African Union Internship Programme in Addis Ababa

The African Union Internship Programme provides an opportunity for interns to complement their educational experience and to develop their professional skills and experience through the AU internship programme. The AU internship programme is a full-time engagement through which qualified individuals from diverse academic backgrounds are given the opportunity to gain professional exposure within the AU. As an organization which promotes respect for diversity and teamwork, we encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Applicants should have a keen interest in the work of the AU and demonstrate the ability to interact with individuals from various cultural backgrounds and beliefs.

The programme aims to expose participants to the workings of the AU at an early stage of their professional career and strengthen their personal and professional skills. It provides an avenue for participants to gain hands-on experience in various applicable fields, while learning in an intercultural environment. The AU will further gain support from participants who possess adequate knowledge and skills in relevant areas and serve as a potential grooming ground for future African Leaders.

Focus Area

In general, interns assist in providing administrative and technical support for effective implementation of African Union programmes, projects and activities in its below Department/Directorates:

1. Cabinet of the Deputy Chairperson
2. Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE)
3. Economic Development, Trade, Industry, Mining (ETIM)
4. Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI)
5. Infrastructure and Energy (IE)
6. Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS)
7. Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (HHS)
8. Human Resources Management (HRM)
9. Operations Support Services
10. Management Information Systems Division
11. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
12. Conference Management and Publications (CMP)
13. Office for Safety and Security Services
14. Citizens and Diaspora (CIDO)
15. Medical and Health Services
16. Financial Control Unit
17. Office of Strategic Planning and Delivery
18. Office of Internal Oversight (OIO)
19. Quality Assurance and Control
20. Ethics, Integrity and Standards
21. Office of the Secretary to the Commission
22. Office of the Legal Counsel (OLC)
23. Office of Protocol
24. Partnership and Resource Mobilization
25. Women, Gender and Youth (WGY)
26. Information and Communication
27. Peace Fund Secretariat
28. New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

Eligibility

• Actively enrolled in at least the final year of a Bachelor’s degree programme OR
• Must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree or an advanced/post graduate (Masters) qualification in a related academic field;
• Be nationals of a Member State of the African Union.
• Be full-time students currently enrolled in the final year of their Bachelors or graduate school programme.
• Be fluent in at least one of the African Union working languages (Arabic, English, French or Portuguese).
• Be no more than thirty-two (32) years of age at the time of selection.
• Possess the highest standard of moral conduct and integrity.
• Have not been convicted of any serious criminal offence excluding minor traffic offences.
• Prior work experience is not required for the internship positions.

Required Skills

• Proficient computer skills (MS Word, Excel and Power Point).
• Proficiency with e-mail and internet applications.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.
• Proficiency in one of the AU officials working languages (French, English, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, Kiswahili) and fluency in another AU language(s) is an added advantage.

Terms and Conditions

• The AU will have no financial obligation towards interns \u2013 travel arrangements and cost of accommodation and living expenses will be the responsibility of the interns.
• AU will use reasonable efforts to assist the interns in obtaining their entry and residence visas.
• Interns will not be entitled to any compensation for travel.
• The internship will be authorized only once for three (3) months renewable one time for any candidate.
• Interns are not entitled to medical travel or medical evacuation to and from the internship location at the expenses of the Commission. Interns shall therefore have an individual insurance coverage throughout the duration of the internship.

Applications

Applications for admission to the AU Internship Programme are submitted online. If you are a first-time user of our online registration system, you will need to register before you can log in. You are advised to provide as much relevant information as possible. Applicants must submit the following supporting documents with their online application:

• A motivation letter indicating what they expect to gain out of the internship programme.
• A copy of a valid passport or national identity card.
• Certified copies of relevant academic certificates.
• Current curriculum vitae (CV).
• Recommendation letter for internship from the institution of learning that they are attending.
• Upon successful submission of their application, applicants will receive an email confirmation that their application has been successfully received.