By Mariam Dzadzamia
I had the opportunity to spend my summer interning at New York City’s United Nations (UN) headquarters as an international student from Georgia, specifically at the Permanent Mission of Georgia to the United Nations where I worked as an adviser.
At Adelphi, I major in fine and studio arts, minor in marketing and have spent the last few years participating in MUN (Model United Nations) and NHSMUN (National High School Model United Nations) conferences as a delegate and chairperson. Highlights of this summer were IDPR (Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees) Resolution Day, HLPF (High-Level Political Forum) Week, and the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Summit. I also attended the Small Arms and Light Weapons conference. My favorite part was the drafting process of the UN’s 2030 Agenda, including the Summit of the Future and working on the Pact of the Future document. It was fascinating to witness the best delegates from different countries negotiate on future documents that will shape global policies and strategies for sustainable development. It was an honor for me to represent my country there and my major role was to attend meetings and conferences, and make an order of these meetings that would later be discussed with the capital city.
New York stands as a role model of the world and the UN is a place where you can see how shaping this world works. For me, a 19-year-old student, it was a tremendous thing to realize that I was part of shaping the future for not just myself but also those of the next generations. The placement of the UN headquarters building is very convenient, allowing you to easily reach all the parts of Manhattan that you’d want to visit. As an intern, I was able to explore the city on my own, with friends, peers and colleagues that I got to know once I started working there.
“Internship at the UN is helpful to understand how the world works,” said Deputy Permanent Representative of Georgia at the UN. “It gives access to important bilateral and multilateral meetings, negotiations, as well as events. It provides a unique possibility to interact with representatives of all 193 UN member states in one space, as well as to observe important world processes and dynamics first-hand. It equips you with rich knowledge, experience and skills to better analyze and understand world politics. No less important, participation in the UN processes sharpens one’s culture of mutual cooperation and skills to solve issues jointly.”
There are a few ways you can become part of the UN family. You can apply for an intern position with your national mission office. Every mission has a different accepting policy. You also can apply for internships in other UN organizations or become a UN volunteer. If you want to seek more information about diplomacy and international relations, you can become a member of the Adelphi University Levermore Global Scholars program.
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