International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals

Legal Affairs Intern, Office of the President

Duty station: 🇳🇱 The Hague, Netherlands
Country / area: Netherlands
Region: Europe
UN system: Related Organization
Level: I-1
Category: Internship
Job family: Legal Affairs
Posted: Jun 04, 2026
Closes: Jun 25, 2026 in 18 days Source: 05:59, Jun 25, 2026 Europe/Amsterdam

About this role

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is seeking legal affairs interns to support the Office of the President in The Hague, Netherlands. Interns will conduct legal research, assist in drafting judicial documents, prepare reports for UN bodies, analyze laws and policies, and support administrative tasks related to records management. The internship duration is typically 3-6 months, with preference for 6 months. Candidates must be law students (either final undergraduate or graduate level) or have completed their law degree. No professional experience is required, but field of study must be related to legal work. Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of French is desirable. The position is full-time and in-person, with no financial remuneration provided by the UN.

Key requirements

Enrolled in or completed final academic year of law degree
Fluency in English
Field of study related to legal work

Nice to have

Working knowledge of French
Knowledge of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian
Knowledge of Kinyarwanda

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Requirements at a glance

Distilled by AI from the posting

Min. experience: No professional work experience required.
Required degree: Must be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a law university-degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent) OR law students enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate-school programme (second university degree (Master’s Degree) or equivalent, or higher).
Languages: English

Work Location

The Hague, The Netherlands (In-Person, Full time)

Expected duration

The anticipated start date is 3 August 2026 or later. The internship duration is generally between three (3) and six (6) months, with six (6) months being encouraged to ensure a more comprehensive experience. Applicants should clearly indicate their preferred internship period in their cover letter.

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Setting and Reporting: The Office of the President of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals ("Office of the President" and "Mechanism", respectively) invites applications for several legal internships in The Hague, The Netherlands. The anticipated start date is 3 August 2026 or later. The internship duration is generally between three (3) and six (6) months, with six (6) months being encouraged to ensure a more comprehensive experience. Applicants should clearly indicate their preferred internship period in their cover letter. The intern will report on day-to-day matters to Legal Officers in the Office of the President. Responsibilities: Interns in the Office of the President support a wide range of mandated functions of the President of the Mechanism. Responsibilities may include: (i) conducting comprehensive legal research; (ii) assisting in the drafting and proofreading of decisions, orders, and other judicial documents; (iii) assisting in the preparation of reports to the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly; (iv) analyzing relevant laws, rules, and policies; (v) assisting in the drafting of speeches and official correspondence; (vi) providing support on press and policy matters; and (vii) assisting with the management, retention, and disposition of records. Interns may also be assigned routine tasks, such as compiling and collecting materials, and other duties as required.

Qualifications/special skills

Candidates for legal internships in the Office of the President must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: (a) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a law university-degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent) (b) Law (including International Law) students enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate-school programme (second university degree (Master’s Degree) or equivalent, or higher) Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the Mechanism. Fluency in English is required. A working knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian or Kinyarwanda would be an advantage.

Additional Information

HOW TO APPLY: All applications must be submitted through the United Nations Inspira portal. The Mechanism cannot accept applications for this vacancy via email. External applicants may go to: https://careers.un.org/home?language=en

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

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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