Org. Setting and Reporting
The Office of the Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (“Mechanism”) invites applications for legal internships starting 23 January 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda. The above job opening will be valid for one year and candidates will be selected on a rolling basis. Please indicate your preferred internship period in your cover letter.
The Office of the Prosecutor will consider applications from candidates who have proof of vaccination and medical insurance to include repatriation. Updated information in this regard is available on the Mechanism Internship website: https://www.irmct.org/en/recruitment/internship/internship-programme.
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (“Mechanism”) is mandated to perform a number of essential functions previously carried out by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (“ICTR”) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (“ICTY”). In carrying out these essential functions the Mechanism maintains the legacies of these two pioneering ad hoc international criminal courts and strives to reflect best practices in the field of international criminal justice. The Registry provides administrative, legal, policy and diplomatic support services. Successful candidates will work under the supervision and direction of legal officers in the Arusha Branch/Kigali Field Office.
Responsibilities
Duties of legal interns include, but are not limited to: Conducting legal research in relation to the drafting of legal briefs, classifying and preparing evidence for trial, assisting trial attorneys with preparing examinations in chief and cross examinations, and proofing witnesses. Interns may also perform research on comparative and international criminal law issues, prepare agenda or draft discussion papers for legal meetings and draft the corresponding minutes, draft legal correspondence, and perform other litigation-related tasks. Interns may also perform routine tasks such as cite checking and compiling and collating materials.
Competencies
• Professionalism: 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 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.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the Mechanism. Fluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of French will be considered an asset.
Assessment
No assessment required for this position.
Special Notice
Duration:
The duration of the internship generally ranges from three months to a maximum of six months. Please indicate your preferred internship period in your cover letter.
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:
1. A cover letter;
2. Two letters of recommendation preferably from academic or professional referees;
3. Copies of university/law studies transcripts (including courses taken and grades received);
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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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.
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