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Internships in the OPCW Office of the Legal Adviser

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.

Key Functions

• Assist in drafting memos on various legal issues, in particular on staff, contract and administrative matters;
• Assist in drafting legal comments on bilateral agreements between States Parties or other organisations and OPCW;
• Conduct research in the law of international organisations and in international administrative law;
• Provide support organizing and conducting seminars and workshops on the implementation of the Convention for Member States in and outside The Hague;
• Assist in the preparation, conduct and follow-up of meetings with representatives of States Parties;
• Perform other tasks as required.

Knowledge and skills

• Excellent written skills;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to work harmoniously with people in an international environment;
• Experience in contract law is desirable.
  

Eligibility requirements

You must be:

1. 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;
2. A citizen of a Member State of the Organisation; and
3. 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.

Duration/working hours

You may set the duration of the internship based on your availability. Minimum: 2 months. Maximum: 1 year. The actual hours to be worked will be agreed between you and your supervisor, and shall not exceed 40 hours per week.

How to apply

Submit the following:

1. A duly-completed OPCW internship application form;
2. An authenticated transcript of courses taken, listing the results achieved; and
3. An essay stating the purpose of the internship (300-500 words);
4. 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 (only for applications from recent university graduates)

To the following address:

OPCW
Administration Division, Human Resources Branch, Recruitment Section
Johan de Wittlaan 32
2517JR The Hague
The Netherlands

Contact information

For questions regarding the application process, please contact the Recruitment Section at tel: +31 70 416 3746, fax: +31 70 416 3790, recruitment@opcw.org.

For questions regarding the practical work assignments, please contact the Office of the Legal Adviser at tel: +31 70 416 3779, legal@opcw.org.

Internship Application Form

Word document PDF

About the OPCW

The mission of the OPCW is to free the world of chemical weapons and to foster cooperation in chemistry for peaceful purposes. In doing this, our ultimate aim is to contribute to international security and stability, to general and complete disarmament and to global and economic development.

About OPCW Internships

The purpose of this programme is to expose you to the activities of the OPCW, and enable you to enhance your educational experience through practical work assignments. Read Administrative Directive AD/PER/23/Rev.1 for more information about the OPCW Internship Programme.