ICC Internships

The International Criminal Court offers approximately 200 internships per calendar year for students and graduates across various fields (including but not limited to) law; human resources; translation and interpretation; IT management; and social psychology.
These internships are offered as an opportunity for candidates in the early stages of their career to gain exposure to the day-to-day working environment of the ICC, and to put their knowledge and experience into practise under the supervision of working professionals.

If you are looking to build a career foundation at a global organisation, an ICC internship will help you gain work experience and build your resume. If you are passionate about the rule of law and the fight to end impunity; wish to expand your global professional network; and have high academic achievements, an ICC Internship is for you.

All candidates must have a relevant 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.

As internship positions are intended for people at the start of their careers practical experience is not a prerequisite for selection. However practical experience that is relevant to the Court may be considered an asset.

If you have more than three years of professional experience, you may be more suited for a Visiting Professional placement.

Unless specific language skills are stated as a requirement in a position posting, only good oral and drafting communication skills in one of the official languages of the Court (English and French) are required. However, a working knowledge of the other working language is desirable.

Knowledge of any of the other official languages of the court (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish), or of other languages relevant to the situations pending before the Court will be considered an asset.

Interns are required to work full time for a period between three and six months (to be agreed prior to commencement). Internship placements will not be extended beyond six months.

Interns are entitled to 2.5 days of recreation leave per month, which can be taken individually or as one block in consultation with your supervisor.

Some eligible applicants receive a monthly stipend and coverage of travel expenses, allocated at time of offer from the Trust Fund for the Development of Interns and Visiting Professionals.

However the ICC is not able to provide all participants in the Internship and Visiting Professional Programme with renumeration, nor is it possible to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred during the placement. Applicants should therefore plan to be able to support themselves for the duration of their placement.

If funding is available the Human Resources section will assess a candidate's eligibility in accordance with the terms of reference of the Trust Fund as agreed by the donors.

In order to be eligible, the applicant must (amongst other criteria) be a national from a country that is a State Party to the Rome Statute and appears on the United Nations Statistic Division's list of developing regions.

Candidates eligible for funding shall receive detailed information and further instruction after the selection process is finalised. Stipends will always be agreed to at the time of offer. No funding will be agreed to at a later stage.

It is recommended to research possible scholarships through your university or other relevant institutions to support your stay.

You may get academic credit from your institution of higher learning for an ICC internship. Check with your University to confirm their academic credit policy for internships.

Individuals can only complete one internship and/or one visiting professional placement. However, former interns can go on to complete a separate visiting professional placement.

Individuals are ineligible to apply if they have a parent or a sibling currently working at the Court.

Candidates should have:

  • Adaptability to a multicultural and multilingual working environment.

  • Ability to work both independently and in a team.

  • A good standard of computer literacy, especially in the Microsoft Office suite.

  • Important qualities such as discretion, reliability, intellectual rigour, precision, perseverance, honesty, creativity, co-operative spirit, and integrity.