Internship - Victims & Witnesses Section, The Hague

Internship - Victims & Witnesses Section

Due to the volume of applications received, only successful applicants will be contacted by the Court.

Required Documents for This Application

Please note that you will need to have the following information ready in order to complete your application:

• A completed “Duties and Responsibilities Form” (refer to step 1 on your eRecruitment Profile page).
• Motivation letter (maximum of 400 words).
• Two reference letters (one academic).
• Scanned copies of university degrees and/or diplomas.
• Scanned copies of official academic transcripts that state your courses, subjects’ results and completion date.
• One short essay on a subject relevant to the political, or security situation in the areas of operation of the International Criminal Court (maximum of 750 words, single spaced, type written).

Contract Duration

Interns are required to work full time for a period between three and six months (to be agreed to prior to commencement). Internship placements shall not be extended beyond six months.

The Opportunity

The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individual charges with the gravest crimes of concerns to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. The Court is participating in the global fight to end impunity, and through international criminal justice, the Court aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and to help prevent the crimes from happening again. You can contribute to this cause by joining the ICC.

Organisational Context

In accordance with article 43, paragraph 6, of the Rome Statute, the Victims and Witnesses Section (VWS) shall provide protective measures and security arrangements, counseling and other appropriate assistance for witnesses and victims who appear before the Court and to others who are at risk on account of testimony given by such witnesses. The Section, placed within the Registry, may advise the Prosecutor and the Court on appropriate protective measures, security arrangements, counseling and assistance as referred to in article 43, paragraph 6.

The Section is responsible for ensuring that the witnesses appear in the court appropriately protected and supported and as scheduled by the Chambers. Furthermore, the Section is responsible for the management of the ICC Protection Programme and may cooperate with States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in providing any of the protection and support measures stipulated by the Statute.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the VWS Teams in the planning, administration and monitoring of its trial related operations and programmes in HQ and field offices;
• Support the day-to-day operational case management conducted by the VWS Teams;
• Assist with open source research on situation countries and on topics of relevance to the VWS;
• Assist in drafting minutes, reports and planning documents, cross checking data and preparing presentations on assigned topics;
• Conduct general administration tasks in support of operations and carry out legal research and summarise filings when applicable;
• Any other task as entrusted by the Team Leader.
• NB: Due to confidentiality and security reasons, during the internship, the intern will not travel to the field to conduct operations. The internship will take place entirely in the HQ and aims at supporting the Teams in its tasks.

Required Qualifications

Education

All Candidates must have a degree or be in the final stages of their studies at a recognised university – preferably in political science, law, international relations, administration or security management. Candidates are expected to have a very good record of academic performance.

Experience

Internship placements focus on candidates in the early stages of their professional careers therefore; practical experience is not an essential prerequisite for selection. However, practical experience that is relevant to the work of the Court may be considered an asset. Applicants must have less than three years of relevant full-time professional experience to be considered for an internship.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Able to adapt to multicultural and multilingual working environments.
• Possesses strong teamwork skills (listens, consults and communicates proactively).
• Has acquired a good standard of computer skills (including Microsoft Office applications).
• Strong drafting skills are required.
• Other important qualities are discretion, reliability, intellectual rigor, precision, perseverance, honesty, creativity, co-operative spirit and integrity.

Knowledge of Languages

Proficiency in one of the working languages of the Court, French or English, is required. Working knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of Arabic or Russian is considered an asset.

Other criteria

It is the Court’s objective to have diversity and gender balance. And in line with the ICC’s efforts to improve geographical representation among staff, nationals of non-represented and under-represented countries at the ICC are encouraged to apply. The list can be found here.

Remuneration

Please note that internship and visiting professional placements at the ICC are unfunded. The ICC is not able to provide participants in the Internship and Visiting Professional Programme with any remuneration, nor is it possible to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred prior, during or after the internship or visiting professional placement.

Applicants must therefore be able to support themselves for the entire duration of their internship or visiting professional placement.