Work Location
The Hague (on-site)
Expected duration
6 months with an expected start date in March 2026
Duties and Responsibilities
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It is composed of 15 judges, elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. The Court is the only principal organ of the United Nations not serviced by the Secretariat. The Court has its own administration, the Registry, which provides judicial support to the Court and acts as a permanent administrative organ. The Registry is headed by a Registrar, elected by the Court. The internship is located in the Publishing Division of the Registry, which consists of the Document Production Unit, the Reproduction Desk and the Publications Unit. It provides the final layer of quality control for all ICJ documents and publications. It is responsible for the finalization, proofreading and reproduction of the Court’s judicial and administrative documents at every stage of their drafting and preparation. It is also responsible for all tasks relating to the publication of various regular series and commemorative books, in both official languages of the Court (English and French). The Division also contributes to the modernization of editorial workflows and supports digital dissemination initiatives. The selected intern will work closely with experienced professionals and gain valuable insights into the workings of an international judicial body. Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Publishing Division, the successful candidate will be actively involved in many aspects of the division’s work, providing particular support in: - cross-checking information in legal publications to ensure accuracy and reliability; - assisting in updating legal publications of the Court, contributing to its outreach programme; - providing assistance in digitization and other technical projects, helping to modernize and streamline the division’s processes; - contributing to quality-control steps in the editorial workflow, including verification tasks; - supporting internal organizational tasks such as metadata checking and research for ongoing publishing projects.
Qualifications/special skills
The incumbent must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: a) be enrolled in an undergraduate programme (bachelor’s level or equivalent), a graduate programme (second university degree or equivalent) or a PhD programme in law, international relations, journalism, communication, languages, literature, publishing or any related field; or b) have graduated within the past two years. Excellent research and drafting skills are required. Precision and attention to detail are required. Familiarity with document-editing tools or digital publishing environments is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the official and working languages of the International Court of Justice. A perfect command (equivalent to UN Level IV, Expert Language Competence) of either English or French and a full working knowledge (equivalent to UN Level II, Intermediate Language Competence) of the other are required.
Additional Information
Not available.
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.
