Legal Intern, Office of the Registrar

Duty Station : ARUSHA

Department/Office : International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
Date Posted : Aug 1, 2024
Deadline : Aug 15, 2024

Duties and Responsibilities

Org. Setting and Reporting The Office of the Registrar (“OR”) of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (“Mechanism”) invites applications for legal internships starting 1 September 2024 to 28 February 2025 in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania. The above job opening will be valid for fifteen days. The Mechanism was established by the Security Council of the United Nations in 2010 to carry out a number of essential functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (“ICTR”) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (“ICTY”), after the completion of their respective mandates. In carrying out its ad hoc and continuous functions, the Mechanism maintains the legacies of these two pioneering international criminal tribunals and strives to reflect best practices in the field of international criminal justice. The Registry, operating from both branches of the Mechanism, located in The Hague, The Netherlands, and in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania, provides administrative, legal, policy and diplomatic support services. The Registry’s main duties include the provision of administrative services to the Mechanism, including court support services for Chambers, the Office of the Prosecutor and the Defence; managing the United Nations Detention Unit in the Hague Branch of the Mechanism; the supervision of the enforcement of sentences; monitoring of cases referred to national courts; preservation of and access to ICTR, ICTY and Mechanism archives; the protection of victims and witnesses; and assistance to national jurisdictions. The advertised position is located in the OR, Registry, Arusha branch, and under the direct supervision of the Internship Coordinator, a legal officer within the OR. The OR provides legal, policy and diplomatic support to the Registrar in relation to the various functions, and further provides legal advice and support to all sections and units of the Registry including those related to administrative services. While the interns will mainly work in the OR at the Arusha branch, they may also provide support to Registry sections and units including the Mechanism Archives, Judicial Operations, and Records section and the Witness Support and Protection Unit. An internship with the Mechanism’s Registry is full-time and unpaid. The working hours for interns are Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Overtime may be required to meet deadlines for specific projects. Interested candidates may visit the Mechanism website’s internship page at https://www.irmct.org/en/recruitment/internship/internship-programme to obtain general information including: • Programme Guidelines; • Internship programme; and • Terms and Conditions of the Mechanism’s Internship Programme. Responsibilities Under the supervision of Senior Legal Officer and legal officers in the OR, Arusha branch, interns provide legal and administrative support with respect to a range of functions, including conducting research in the field of international, criminal, and administrative law; assisting with drafting and reviewing legal submissions, official correspondence, memoranda, talking points and decisions; drafting summaries of recent court filings; and routine tasks such as reference checking and compiling materials. Interns may carry out any other duties as required. Competencies Core Competencies: • Professionalism: Knowledge, experience and/or training in international criminal law, international humanitarian law, human rights law, and/or public international law or a related field. Possesses excellent legal research and analytical skills. 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 messages 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 decisions may not entirely reflect their position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Qualifications/special skills

Candidates must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

(i) law students who are enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of their first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent);

or (ii) law students enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree (Master Degree) or equivalent, or higher). Applicants must be computer literate in standard software applications.

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. Previous legal experience is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the Mechanism. Fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required.

Additional Information

Assessment No assessment is required for this position. Short-listed candidates may be contacted by the hiring team directly if further information is needed during the review of their application. Special Notice Please note internships are unpaid. Mechanism 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. 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 Mechanism. 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. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations or the Mechanism 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 the email [email protected] : 1. A cover letter, including an available start and end date for the internship; 2. Two letters of recommendation preferably from academic or professional referees; 3. Copies of university/law studies transcripts, or enrolment (including courses taken and grades received); and 4. A writing sample preferably in a field relevant to the work of the Mechanism and not longer than ten pages.

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