Internship Opportunity for Students with the UN in Geneva 2021-2023

The United Nation announced an internship opportunity in the Human Rights field. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, under the overall direction of the Chief of Branch and the guidance of the respective Chief of Section, the intern reports to the Human Rights Officer in the assigned work unit. This assignment shall be offered for an initial period of three (3) months, renewable for a combined period of six (6) months, upon further approval by the supervisor, with an initial commencement date ranging/starting from February 2021 to February 2022.

This internship is an UNPAID and full-time engagement that provides a framework through which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the work of the United Nations by way of their service within Secretariat entities. Applicants should have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations with a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter and have the demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs - which includes a willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

The intern shall support the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in fulfilling its mission to protect all human rights for all people; to help empower people to realize their rights, and assist those responsible for upholding such rights in ensuring that they are implemented.

The daily responsibilities of the Special Procedures human rights intern will depend on activities carried out within the assigned work unit and the individual's background. Duties may include but are not limited to contributing to thematic reports or studies, including research of related literature, international law, and jurisprudence, and, in particular, the intern may:

• Assist in the preparation of official country visits, in particular through the drafting of country-specific human rights assessments;
• Analyze human rights issues contained in cases and complaints addressed to the mandate holders;
• Draft letters on particular cases and complaints taken up by mandate holders, including summarizing the human rights violations alleged in the case and preparing a short legal analysis of these violations;
• Collect information and conduct research for the preparation of briefing notes, statements, and other documents;
• Take notes of meetings with different stakeholders, in particular, civil society representatives;
• Attend sessions of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and assisting with the preparation of related activities and events;
• Assist in the organization of meetings and seminars; and
• Perform other related duties as requested by supervisor, as appropriate.

Professionalism: 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 organizational 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 a 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.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to the client.

Education: To qualify for the United Nations Secretariat internship program, applicants must, at the time of submission, be a graduate or enrolled in a graduate school program (i.e. Master’s degree or equivalent degree, or higher) or, be a graduate or enrolled in the final academic year of a first-level university degree program (i.e. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree) preferably in the area of law, political science, international relations, social sciences or a related field, OR have graduated with a university degree as defined above AND, if selected, must commence the internship on the date specified in the Acceptance letter.

Languages: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship fluency in English or French is required, knowledge of the other is an asset. Knowledge of another United Nations official language would be an advantage (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish).

Note: APPLICANTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAMME.

About the UN:

The United Nations (UN), which was established in 1945, is an intergovernmental organization responsible for maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and being a center for harmonizing the actions of nations. It is the largest, most familiar, most internationally represented, and most powerful intergovernmental organization in the world. 

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