Legal and Information Analyst Internship

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 would be discussed with a successful candidate.

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 and may include two positions. The expected start date for the first Internship, in May/June 2026, and the expected start date of the second internship in August/September 2026. The specific start dates and duration may be adjusted upon request by the successful candidates. Regular Working Hours are from 8h30 to 17h30 (40 hours per week from Monday to Friday). Applicants are requested to specify in their application statement which internship period(s) they would be interested in.

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 and Information Analyst Intern will report to the special advisor of the ASG and, with supplemental training support and guidance from the Information Systems Management Section, will provide research and analysis support to the IIIM through legal research, open-source research, monitoring, contextual analysis, and legal 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 and Information Analyst 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 a final research paper and presentation for the IIIM, for the sole use of the IIIM, detailing the intern’s research, sources, and analysis. 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). Interested candidates must be pursuing or have pursued their degree in areas related to this Job Opening - e.g.criminology, law, Middle Eastern studies, conflict or security studies, international relations, human rights or criminal law, political/social science or a related field of studies. 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 is required. Expertise, familiarity or knowledge regarding criminal accountability in the Syrian context is desirable. Please explain how you meet this criterion using examples. Applicants must have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS Outlook, and MS Teams.

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