🇳🇱 Legal Affairs Intern ⚖️ OPCW Office of the Legal Adviser Internship in The Hague, Netherlands 🏛️ (€540/month)

The OPCW internship programme is aimed at motivated students with an interest in gaining experience in international organisations. The programme normally provides work placements in the Technical Secretariat for a three to six month period. The objective of the internship is to provide you with first-hand experience in the day-to-day working environment of an international organisation. You will work with the OPCW's international experts towards the OPCW mission to achieve a world permanently free of chemical weapons. As part of the team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring career professionals, you will be exposed to high-profile conferences, participate in meetings, and contribute to the analytical work as well as the organisational policy of the OPCW. This is a vacancy notice for two internship opportunities, with proposed starting dates of 1 October 2026 and Q1 2027 respectively.

About the Office of the Legal Adviser

The Office of the Legal Adviser (LAO) reports directly to the Office of the Director-General. The main responsibilities of the Office are:

⚖️ Implementation and interpretation of the CWC, providing legal advice to the Director-General, units within the Technical Secretariat and the Policy-Making Organs on matters related to the interpretation of the CWC, the Rules of Procedure of the Policy-Making Organs and relevant decisions adopted by the Conference of the States Parties and/or the Executive Council

📜 OPCW internal legislation, providing legal advice to the Director-General and units within the Technical Secretariat regarding the interpretation of the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules, the OPCW Financial Regulations and Rules, and administrative directives adopted thereunder

👥 Personnel cases, preparing the Organisation's briefs in respect of appeals brought by staff members in cases before the Appeals Council or the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organisation (ILOAT)

🌐 International agreements, providing legal advice in the negotiation, preparation, conclusion and interpretation of international agreements relating to verification activities (facility agreements), relationship agreements with other international organisations, privileges and immunities agreements with States Parties, the Headquarters Agreement, voluntary contribution agreements with donors, and any other enabling legal instruments

🛒 Procurement of goods and services, providing advice within the Technical Secretariat with regard to OPCW's commercial matters, including procurement of goods and services

🗂️ Others, supporting the Director-General and units within the Technical Secretariat on other matters, as required

Main Responsibilities

Interns will be asked to conduct the following tasks:

📝 Prepare first drafts of memoranda and other communications, as requested, on a variety of legal issues arising from the CWC implementation

🔍 Research rules of public international law on matters related to the interpretation of the CWC

🌍 Prepare background notes on legal issues relating to individual States to guide senior officials of the OPCW in their bilateral discussions with the States

📋 Provide support in preparation for meetings of States Parties and prepare records of such meetings

⚖️ Research on administrative law matters, including the jurisprudence of the ILOAT, related to the implementation and interpretation of the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules, the OPCW Financial Regulations and Rules, and other internal legislation

🗺️ Also based in the Netherlands and worth a look: Digital Marketing and International Sales Internship in 🇳🇱 the Netherlands → https://youthworkshub.org/21677

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be enrolled in and have completed at least one year of a law degree programme in a university (or equivalent tertiary institution), or be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or higher), or have graduated in law from a university or a graduate school within a year prior to the commencement of the internship. In addition, applicants must be a citizen of an OPCW Member State. On the desirable side, candidates who have graduated from an undergraduate degree in law (for example a Bachelor of Laws) or have completed at least one year of a postgraduate degree programme in law (for example a Master of Laws or PhD) are preferred.

Skills and Competencies

🎯 Possess excellent research and analytical skills

🗣️ Fluency in written and spoken English is essential

🌐 A good working knowledge of another OPCW official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable

🔗 Another writing and research-focused placement worth exploring: Editorial and Social Media Internship at IRK Magazine in 🇫🇷 France → https://youthworkshub.org/19102

Conditions of the Internship

Acceptance for the programme shall not carry with it any expectation of employment with the OPCW. Interns may not apply for, or be appointed to, any posts or positions at the OPCW within six months of the internship agreement end date. Participants in the Internship Programme receive no financial remuneration from the OPCW for expenses that they incur in relation to the programme; the remuneration for this internship is a stipend of 540 EUR. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, taxes, accommodation, living expenses and repatriation are the responsibility of the intern, who must enter and exit the country in accordance with the applicable immigration procedures in The Netherlands. Participants will be asked to provide proof that they have sufficient financial means for living expenses for the period of their internship. Interns will work with the normal working pattern of the OPCW, which will amount to no more than 40 hours a week. Participants who are citizens of non-EU countries should agree not to undertake other work in the Netherlands during their internship other than as an intern at the OPCW.

The Details

🗓️ Duration: three to six months

📅 Proposed starting dates: 1 October 2026 and Q1 2027 (two internship opportunities)

🕘 Working hours: no more than 40 hours per week

💶 Remuneration: 540 EUR

📍 Location: The Hague, Netherlands

How to Apply

Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered. Please note that all vacancies close at 22:00 Netherlands local time on their respective closing day, so it is recommended that you apply well in advance of the deadline. Only applicants under serious consideration will be contacted.