Intern, Legal Unit

Organization profile

Every year, millions of people around the world go missing as a result of conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration, and other causes.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is an international organization with its Headquarters situated in The Hague, the Netherlands. ICMP’s mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating missing persons. ICMP works globally, with field programs across the world. To learn more about ICMP click here.

Internship Setting

The Legal Unit is situated at ICMP’s Headquarters and is led by the Head of Legal Unit and Principal Legal Advisor. Dealing with a wide variety of legal aspects of ICMP’s work, the Legal Unit prepares legal instruments defining ICMP’s status, cooperation, and operational arrangements with States, international, and other organizations, and any other institutional partners in line with ICMP’s legal status and policy framework. The Legal Unit also drafts proposals, reports, publications, strategy papers, official submissions, and other documents to strengthen and further implement ICMP’s mandate, functions, and legal status globally. Further, the Legal Unit is responsible for drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts, including procurement contracts. The selected intern will assist the Legal Unit in fulfilling these responsibilities.

Main duties and responsibilities

The Intern will assist the Head of Legal Unit and Principal Legal Advisor in the following duties and responsibilities:

• Review and draft legal documents;
• Conduct in-depth legal research and analysis on relevant questions of law and policy, and draft written reports on the same;
• Prepare concept notes identifying areas where ICMP can assist governments and others in finding missing persons;
• Attend and prepare minutes of meetings; and
• Assist the Legal Unit with other tasks depending on the Unit’s needs.
• Other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates for this internship must:

• Be enrolled in or have recently completed a university degree program in law with specialization in contract law, administrative law, public international law, or another related field;
  
• Possess strong legal research, analysis, and drafting skills;
• Be capable of carrying out tasks with attention to detail;
• Have excellent organizational and communication skills;
  
• Be proficient in English, both oral and written;
  

• Have experience working with Microsoft applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;

• Be capable of working independently, with a strong sense of initiative and responsibility while also being able to work as part of a team; and
  
• Be able to adapt to a multicultural and multilingual working environment, and interact positively with colleagues regardless of culture, nationality, or gender.
  
• Proven ability to interact positively with colleagues regardless of culture, nationality or gender.
• Commitment to the underlying objective of helping the authorities and families of the missing to account for missing persons in an impartial and transparent manner.

Prior experience working in a legal office or department, at the national or international level, would be considered an asset.

BEFORE APPLYING FOR THIS INTERNSHIP PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

Starting date and duration: Early September 2026. Internships are available for periods ranging from three to six months. The applicant’s preference as to start date and length of internship must be specified in the cover letter submitted with the application.

Minimum age: The intern should be at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the date of application.

Working hours: This is a full-time position (40 hours/per week; Monday to Friday). As agreed with their supervisor, the intern must provide written notice in case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances that prevent them from observing these working hours.

Flexible work arrangement: The intern will be able to arrange a flexible schedule alternating in-office and remote work upon agreement with the supervisor. ICMP is not in a position to provide the intern with office equipment for remote work arrangements.

Visa and travel: Interns are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas. If required, ICMP may request the host state to assist a selected intern in obtaining visas. Costs and arrangements for travel, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of intern.

Insurance: Interns are responsible for obtaining valid medical insurance coverage and providing proof of the same to ICMP prior to the start of the internship placement.

Conduct and confidentiality: Interns are required to sign and abide by the ICMP Code of Ethical Conduct. ICMP has the authority to terminate any internship due to unsatisfactory performance or conduct.

Privileges and immunities: In the Hague, the Netherlands – unless Dutch nationals or otherwise entitled to residency in the Netherlands – interns will be registered with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a maximum period of six months and are obliged to leave the Netherlands within 15 (fifteen) days after the end of their internship with ICMP.

Renumeration: This is an unpaid internship.

VN end date: 15 July 2026

ICMP is committed to maintaining an environment of mutual respect, where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants. ICMP believes that diversity and inclusion among our staff are critical to our success as a global organization, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented individuals from a thoroughly diverse range of candidates. ICMP is proud to be part of the International Gender Champions network.

There should be no expectation of employment by the International Commission on Missing Persons upon completion of the internship.