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Internship application forms
The Office of the Legal Adviser of the OPCW Technical Secretariat is welcoming applications for internships. An internship with the Office of the Legal Adviser is a great opportunity to gain legal work experience in an international organisation. More details...
The Media and Public Affairs Branch is welcoming applications from prospective interns in the following fields: graphic design and digital arts,desktop publishing, website design and development, interactive media and animation, film, video and photography, and branding and advertising. More details...
1. The purpose of the internship programme is to expose participants to the activities of the Organisation, and enable them to enhance their educational experience through practical work assignments. The programme also provides the Secretariat with the assistance of qualified students who are specialised in relevant occupational fields.
2. To apply for the internship programme, applicants must be:
(a) enrolled in a university, or equivalent tertiary institution, both when they are applying to the programme, and during the internship or have graduated in the previous twelve months when they are applying to the programme;
(b) citizens of Member States of the Organisation; and
(c) fluent in both written and spoken English. A good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.
3. Candidates may be selected for an internship on the basis of one of the following three criteria:
(a) the candidate wishes to undertake a project that is relevant to the work of the Organisation;
(b) the candidate is interested in gaining work experience, and is suitable for placement in an internship requested by an office/division within the Secretariat; or
(c) the candidate is from an institution that has established an internship agreement with the OPCW.
4. The normal duration of an internship shall be between two months and six months. In exceptional cases, the total duration may be extended to a maximum of one year:
(a) where this is required to meet the needs of the receiving office/ division;
(b) if this is included in the terms of the internship agreement between the OPCW and the sponsoring institution; or
(c) if this is necessary for the academic needs of the sponsoring institution to be met.
5. Participants shall be placed under the supervision of a staff member in the receiving division/office for the duration of their internship.
6. Interns are not eligible for entitlements or overtime. They are expected to work a normal, full-time schedule during the internship. The actual hours to be worked will be agreed between the intern and his/her supervisor, and shall not exceed 40 hours per week.
7. If an intern wishes to temporarily interrupt or to terminate the internship, he/she should seek prior approval from the head of the relevant office/division.
8. Interns shall assist in the work of the division/office, but shall not have any supervisory responsibility, or represent the Organisation in any official capacity.
9. The internship programme is not connected with recruitment for employment within the Secretariat, and no such subsequent employment shall be expected. Acceptance for the programme shall not carry with it any expectation of conversion to either a fixed-term or short-term appointment with the Secretariat.
10. Interns shall not be eligible to apply for any post in the Secretariat during the period of their internship.
11. The Organisation reserves the right to terminate an internship if the behaviour of an intern is deemed to be inappropriate or unprofessional.
12. Receiving divisions/offices shall:
(a) create a working environment which will maximise an intern’s substantive learning and professional development by providing office space, furniture, and equipment within the resources available;
(b) seek to ensure that an intern’s assignments are related to his/her field of study, that they are meaningful for both the division/office and the intern, and that the assignments are appropriate in terms of complexity and variety.
13. Interns shall:
(a) observe the conditions of the internship agreement entered into with the Organisation, as well as all applicable regulations and rules of the OPCW;
(b) subscribe to the OPCW’s secrecy agreement, and the oath of service;
(c) provide the receiving division/office with a copy of all the materials they have prepared during the internship. The Organisation shall be entitled to all property rights, including, but not limited to, patents, copyrights and trademarks in relation to material which is directly related to, or made as a consequence of, the services provided under the internship. At the request of the Organisation, the interns shall assist in securing such property rights, and transferring them to the Organisation in compliance with the requirements of the applicable laws;
(d) respect the impartiality and independence required of the Organisation and shall not seek or accept instructions from any government, or from any authority external to the Organisation in relation to the services performed under the internship agreement;
(e) unless otherwise authorised by the appropriate official in the receiving division/office, not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, government or any other external source, any information which has become known to them by reason of their association with the Organisation or with the receiving division/office, that they know, or ought to have known, has not been made public. They may not use any such information without prior written authorisation from the Director-General, and such information may never be used for personal gain. These obligations shall also apply after the end of the internship; and
(f) refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the Organisation or on the receiving division/office, and shall not engage in any activity which is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Organisation.
14. Interns are not financially remunerated by the Organisation. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibilities of the interns, or of their sponsoring institutions.
15. The Organisation accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance of the intern, or for costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship. Applicants for internships must prove to the satisfaction of the Human Resources Branch (HRB) that they have adequate medical insurance cover.
16. The Organisation is not responsible for any claims by any parties in the case of the loss of, or damage to, property, or if death or personal injury occurs as a result of actions or omissions on the part of the interns during their internship.
17. Before the end of the internship, the intern shall submit a report to his/her supervisor summarising his/her activities and experiences.
18. When an intern’s supervisor receives this report, he/she shall complete a written evaluation of the intern’s performance on the intern performance evaluation form, and shall organise a meeting with the intern to provide constructive feedback. The original of the duly completed evaluation form should be provided to the HRB at least five working days before the end of the internship for inclusion in the intern’s file, and a copy provided to the intern by his/her supervisor.
19. Before his/her separation, the intern will be presented with a certificate from the Organisation which will include information on the duration of the internship, the name of the office/division in which the intern was based, a summary of his/her activities, and an assessment of his/her performance. This certificate will be prepared by Recruitment in the HRB based on the assessment of the intern’s performance provided by the office/division in which the intern was based.
20. A prospective intern who meets the eligibility requirements, and the criteria outlined in paragraphs 2 and 3 above, and who wishes to be considered for the internship programme, must submit a duly-completed OPCW internship application form, certified by his/her sponsoring institution/organisation, to Recruitment in the HRB at least three months before the proposed start date of the internship. The application must be accompanied by an authenticated transcript of courses taken, listing the results achieved, and an essay stating the purpose of the internship. For applications from recent university graduates, certification from their sponsoring institution is not required. Instead, an authenticated copy of the university degree (or a letter from the university if the university degree has not been issued yet), reflecting a graduation date within the past twelve months, shall be attached to the duly completed application form.
21. Divisions/offices wishing to offer an internship should submit to Recruitment in the HRB, a duly completed request for intern form approved by the Director of Administration at least three months before the proposed starting date of the internship. This shall include information on the required field of expertise of the intern, the terms of reference for the internship which describes the tasks of the intern in the division/office, the proposed duration of the internship, and the name of the staff member who will supervise the intern.
22. Recruitment will match the applications received from prospective interns with the requests for interns submitted by offices/divisions. A meeting, either in person or over the telephone, will be arranged between both parties to determine the suitability of the applicant. In cases where an application from a prospective intern cannot be matched with a request for an intern received from an office/division, where appropriate Recruitment will provide the relevant offices/divisions with a copy of the application to determine whether the office/division would be interested in utilising the services of the intern.
23. All requests for internships shall be submitted to the Director-General for final approval.
24. Download the internship application form either in Word or PDF format. |
25. This administrative directive was approved on 29 September 2006, is effective as of 6 October 2006, and supersedes any previous administrative issuances on this subject.
(Signed) Rogelio Pfirter
Director-General