INTERN - LEGAL AFFAIRS

Contract

This is a I-1 contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about I-1 contracts.

Org. Setting and Reporting If you are passionate about legal affairs in support of making a lasting difference for Palestine refugees, an internship with UNRWA will give you the opportunity to work on the provision of legal advice, training and assistance on matters and policies relating to the UNRWA mandate and areas of operation within the Department of Legal Affairs (DLA), UNRWA-HQ. DLA consists of a General Law Team and an International Law Team. The intern will support both teams and have the opportunity to work on a wide range of topics.

The internship is unpaid and full-time. The position is located in Jerusalem and is for a duration of three months, with the possibility of extension up to six months, depending on the needs of DLA.

Responsibilities Responsibilities

In support of the General Law Team and International Law Team of DLA, potential areas of work that the intern will be asked to support will include:

- Assist with research and the provision of legal advice on the interpretation and application of public international law, including international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, as well as United Nations privileges and immunities; - Assist with the drafting and review of legal documents, including correspondence, summary notes, briefing papers and reports on a wide variety of legal matters, including on the mandate of UNRWA and humanitarian principles; - Assist in the provision of legal advice and analysis on matters arising from contracts entered into by UNRWA, including those relating to the procurement of goods and services and donor financing and project agreements for the delivery of humanitarian and development assistance; - Assist in research and analysis on a wide range of administrative law issues, including research on issues arising in cases before the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal and appeals before the United Nations Appeals Tribunal; - Assist in reviewing legal matters related to the governance of UNRWA, including drafting and reviewing administrative issuances; - Assist in servicing trainings, events and meetings, including note-taking and preparation of summary reports and action points; - Perform any other task as may be required.

Competencies Professionalism: - Possesses excellent legal research and analytical skills; - Shows pride in work and in achievements; - Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; - Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments; observing deadlines and achieving results; - Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; - Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; - Remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication:

- Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; - Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; - Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two way communication; - Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; - Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Teamwork: - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; - Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; - Places team agenda before personal agenda; - Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; - Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Education Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

- Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); - Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (bachelor’s level or equivalent); - Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

For this internship, the area of study must be law. Specialization in international law, commercial law, labour law or administrative law is desirable.

In addition, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

- Be computer literate in standard software applications. - Be able to demonstrate keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations. - Be able to demonstrate the ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Work Experience No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Languages Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Assessment Potential candidates will be contacted by the Hiring Manager directly for further consideration.

Special Notice Special notice

A completed online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please do not attach your resume or CV.

The Cover Note must include: - The dates of your availability. - Degree Programme (What are you currently studying? Include any relevant course work in international, commercial, labour and/or administrative law.) - Graduation Date (When will you graduate or when did you graduate from the programme?) - List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in. - Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship, including any relevant experience. - Explain your interest in the UNRWA Internship Programme.

In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work and academic experiences, and three references.

Interns are not financially remunerated by UNRWA. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns will be solely responsible to secure visas. UNRWA may assist by providing them with visa support letters.

At the stage of acceptance of an internship placement, interns must prove to the satisfaction of UNRWA that they have adequate medical and accident insurance coverage prior to commencing the placement.

The purpose of the internship program is not to lead to further employment with UNRWA but to complement the intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of the internship.

Due to the number of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

United Nations Considerations Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her.

UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups.

At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.