From Costa Rica to New York… how did you find your master’s internship at the Permanent Representation of Costa Rica to the UN?

Josiane KAMTCHOUM TEGEL (J.K-T) – Self-sacrifice – network – responsiveness : three words which summarise, in my view, the necessary pre-requisites when you’re looking for any internship during your master’s. I voluntarily put the word network at the centre of this trio, as it is the cornerstone.  

During my 3rd year internship at the National Assembly of Costa Rica, I had developed many professional relationships, which I then had to update during my search for my master’s internship : that was what took me the most time. Meanwhile, I was looking for any connection I could have with the Permanent Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Nations. That was when I rekindled contact with the current Vice-Minister of Political Affairs at the Legislative Assembly to share my plan and my internship search. She immediately gave me guidance and communicated my contact details to the current Permanent Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Nations, Juan-Carlos Mendoza García. After a simple email exchange where I told him about my wish to integrate his team for a 6-months internship, he quickly made me a proposal. All that was left to settle were administrative issues (internship dates, diplomatic visa etc.).    

"I was first put in charge of the First Commission of the UN "

(J.K-T) : The First Commission of the UN focuses more on the decisional aspect of resolutions undergoing adoption or adopted by the Security Council, the voting of the Peacekeeping Operations’ mandates throughout the world and the policies put in place to fight against terrorism and organised crime.

"I very rapidly saw my responsibilities broaden "

(J.K-T) – Then I participated to the Fifth Commission of the UN where I engaged in the debates and took part in the informal consultations on the budgetary program of the United Nations for the 2016-2017 period (biennium), as well as the scoring of the 193 Member States’ financial participation to the Peacekeeping Operations such as MINUSMA (Mali), MINUSCA (Central African Republic) and the UNDOF (Syria).