Intern, Policy and Cooperation

Organization profile

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.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is an international organization with its Headquarters situated in The Hague, the Netherlands. ICMP's mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating missing persons. ICMP works globally, with field programs across the world. To learn more about ICMP click here.

Internship Setting

The Office of the Director General includes the Director of Policy and Cooperation (DPC) who oversees policy development and the organization's legal status, cooperation, and collaborative engagements. The DPC also oversees the current process of implementing measures taken by the Conference of States Parties in respect of amendments to the Agreement on the Status and Functions of the International Commission on Missing Persons (the ICMP Treaty). The candidate selected for an internship will assist in fulfilling these responsibilities.

Main duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Director of Policy and Cooperation, the intern will:

• Review and draft legal documents;
• Conduct in-depth legal research and analysis on relevant questions of law and policy, and draft written reports on the same;
• Attend and prepare minutes of meetings; and
• Assist with other tasks depending on the organization's needs.
• Other related duties, as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates for this internship must:

• Be enrolled in or have recently completed a university degree program in law with specialization in contract law, administrative law, public international law, or in another relevant, related field;
• Possess strong research, analysis, and drafting skills;
• Be capable of carrying out tasks with attention to detail;
• Have excellent organizational and communication skills;
• Be proficient in English, both oral and written;
• Be capable of working independently, with a strong sense of initiative and responsibility while also being able to work as part of a team; and
• Be able to adapt to a multicultural and multilingual working environment, and interact positively with colleagues regardless of culture, nationality, or gender.
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications, including Word, Access, Excel, Power Point, Outlook and Teams.
• Commitment to the underlying objective of helping the authorities and families of the missing to account for missing persons in an impartial and transparent manner.

BEFORE APPLYING FOR THIS INTERNSHIP PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

Starting date and duration: Early to mid-March 2025. Internships are available for periods ranging from two to six months. The intern's preference as to start date and length of internship must be specified in the cover letter submitted with the application.

Minimum age: The intern should be at least 21 years of age at the date of application.

Working hours: This is a full-time position (40 hours/per week; Monday to Friday). As agreed with their supervisor, the intern must provide written notice in case of illness or other unavoidable circumstances that prevent them from observing these working hours.

Flexible work arrangement: The intern will be able to arrange a flexible schedule alternating in-office and remote work upon agreement with the supervisor. ICMP is not in a position to provide the intern with office equipment for remote work arrangements.

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 intern.

Insurance: Interns are responsible for obtaining valid medical insurance coverage and providing proof of the same to ICMP prior to the start of the internship placement.

Conduct and confidentiality: Interns are required to sign and abide by the ICMP Code of Ethical Conduct. ICMP has the authority to terminate any internship due to unsatisfactory performance or conduct.

Privileges and immunities: In the Hague, the Netherlands – unless Dutch nationals or otherwise entitled to residency in the Netherlands – interns will be registered with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a maximum period of six months and are obliged to leave the Netherlands within 15 (fifteen) days after the end of their internship with ICMP.

Renumeration: This is an unpaid internship.

VN end date: 15 January 2026

ICMP is committed to maintaining an environment of mutual respect, where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants. ICMP believes that diversity and inclusion among our staff are critical to our success as a global organization, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented individuals from a thoroughly diverse range of candidates. ICMP is proud to be part of the International Gender Champions network.

There should be no expectation of employment by the International Commission on Missing Persons upon completion of the internship.