INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

Internship Location:  The Hague, Netherlands   

Intern

Organization Website: www.un.org/icty

 

 

Description of Internship:

"The Internship Programme of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia offers professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students who are in their final stages of education the possibility to enhance their professional training in the unique environment of an international court. The Internship Programme is open to those candidates who have an educational background in a number of areas, including law, journalism, translation and interpretation, and information technology. In addition to participating in the day-to-day activities, Interns are invited to attend lectures, and other activities which all have particular relevance to the work of the Tribunal.

If you wish to apply for an internship within our organization, we invite you to refer to the information regarding eligibility and procedural issues of the internship programme.

When applying (by post mail only), you are required to clearly rank your top three preferences (1st, 2nd, 3rd) of the Sections of the Tribunal you wish to work in. To assist you in determining which of the sections of the Tribunal better suits your expectancies/needs, a description is provided within our pages. Please be advised that application in e-mail form will not be accepted.

Introduction
There are a number of rules governing the Tribunal's Internship Programme, in particular, the required eligibility of applicants and the procedural operation of the Internship Programme, as listed below.

Internship Availability and Duration
The Tribunal will define the number and nature of Internships on a continuous basis according to its needs and possibilities. As a consequence, the selection and recruitment procedure continues to be on an ongoing basis. The duration of the Internship can range from a minimum of three months to a maximum of six months.

Registry and Chambers
The selection procedure for candidates wishing to join the Registry or Chambers is not fixed to cycles. Applicants are advised to submit their application approximately six months prior to their suggested date of Internship.

Office of the Prosecutor
The selection procedure for candidates wishing to join the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) is divided into two cycles. Preference is given to those applicants to the OTP who are able to complete an internship for its maximum duration. - During the term January to June, applications must be received no later than 31 August of the previous calendar year. - For the term July to December applications must be received no later than 28 February of the same calendar year. Interns are expected to work on a full-time time basis in carrying out their duties assigned to them. Selected interns are eligible for 2½ days leave per month, subject to their Supervisor's approval. Any additional leave requests will be subject to further consideration.

Eligibility Criteria
A majority of the Internship positions available at the Tribunal are of a legal nature. Applicants must have a university degree, or be in the final stage of their undergraduate studies. Preference is given to law graduates who are acquainted with one or more of the following disciplines: public international law, international humanitarian law, human rights law, private international law, criminal law, comparative law, and criminology. Applicants applying for a non-legal Internship need post-secondary education or training relevant to the section they wish to apply for e.g. journalism, translation and interpretation, information technology, engineering, logistics, or human resources management. Applicants must be proficient in English and/or French, both written and oral. Knowledge of other languages, particularly Bosnian/ Croatian/Serbian, is an asset. There is no age restriction for applicants, although generally candidates are aged between 20 and 35 years old. Applicants should be sponsored and/or nominated by an educational institution, government body or private organization, in conjunction with the Application Form.

Selection Procedure
Applicants must submit the following documents (Documents should be in English or in French):

1. A completed application form (including Acceptance and Undertaking and Certification of Nominating/Sponsoring Institution or Organization form);
2. A covering letter stating the reasons for applying;
3. Two written references;
4. A sample of your written work in a field relevant to the work of the Tribunal (maximum 10 A4 pages, machine typed) - required by applicants for legal internship positions only;
5. Copies of University degrees and/or diplomas or a list of courses taken.

Applicants must clearly rank their top three preferences (1st, 2nd, 3rd) within the Tribunal where they would like to complete their Internship. While all Sections indicated would be given a copy of the application, priority will be given to applicant's first preference.
Applications that are not submitted in accordance with the requirements set out above are regarded as incomplete and will not be considered for the Programme. Please note that the Tribunal is not able to return any documentation included in the application.
Suitable applicants are short-listed for consideration by the Internship Panel, composed of representatives from the Registry, Chambers and the Office of the Prosecutor.
The Registrar reviews the Panel's recommendations and selects participants for the Programme. If an applicant is selected, he/she will be informed by the Registrar of that decision.
Due to varying needs and capacities within each Section of the Tribunal, it is not always possible to assign Interns to the Section that they originally requested. This should not be interpreted as comment on the individual's application, but merely reflects the working requirements of the Tribunal.

Further Rules and Conditions Governing Internships
The Tribunal is unable to provide participants in the Internship Programme with remuneration, nor is it possible to provide any reimbursement for any expenses incurred during the Internship. Accordingly, applicants must have the necessary resources or other financial support for the duration of the Internship for which they have been selected.

Interns are not considered in any respect as officials or staff members of the United Nations. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an Internship. Consequently, interns are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage.

Interns are bound by the same duties and obligations as staff members. Information to which an intern has access in the course of the Internship must not be divulged. Interns must not publish any written work, which contains information obtained during the internship, without prior explicit authorization from the Registrar of the Tribunal. In this connection, each prospective intern must sign the Acceptance and Undertaking Form included in the Application Form.

There should be no expectancy of employment by the United Nations following the completion of the Internship. Interns cannot apply for employment at the Tribunal during the period of their internship and during the six months immediately thereafter.

Interns must provide written notice to their supervisor(s) should illness or other unforeseen circumstances prevent them from completing the Internship. On completion of the Internship Programme, Interns are required to complete a substantive report on their assignments. This will be included in their files and will be forwarded, upon request, to the sponsoring institution, government body or private organization.

Selected candidates must obtain a visa authorizing their stay in the Netherlands before they depart for The Hague to begin their Internship. While this is the overall responsibility of the selected candidate, the Registry will provide information and supporting documents in this regard."

 

Notes/Comments:

Send your completed application form to:

 

Raad Alkhalili
Head of Recruitment, Training and Examination Unit
Human Resources Section
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
PO Box 13888
2501 EW The Hague
The Netherlands

 

The application form and additional information can be retrieved from the internship program website:

www.un.org/icty/jobs/internship.html

 

For answers to further questions, contact Saskia Huntjens-Hucklenbruch of the Human Resources Section at mailto:hucklenbruch.icty@un.org

 

 

 

Current as of May 7, 2003.