversity.
- Support in the lead-up and follow-up to the event, including correspondence with States andother key stakeholders, managing the GCR mailbox.
- Support on policy work including research and linkages to other multilateral policy processes and events that are relevant to forced displacement and GCR advocacy.
- Assist with resource mobilization by contributing to donor proposals and developing new approaches within the GCR Section.
- Other tasks and duties as needed relating to and in support of the core work of the GCR Section which will evolve in 2026 based on team fundraising, composition and priorities as set by senior management relating to the GCR and 75th anniversary campaign.

Qualification and experience required (degree required, years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):

- Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO ;
- Have completed at least two years of studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR ;
- Not have exhausted the maximum cumulative internship period with UNHCR, including any prior internships (8 months for full-time and 12 months for part-time);
- English proficiency is required while a working level of French and/or other UN languages is an asset
- Must have a strong computer literacy and be able to undertake data analysis in Microsoft excel.
- Be able to successfully prepare reports and informational materials, prepare PowerPoint slides, participate in online meetings via Microsoft Teams manage and organize data on Microsoft Sharepoint
- Candidates that have experience in multi-cultural settings and working with diverse actors, have experience with other UN agencies, and/or have previous experience working with refugees or lived refugee experience are preferred.

Monitoring and Progress Controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines):

Regular performance of duties full-time over the duration of internship and successful support to delivery of HLOM and outcome document.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

English

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No