Legal Research Intern

The office location of the IIIM is in Geneva, Switzerland. This internship is designed to be flexible and full-time, with possibility to be conducted in-person, hybrid or remote. Work modalities will be discussed with a successful candidate. Please indicate your preferred arrangement (for an in-person, hybrid or remote internship) in your application.

The minimum duration of an internship is two months, and this period can be extended up to a total period of six months. This internship offer is unpaid. The expected start date for the Internship is 1 November 2026. Regular Working Hours are from 8h30 to 17h30 (40 hours per week from Monday to Friday).

This internship is located within the Office of the Assistant Secretary General (OASG) of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (IIIM). The Legal Intern will report to the Principal Advisor to support the IIIM through legal research, open-source research, contextual analysis, and drafting. The intern will be contributing to the Mechanism's efforts to support international and national jurisdictions by assisting in the collection and assessment of publicly available information relevant to the IIIM's mandated activities. This will present a valuable opportunity for the intern to develop legal, research, analytical and drafting skills and gain firsthand experience of the work of a UN international accountability mechanism. The duties of the Legal Intern may include, but are not limited to support with tasks related to legal research and other open-source research and analysis as needed, including: (a) Conducting targeted open-source research in English and Arabic, and conducting analysis and drafting summaries in English; (b) Researching and summarising political, economic, social, technological, and legal issues related to the current Syrian situation, and providing input on documents drafted by others; (c) Conducting legal research in English and Arabic, drafting legal analysis in English, and assisting with finalizing legal drafts; (d) Compiling relevant research and analysis into research papers and contribnuting to presentations for the IIIM, for the sole use of the IIIM, detailing the intern's research, sources, and analysis; (e) Any other tasks as directed by the direct supervisor. The intern will also be responsible for the following: - Completing assigned tasks in a timely and accurate manner. - Meeting deadlines and responding to instructions promptly. - Maintaining confidentiality of all records and information accessed during the internship. - Working independently and as part of a team. - Demonstrating professionalism and respect for colleagues and stakeholders. *Assignments will not involve any work directly with evidentiary material in the IIIM's Central Repository of Information and Evidence.

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent). 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 (e.g. law or a closely related field of studies) is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor's or equivalent), master's or Ph.D. programme or equivalent, or have completed a bachelor's, master's or Ph.D. programme. Please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. This is required. Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views. This is desirable. Applicants must have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS Outlook, and MS Teams is desirable. This is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English, and knowledge of Arabic is required for the internship. Fluency in spoken and written Arabic is an advantage.

A complete online application is required. Please include in your application a cover letter in English setting out your motivation and dates of availability. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Short-listed candidates may be contacted by the hiring team directly if further information is needed during the review of their application. During the assessment, you may be required to provide: letters of recommendation in English, Copies of university/law studies transcripts (including courses taken and grades received), A sample of the applicant's written work in English, preferably in a field relevant to the work of the IIIM. Due to the high volume of applications received, candidates who have not been short-listed will not be contacted. Special Notice: Interns must keep confidential any and all unpublished information obtained during the course of the internship and not publish any reports or papers based on such information except with the explicit written authorization of the Head of the IIIM. Interns are bound by the same duties and obligations as staff members, and the information to which an intern has access in the course of the internship must not be divulged to external parties. There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations or the IIIM upon completion of the internship. IIIM interns are responsible for all internship-related expenses that they incur. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship. Therefore, upon award of an internship, interns are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage and are required to sign and return a statement confirming their understanding and acceptance of these conditions of service. For in-person internships, candidates of certain nationalities must obtain a visa authorizing their stay in Switzerland before they depart for Geneva to begin their internship. While this is the overall responsibility of the selected candidate, the IIIM will provide information and supporting documents in this regard. All internship recruitment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits interns regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. Fulfilment of the responsibilities of this position may necessitate engagement with material and/or information that may be distressing.

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.