Internship - Victims Participation and Reparation Section, Registry (Legal)

Registry | 22578

Due to the volume of applications received, only successful applicants will be contacted by the Court.

Required Documents for this Application
Please note that you will need to have the following information ready in order to complete your application:

• A completed “Duties and Responsibilities Form” (refer to step 1 on your eRecruitment Profile page).
• Motivation letter (maximum of 400 words).
• Two reference letters (one academic).
• Scanned copies of university degrees and/or diplomas.
• Scanned copies of official academic transcripts that state your courses, subjects results and completion date.
• One short essay on a subject relevant to the work of the Court (maximum of 750 words, single spaced, type written).

Contract Duration
Interns are required to work full time for a period of preferably six months (dates to be agreed to prior to commencement). Internship placements shall not be extended beyond six months.

Organisational Context
The Victims Participation and Reparations Section (VPRS) facilitates victims’ participation and reparations before the ICC. Amongst its main tasks, it informs victims of their rights before the ICC, assists them in filling in application forms for participation in the proceedings and/or for reparations, and assists the Judges with the preliminary processing and analysis of victims’ applications whenever required. The VPRS is also responsible for organising the common legal representation of victims whenever required. The VPRS establishes systems both in the field and at headquarters in The Hague to manage and process information received from victims, to file such information in the relevant judicial proceedings together with reports for Chambers and to respond to any instructions that may be issued by Chambers relating to participating victims or their applications throughout the proceedings.  To this end, its activities include, inter alia: selection and training of intermediaries and elaboration and dissemination of key messages in the field in close collaboration with the field and other relevant ICC offices; processing of victims’ applications (which involves registration, data entry, legal assessment and redactions); preparing filings for the transmission of victims’ applications to the parties and to Chambers; legally analysing information received from or concerning victims; preparing reports on participation and/or on reparations issues before Chambers, upon request or on a proprio motu basis; organising common legal representation for victims and preparing reports thereon; and facilitating victims’ interaction with their legal representatives. In addition, the VPRS responds to orders from Chambers, requests from the legal representatives of victims, requests for input from other Sections of the Registry, and cooperates with / renders assistance to the Trust Fund for Victims whenever necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Legal Coordinator, assist the VPRS Legal Unit with the following tasks:

• Conduct legal research and analysis;
• Assist the VPRS Legal Unit with the data entry and preliminary legal assessment of victims’ applications for participation and/or reparations;
• Prepare summaries of important decisions;
• Attend meetings, lectures etc when requested and prepare minutes;
• Conduct other tasks as needed, including occasional assignments for one of the other units of the Section as appropriate.

Essential Qualifications

Education:
All Candidates must have a law degree (preferably in criminal law, public international law, humanitarian law, or human rights law) from a recognized university - or be in the final stages of their relevant studies. Candidates are expected to have a very good record of academic performance.

Experience:
Internship placements focus on candidates in the early stages of their professional careers; therefore, practical experience is not an essential prerequisite for selection. However, practical experience that is relevant to the work of the Court may be considered an asset.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Legal analysis and drafting skills
• Able to adapt to a multicultural and multilingual working environment
• Possesses strong teamwork skills (listens, consults and communicates proactively)
• Has acquired a good standard of computer skills (including Microsoft Office applications); Knowledge of TRIM and Ringtail is an asset
• Other important qualities are discretion, reliability, intellectual rigor, precision, perseverance, creativity, co-operative spirit and integrity

Languages:
Proficiency in the two working languages of the Court, French and English, is required. Knowledge of another official language of the Court (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Other criteria:

It is the Court’s objective to have diversity and gender balance. In line with the ICC’s efforts to improve geographical representation among staff, nationals of non-represented and under-represented countries at the ICC are encouraged to apply. The list can be found here. 

Remuneration 

Please note that the ICC is not able to provide all participants in the Internship and Visiting Professional Programme with remuneration, nor is it possible to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred during the internship or visiting professional placement.

 Applicants should therefore be able to support themselves for the duration of their internship or placement.