Internships in the Office of the Prosecutor

COVID-19 Note: You must have demonstrated proof of full vaccination to be considered for an on-site internship.


The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) is currently recruiting interns for its office in The Hague, Netherlands.

The OTP offers stimulating and rewarding internships for students and young graduates eager to gain experience in an international criminal tribunal. As the successor to the ICTY and the ICTR, the Mechanism offers interns the opportunity to learn from experienced lawyers, analysts and investigators as they continue to carry out the work started by their ad hoc predecessors.

The OTP offers internships within each of its teams:

CORE TEAM: The “Core team” of the OTP handles the bulk of residual issues from the ICTY and ICTR. Interns work on a broad range of issues related to the ongoing functions of the Mechanism, including assistance to national authorities prosecuting war crimes cases, policy development, capacity building, the enforcement of convicted persons’ sentences and requests for early release, witness protection issues, post-conviction litigation such as contempt or review proceedings. In these areas, interns’ duties may include conducting legal research and factual analysis, and drafting assistance.

IMMEDIATE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR: Within the Immediate Office of the Prosecutor, interns provide litigation-related support to attorneys providing assistance to national war crimes investigators and prosecutors in the former Yugoslavia. Specific duties would include review of judgments and evidentiary materials; preparation of evidence for transfer to national prosecuting authorities; research and analysis of comparative and international criminal law issues; and assistance drafting investigative and other legal and/or factual memoranda.

 

APPEALS DIVISION: 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 providing legal advice to the OTP in general.

These internships can last between three and six months. They are offered to young lawyers, postgraduate students studying law, and undergraduate law students in their final year. Internships are also offered to students and young professionals from fields other than law who have advanced Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language skills and strong analytical skills.

Interns will be assigned to one of the sections within the OTP, but may also be assigned work from other sections, depending on the needs of the Office. English fluency is required; French and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language skills are considered an asset. During the course of the internship, the OTP offers a robust lecture program given by its staff members. The program includes substantive lectures on international criminal law, international humanitarian law, crimes against humanity and genocide, as well as courses on more practical skills.

 

HOW TO APPLY:

Further information about the internship selection process, required application materials, and current vacancies appear on the Mechanism’s website: https://www.irmct.org/en/recruitment/internship/internship-programme. Each posting will indicate whether the internship will take place in The Hague or Arusha branch of the OTP. Applications are only accepted pursuant to active postings through the UN recruitment portal, Inspira: https://inspira.un.org. The Inspira Careers Portal does not refer specifically to the attachments that are required to apply for an IRMCT internship. Please send the required documents listed in the job posting to: otpinternshipprogram@un.org. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

 

ABOUT THE MECHANISM AND THE OTP:

The United Nations established the Mechanism to carry out the 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). The OTP has branches in The Hague, Netherlands and Arusha, Tanzania. OTP functions include completing trials and pending appeals, post-conviction proceedings (review and contempt), enforcement of sentences, assistance to national authorities and capacity-building activities.

View our internship postings