Language Data Collection & Analysis (Cypriot Turkish-English Translation)

Host entity: DPO

Areas of expertise: Translation and interpretation, Writing, editing, proofreading, Communication, advocacy, public information

Application deadline: 17/11/2026

Mission and objectives

United Nations Peacekeeping helps countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. UN Peacekeeping missions are one of the international community’s most powerful tools for maintaining global peace and security. UN peacekeepers help reduce civilian deaths and violence and increase the chance of lasting peace.  

Since the first peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, over 2 million peacekeepers from 125 countries have served under the UN flag. Established and tasked by the UN Security Council, they have worked to protect populations, advance non-violent solutions to conflict and build foundations for safe and stable societies.

Assignment context

The Real-Time Translation (RTT) Project seeks to strengthen communication between United Nations peacekeeping personnel and the communities they serve. It supports the development of translation tools for languages and dialects underserved by existing solutions, including in settings with limited or no connectivity. By reducing language barriers, the project seeks to strengthen the capacity of peacekeeping personnel to identify community concerns and facilitate information exchange during patrols and other field engagements.

The project is led by the Social Innovation and Special Projects Team (SISPT) within the Policy, Evaluation and Training Division of the Department of Peace Operations. Current work focuses on translation between Juba Arabic and English in support of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), alongside efforts to support communication in Cypriot Turkish and Cypriot Greek in coordination with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). These efforts involve developing language resources and incorporating cultural context to help the tools account for local meanings, expressions and perspectives.

The development of the RTT tool for Cyprus requires verified language data that reflect local vocabulary, pronunciation and usage. Under the guidance of SISPT, the Online Volunteer will contribute to the creation of a Cypriot Turkish language library by reviewing prepared translations, recording sentences and validating text and audio contributed by other participants. This work will support the development of a structured linguistic dataset aligned with English source sentences for training and evaluating the translation tool. The planned open-source release of these language libraries would support the development of digital tools for underrepresented languages, helping to reduce linguistic barriers to online information and global information networks. It would also contribute to the documentation and preservation of local languages and cultural knowledge.

Task description

Translate and record a defined set of English words, phrases and sentences in Cypriot Turkish to support the Real-Time Translation (RTT) Project, under the guidance of SISPT. Tasks will include:

• Translate the material provided by SISPT, including terminology relevant to United Nations peacekeeping.
• Record the translations, reflecting local vocabulary and pronunciation.
• Review and revise the translations and recordings based on feedback coordinated by SISPT.

The deliverable will be one collection of Cypriot Turkish translations and corresponding audio recordings, paired with the English source material.

Please note before applying:
- Participants must have access to a laptop or desktop computer with an up-to-date browser (Chrome, Edge or Firefox), a stable internet connection, a microphone and headphones or a headset. A quiet space is required for recording, and a USB headset with a microphone is strongly preferred for audio quality, although a built-in computer microphone is acceptable.
- By participating in this assignment, volunteers will contribute voice recordings to support the development of translation tools. DPO will store and process the recordings and associated data, with plans to make them publicly available as part of an open-source initiative. Selected volunteers will receive the relevant consent and data processing forms for review and signature before recording begins. Any public release will be subject to these arrangements.

Skills and experience

• Fluency in Cypriot Turkish and English, with familiarity with local vocabulary, expressions and pronunciation.
• Computer literacy, including familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel and online communication tools.
• Attention to detail and ability to follow guidance, incorporate feedback and complete agreed tasks independently.
• Previous experience in translation, proofreading or language teaching is desirable but not required.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.