Visiting Professionals
The International Criminal Court offers approximately 50 internships per calendar year for talented professionals across various fields (including but not limited to) law; human resources; translation and interpretation; IT management; and social psychology.
Placements are intended to enable the Court to benefit from the additional capacity offered by experienced professionals, while at the same time allowing participants to benefit from experience working in a challenging environment in the pursuit of international justice.
Visiting Professional placements are a mutually beneficial arrangement with participants gaining transferable experience in a multicultural and international workplace. The ICC also benefits from the input and expertise of high-calibre working professionals. If you are passionate about the rule of law and the fight to end impunity; wish to expand your global professional network; and are experienced in your field, an ICC Visiting Professional Placement is for you.
All candidates must have a relevant degree from a recognised university; an advanced degree will be a strong asset.
The Court aims to attract individuals with a sound academic background and extensive experience in their chosen profession. Examples of well-placed applicants include candidates:
employed with governmental, non-governmental, or inter-governmental organisations national jurisdictions, or broader civil societies
who have practised as judges, investigating magistrates, prosecutors, or lawyers in a field relevant to the work of the Court
who have engaged in extensive academic research, writing, or teaching in any of the disciplines of interest to the Court.
Applicants for placements of a legal nature are required to have specialisation in a relevant legal discipline, for example:
international criminal law
international humanitarian law
public international law
human rights
comparative law
criminology
expertise on violence against women and children.
If you have only recently completed your studies, you may be more suited for a Internship 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.
Visiting Professionals are required to work full time for a period between one and six months (to be agreed prior to commencement). Visiting Professional placements will not be extended beyond six months.
Visiting Professionals 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.
It is recommended to research possible sponsorship through your current workplace, professional organisation/s, or grants offered in your region.
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.
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.
Particular regard will be paid to candidates who work directly on International Criminal Court matters or questions of international criminal law in their own country.
Individuals are ineligible to apply if they have a parent or a sibling currently working at the Court.
Candidates should also 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.