Posted by About the ICC
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague, Netherlands. The ICC is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. It is intended to complement existing national judicial systems and it may therefore exercise its jurisdiction only when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals. The ICC lacks universal territorial jurisdiction, and may only investigate and prosecute crimes committed within member states, crimes committed by nationals of member states, or crimes in situations referred to the Court by the United Nations Security Council.
The ICC began operations on 1 July 2002, upon the entry into force of the Rome Statute, a multilateral treaty that serves as the court’s foundational and governing document. States which become a party to the Rome Statute become members of the ICC, serving on the Assembly of States Parties, which administers the court. As of December 2020, there are 123 ICC member states; 42 states have neither signed nor become parties to the Rome Statute.
About the Internship
The ICC is offering internship opportunities in the organizational unit ‘Trust Fund for Victims’. The internship is a legal one and will be for a duration of 6 months.
To participate in containing the COVID-19 spread and in line with the measures adopted by the Host State, the ICC staff members, interns, and visiting professional based in The Hague are currently working remotely. Accordingly, the candidates selected for this position are expected to work remotely from within the duty station (The Hague) until the re-opening of the ICC’s premises. They are also expected to work with their own computer and internet connection.
Duration
Interns are required to work full time for a period of six months (to be agreed to prior to commencement). Internship placements shall not be extended beyond six months.
The starting date of the placement may vary, upon agreement. The Trust Fund for Victims will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis, and not only after the deadline for applications.
Organizational Context
The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) was created by the Rome Statute (Art 79). It is governed by a Board of Directors, elected every three years by the Assembly of States Parties. The Board is supported by a Secretariat, which carries out the daily management of the TFV’s activities.
The TFV has been entrusted by the Assembly with two main mandates:
- to implement Court-ordered reparations to victims in a convicted case; and
- to provide assistance (physical and psychological rehabilitation and material support) to victims and their families in ICC situation countries.
The mission of the TFV is to respond to the harm resulting from the crimes under the jurisdiction of the Court by ensuring the rights of victims and their families through the provision of reparations and assistance.
Strategic Goals of TFV
- Ensure reparative justice for victims to overcome their harm and transform their lives
- Facilitate assistance and reparations by ensuring financial growth and sustainability
- Advocate for the rights of victims in the international public domain
- Ensure good governance, accountability and transparency by creating an effective organisational structure
Whenever appropriate and feasible in the operation of its mandates, the TFV acts as a grant-making mechanism to locally based implementing partners. According to the TFV Regulations, the TFV receives administrative support from the Registry. In as far as not determined by the TFV Regulations, the TFV’s financial-administrative practice complies with the Court’s relevant regulatory provisions.
Duties and Responsibilities
Assist the Trust Fund for Victims with the following tasks, under the supervision and overall coordination of the Legal Officer:
- Conduct legal research and analysis;
- Cite checking of submissions before the Court;
- Assist in the preparation of submissions before the Court;
- Assist in the administrative proceedings of weekly staff meetings;
- Assist in the eligibility screening of victims in reparations proceedings;
- Other tasks as needed.
Eligibility
Education
All Candidates must have a law degree or be in the final stages of their studies at a recognised university. 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. Practical experience is not an essential prerequisite for selection. Should there be a practical experience that is relevant to the work of the Court, it may be considered an asset. However, such working experience should not exceed 3 (three) years.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Legal analysis and drafting skills;
- Able to adapt to multicultural and multilingual working environments;
- Possesses strong teamwork skills (listens, consults and communicates proactively);
- Has acquired a good standard of computer skills (including Microsoft Office applications).
Knowledge of Languages
Proficiency in one of the working languages of the Court, French or English, is required. Working knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another official language of the Court (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.
Other Criteria
In line with the ICC’s efforts to improve geographical representation among staff, nationals of the countries listed (See, ‘Required Qualifications’ section on the official page) are strongly encouraged to apply.
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, results, and completion date.
- One short essay on a subject relevant to the work of the Trust Fund (maximum of 750 words, single-spaced, typewritten).
Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic: The ICC’s interns and visiting professionals are covered by the Headquarters Agreement, and therefore the ICC is able to assist them with travel and visa arrangements when moving to the duty station.
Remuneration
- Please note that internship and visiting professional placements at the ICC are unfunded. The ICC is not able to provide participants in the Internship and Visiting Professional Programme with any remuneration, nor is it possible to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred prior, during, or after the internship or visiting professional placement.
- Applicants must therefore be able to support themselves for the entire duration of their internship or visiting professional placement.
- Limited funding may, however, be available through the ICC’s Trust Fund for the Development of Interns and Visiting Professionals, which receives donations from States Parties and other donors.
- If funding is available, the Human Resources Section will advertise a funded vacancy announcement in accordance with the terms of reference of the Trust Fund as agreed by the donors.
- In order to be eligible for a funded placement, if advertised, the applicant must, among other criteria, be a national from a country that is a State Party to the Rome Statue and appears on the United Nations Statistics Division’s list of developing regions.
For complete information, please click here.
To apply for the ICC Internship, Click here.
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