Internship Overview
The internship is located in the International Trade Law Division, Office of Legal Affairs (ITLD/OLA), United Nations, Vienna (Austria). The Division functions as the substantive secretariat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). UNCITRAL received from the United Nations General Assembly the general mandate to further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade. UNCITRAL has since come to be the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. The activities of UNCITRAL are focused on commercial law and involve only a little interplay with the work of the World Trade Organization (WTO). For more information on UNCITRAL, please visit https://uncitral.un.org. ITLD includes a Legislative Branch and a Non‑legislative Section. Those are tasked, respectively, with the development of harmonized legislative texts, and the provision of technical assistance with respect to the adoption and use of UNCITRAL legal texts and coordination among organizations working in the field of international trade law.
Assignments
Legislative Branch
* Assisting with the research and preparation of comparative legal studies;
* Assisting with the preparation and drafting of legal texts (e.g. draft conventions and model laws), including conducting related background studies;
* Undertaking ad hoc legal and administrative assignments as requested.
Non‑Legislative Section
* Contributing to the identification of legislative reform needs and assistance requirements in selected countries and/or sectors;
* Assisting with the development and maintenance of the UNCITRAL website;
* Assisting with the coordination functions of the Division.
Qualifications / Special Skills
* Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
* Be computer literate in standard software applications including word processing, spreadsheets and general research.
* Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
* Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, including willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
* Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience; a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
* Must have an excellent command of English or French.
* Desirable: ability to manage time and priorities to ensure timely completion of assigned tasks, ability to interact well with people of various social and cultural backgrounds, knowledge of standard office computer applications.
* Applicants will be required to provide an official certificate at a later stage of the application process.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in either English or French, i.e., oral and written proficiency, is required for the internship. Knowledge of both working languages or of an additional official United Nations language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is an advantage.
Additional Information
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.
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