Human Rights Intern

Work Location

Geneva, Switzerland

Expected duration

Internship Duration: Enter 3-6 months Internship Start Date: This is a GJO used to build a pool of qualified candidates and will be used to fill internship vacancies between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. This Internship is for a minimum of 3 months and maximum of 6 months and designed to be in person and remote. The duration and modality can be adjusted on request of the successful candidate.

Duties and Responsibilities

This announcement broadcasts international internship assignments with the Human Rights Treaties Branch (HRTB). As established by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/268, the Human Rights Treaties Branch supports the activities of the human rights treaty bodies. The human rights treaty bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor the implementation of the core international human rights treaties. Each State party to a treaty has an obligation to take steps to ensure that everyone in the State can enjoy the rights set out in the treaty. The treaty bodies perform a number of functions in accordance with the provisions of the treaties that established them. These might include consideration of States parties' reports and individual complaints; conducting of country inquiries; adopting general comments and organizing thematic discussions to interpret the provisions of their treaty; attending the annual meeting of Chairpersons; and contributing to the treaty body strengthening process. The Treaty Body Capacity Building Programme carries out a variety of capacity building activities – online and in person – supporting the engagement of States and other stakeholders with UN human rights mechanisms. The Funds, with the advice of a Board of Trustees, award grants to civil society organizations worldwide to deliver medical, psychological, legal, social and other assistance to the victims of torture and victims of contemporary forms of slavery. All the treaty bodies, capacity building programme and both Funds receive support from the Secretariats of OHCHR based in Geneva. The internship is located in the Human Rights Treaties Branch. Daily responsibilities of the intern will depend on the area of assignment within the Section and the respective Secretariat supporting the Treaty Bodies, Treaty Body Capacity Building Program or the Funds, as well as on the individual's background. Duties of the intern may include but are not limited to the following to helping service meetings of the human rights treaty bodies and their respective working groups or the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Funds. In particular, the intern may: Prepare country and legal analysis and draft legal background papers for human rights treaty bodies, related to the State party reporting procedure and treaty body-based individual complaints procedure; Conduct research into and draft reports on the jurisprudence of the treaty bodies concerned; As...