Org. Setting and Reporting

This position, which is an in-office internship, is located in the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) and under the supervision and direction of prosecutors in the Appeals, Core or Transition Team – The Hague Branch. Interns will be assigned to one of these sections within the OTP, but may also be assigned work from other sections, depending on the needs of the Office. The United Nations established the Mechanism to carry out essential functions of the UN ad hoc tribunals following their closure: the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). These functions include completing a pending appeal and retrial, post-conviction and contempt proceedings, enforcement of sentences, assistance to national authorities, and capacity-building activities. The OTP has branches in The Hague, Netherlands and Arusha, Tanzania.
A Mechanism OTP internship is UNPAID and full-time. Core working hours for interns are Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Overtime may be required to meet deadlines for specific projects. Interns work under the supervision of a staff member in the office to which they are assigned. The duration of a Mechanism OTP internship can range from a minimum of three months to a maximum of six months, according to the needs of the intern’s assigned office. Selections will be made on a rolling basis. Please indicate your preferred internship period in your cover letter.

Responsibilities

In the Appeals Section, legal interns assist OTP appeals counsel in conducting legal and factual research and drafting memoranda on issues of international humanitarian law and international and comparative criminal law and procedure, finalizing appellate filings, and preparing for hearings before the Appeals Chamber. In the Core Section, interns may work on a range of issues related to the continuing functions of the Mechanism, including review and contempt investigations and proceedings, other post-conviction litigation, fugitive tracking, assistance to national authorities, and capacity-building initiatives. In the Transition Team, legal interns may also be asked to provide litigation-related support to attorneys providing assistance to national war crimes investigators and prosecutors in the former Yugoslavia. Interns may also perform tasks such as cite checking and compiling and collating legal materials. Being bilingual in English and French or English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is considered an asset.

Competencies

Core Competencies:
• Professionalism – Knowledge, experience and/or training in international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights law and/or public international law. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

• Communication – Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets message from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed •

• Teamwork – works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decision may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Education

Candidates for legal internships in the Office of the Prosecutor are required to be, at a minimum, in their final year of university legal studies. If the candidate has already completed a four-year undergraduate university degree before commencing graduate legal studies, he or she must have completed at least one year of graduate legal studies by the time the internship commences. It is particularly useful for interns to have legal training or experience in international criminal or humanitarian law. Applicants must be computer literate in standard software applications.

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Applicants’ age of 18 years or over is required. Previous legal experience is desirable. Applicants knowledge to prepare and draft legal documents and conduct legal research is required. Good drafting and oral communication skills are required. Experience in dealing with sensitive or confidential information is required.

Languages

Language:
English and French are the working languages of the Tribunal. Fluency in oral and written English is required. Candidates with knowledge of French are encouraged to apply. Knowledge of other languages, particularly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, is an asset.

Assessment

Short-listed candidates may be contacted by the hiring team directly if further information is needed during the review of their application. Due to the high volume of applications received, candidates who have not been short-listed will not be contacted.

Special Notice

Please note internships are unpaid. IRMCT interns are responsible for all internship-related expenses that they incur. Interns must therefore be able to cover their costs of travel, insurance, accommodation, as well as living expenses during the internship period. External sources of funding may be available please also check our website. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship. Therefore, upon award of an internship, interns are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage and are required to sign and return a statement confirming their understanding and acceptance of these conditions of service.

Interns must keep confidential any and all unpublished information obtained during the course of the internship and not publish any reports or papers based on such information except with the explicit written authorization of the Chief of Human Resources of the IRMCT. Interns are bound by the same duties and obligations as staff members, and the information to which an intern has access in the course of the internship must not be divulged to external parties. Each prospective intern must sign the Acceptance and Undertaking Form to indicate their understanding and acceptance of this stipulation.

There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations or the IRMCT upon completion of the internship.

ALL of the documents listed below are required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Due to the number of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Interested applicants must attach ALL of the following documents to each UN Careers portal application submitted via https:careers.un.org:

Applicants are required to submit the following documents with the application:
1. IRMCT Acceptance and Undertaking;
2. Two (2) letters of recommendation;
3. Copies of university/law studies transcripts (including courses taken and grades received);
4. A scanned copy of the applicant’s valid medical insurance OR a signed statement confirming intent to obtain medical insurance while in The Netherlands;
5. A sample of your written work preferably in a field relevant to the work of the Mechanism and no more than ten (10) pages long.
Please note that documents may only be in English or French.

The Careers Portal does not refer specifically to the attachments that are required to apply for An IRMCT internship. To attach the required documents listed above, follow the steps in the IRMCT Internship Applicant’s Manual.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.