Deadline:
December 31, 2025
Location(s)
Netherlands
The Hague
Overview
The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individual charges with the gravest crimes of concerns to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. The Court is participating in the global fight to end impunity, and through international criminal justice, the Court aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and to help prevent the crimes from happening again. You can contribute to this cause by joining the ICC.
Details
Organisational Context
The Chief Custody Officer (CCO) is responsible for the Detention Centre and the Detention Section of the International Criminal Court. The Detention Section is responsible for providing safe, secure and humane conditions for persons who are detained by the Court whilst they are awaiting trial or pending appeal.
The Detention Section’s overall objective is to ensure a physically safe and mentally healthy environment for detained persons at every stage of detention, from their initial transfer to the Court until they are either released on the Court’s order or transferred to a State of enforcement to serve a sentence. The internship will take place primarily at the Detention Centre with occasional working days at the Court.
The main activities of the Detention Section are therefore related to:
- The administration of the Detention Centre and the fundamental rights of the detainees;
- The support and management of documents filed before the Chambers;
- Liaising with and responding to enquiries from the International Committee of the Red Cross;
- The support and management of documents submitted to the Detention Section at the hearings;
- Liaising with and responding to enquiries from other sections within the Court.
Duties and Responsibilities
Interns providing services in the Detention Section would be required to perform the following duties:
- Conduct legal research on behalf of the CCO on all matters related to the mandate of the Detention Section;
- Provide support to relevant sections of the Division/Registry on projects related to the mandate of the Detention Section;
- Follow all the cases before the Court which are related to the Detention Section;
- Provide summaries of important filings and where required, an in-depth analysis of relevant decisions;
- Assist in drafting correspondence;
- Providing support in the management and supervision of all activities undertaken by the Section;
- Assist in drafting memoranda on behalf of the CCO;
- Assist with managing the Detention Section’s various database; and
- Provide administrative assistance on any other task that may be assigned to the Intern by the CCO.
- In order to complete these services access will be granted to the Court’s own library as well as its wide range of legal databases.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Essential Qualifications
Education:
All candidates must have a degree or be in the final stages of their studies at a recognized university in the area of law, international relations or other relevant field. 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. 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:
- Maintains a service-orientated attitude at all times.
- Has a genuine interest in international law, particularly international criminal law, and legal research.
- 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 either of the working languages of the Court (French or 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.
Dates
Deadline: December 31, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
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 should therefore be able to support themselves for the duration of their internship or placement.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
