UNjustified and UNethical: A Critical View on the UN Unpaid Internship System
By Soraya Oumansouri*
Abstract This article is written as a critical analysis of the United Nations (hereinafter, UN) unpaid internship system, examining the culture of privilege and systemic inequality it perpetuates. Drawing from intersectional feminist and Marxist scholarship, it dissects the impact of unpaid internships on socioeconomic inequality, inaccessibility, classism, lack of diversity, and gender inequality. This article delves into the history of gratis personnel at the Organisation and its development over the recent years. Additionally, this Paper pays attention to the inconsistencies between the set legal principles and values of the UN and the organisation’s (in)actions regarding its implemented internship system. Lastly, this article aims to answer the question of to what extent the UN’s unpaid internship system (mis)aligns with its stated core values and seeks to provide a recommendation to address the issues identified.
* LL.B. Candidate, International and European Law Programme, The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
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