Internship, Civil Society Initiatives

DESCRIPTION

Background

Every year, millions of people around the world go missing as a result of conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration, and other causes. Be part of a growing international organization that is dedicated to tackling this global challenge.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is a treaty-based international organization with headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating and identifying missing persons. As the only international organization tasked exclusively to work on the issue of missing persons, ICMP maintains field programs throughout the world. To learn more about ICMP click here.

The HQ Civil Society Initiatives Department (CSI) has a permanent intern position. Individual internships normally last 3 to 4 months starting in February, April, July and October each year. 

The Intern works within the Civil Society Initiatives Department in HQ to implement activities with families of the missing and civil society organizations to enhance their capacity to be fully engaged in the issue of missing persons, to secure the rights of families of missing persons, to encourage public involvement in ICMP’s activities and to contribute to the development of appropriate expressions of commemoration and tribute to the missing.

Position Description

The selected candidate will acquire research, planning, and management skills, and will have the opportunity of contributing directly to the global efforts to account for missing persons around the world. Reporting directly to the Director of the CSI Division, and working in close cooperation with the CSI Officer, the intern will perform a wide range of tasks. Example duties may include the following:

• Conducting desk research, including comparative research on legal and non-legal victim and civil society related issues concerning the missing persons issue;
• Monitoring global policy developments, including at the national level, UN and inter-regional bodies and multilateral mechanisms;
• Completing stakeholder mapping exercises and contributing to maintaining stakeholders’ databases;
• Supporting the preparation of training and technical assistance tools;
• Assisting the supervisor in drafting reports and preparing presentations;
• Coordinating with ICMP partners, including civil society organizations;
• Contributing to the design and implementation of the civil society-related components of the Global Forum on Missing Persons;
• Supporting logistical preparations for presentations and events;
• Attending meetings and conferences, preparing supporting documentation, preparing summaries or minutes of meetings and subsequent notes and reports;
• Completing general project management and administration/clerical tasks.

REQUIREMENTS

Please include as part of your application a cover letter indicating why you are motivated to do an internship with ICMP and what skills or past experience makes you an ideal candidate for this internship
• Current enrollment/recent graduate in a related Bachelor or Masters university/college (combination of law, international human rights international relations, political science, and social sciences)
• Strong desire to learn along with professional drive
• Professional fluency in English is required
• Professional fluency in Arabic and/or Spanish is required
• Excellent drafting, analytical and research skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point
• Ability to interact positively with colleagues regardless of culture, nationality or gender
• Proactive with eagerness to complete both mundane and complex tasks

• Commitment towards the rule of law.
• Knowledge related to politics, human rights, legislation and/or civil society
• Knowledge of missing persons in Iraq, Syria, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Myanmar/Burma or Western Balkans is an asset
• Practical experience in one or more of the following areas is an asset: open source monitoring, comparative legislative research, comparative research on victims groups, reconciliation efforts and peace- making grassroots initiatives, monitoring of multilateral and international human rights mechanisms and bodies, information research and analysis, academic research, project management, organization of events

Please include as part of your application a cover letter indicating why you are motivated to do an internship with ICMP and what skills or past experience makes you an ideal candidate for this internship.

BENEFITS

Before applying please consider the following:

• ICMP Internships are not paid - Interns are considered unpaid volunteers and are responsible for all expenses
• Working hours - are agreed between the supervisor and intern. Most internships are between to 20 and 40 hours with flexibility in the schedule to ensure a healthy work/life balance.
• Visa and travel - Interns are responsible for obtaining any necessary visas. If required, ICMP may request the host state to assist a selected intern in obtaining visas. Costs and arrangements for travel, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns.
• Insurance - Interns are responsible for providing proof of valid medical insurance coverage.
• Conduct & Confidentiality -Interns are required to sign and abide by the ICMP Code of Ethical Conduct. ICMP has the authority to remove any intern from a placement due to unsatisfactory performance or conduct.
• Privileges and immunities - In The Hague – unless Dutch nationals or otherwise entitled to residency in the Netherlands – interns will be registered with the Dutch MFA for a maximum period of six months and are obligated to leave the Netherlands within fifteen (15) days at the end of their internship.

ICMP is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity. We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.