The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is building a pool of interns for its Human Rights Treaties Branch in Geneva, Switzerland, with assignments of three to six months that can be full-time or part-time, remote or in person. Applications close on 01 January 2027. At Youth Works Hub, we set out what the Branch does, what interns work on and which academic background you need.
The OHCHR Treaties Branch Internship in Brief
🏢 Office: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
🔖 Unit: Human Rights Treaties Branch (HRTB)
📍 Duty station: Geneva
🎚️ Category and level: Affiliate Personnel, Internships, I-1
🗂️ Job family: Human Rights Affairs
🆔 Job Opening ID: 280477
👥 Recruitment type: Candidate Pool, Intern
🕒 Duration: Minimum of 3 months and maximum of 6 months
🏡 Work modality: Full-time or part-time, remote or in person
⏰ Deadline: 01 January 2027
A Candidate Pool for Internships Until June 2027
This announcement is used to build a pool of qualified candidates. The pool will be used to fill internship vacancies between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, and the announcement covers international internship assignments with the Human Rights Treaties Branch.
Duration and Working Arrangements
The internship lasts for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months and is designed to be both in person and remote. Internships are available full-time and part-time, and the duration and modality can be adjusted at the request of the successful candidate.
What the Human Rights Treaties Branch Does
As established by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/268, the Human Rights Treaties Branch supports the activities of the human rights treaty bodies. These are committees of independent experts that monitor the implementation of the core international human rights treaties.
Each State party to a treaty has an obligation to take steps to ensure that everyone in the State can enjoy the rights set out in the treaty.
The Functions of the Treaty Bodies
Treaty bodies perform a number of functions in accordance with the provisions of the treaties that established them. These might include:
🧾 Consideration of States parties' reports and individual complaints
🔎 Conducting country inquiries
💬 Adopting general comments and organizing thematic discussions to interpret the provisions of their treaty
🪑 Attending the annual meeting of Chairpersons
🔧 Contributing to the treaty body strengthening process
The Capacity Building Programme and the Funds
The Treaty Body Capacity Building Programme carries out a variety of capacity building activities, online and in person, supporting the engagement of States and other stakeholders with UN human rights mechanisms.
The Funds, with the advice of a Board of Trustees, award grants to civil society organizations worldwide to deliver medical, psychological, legal, social and other assistance to the victims of torture and victims of contemporary forms of slavery.
All the treaty bodies, the capacity building programme and both Funds receive support from the Secretariats of OHCHR based in Geneva.
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What Your Daily Work as an Intern Depends On
The internship is located in the Human Rights Treaties Branch. Your daily responsibilities will depend on your area of assignment within the Section and the respective Secretariat supporting the Treaty Bodies, the Treaty Body Capacity Building Programme or the Funds, as well as on your own background.
Your duties may include helping to service meetings of the human rights treaty bodies and their respective working groups, or the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Funds.
Tasks Interns May Be Given
📝 Prepare country and legal analysis and draft legal background papers for human rights treaty bodies, related to the State party reporting procedure and the treaty body-based individual complaints procedure
📚 Conduct research into and draft reports on the jurisprudence of the treaty bodies concerned
📨 Assist with the handling of individual communications received under the different treaty body complaints procedures
🤝 Provide support in relation to inter-state communications submitted to the treaty bodies
🧳 Assist in the preparation of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) country visits
🗒️ Take notes during sessions and pre-sessions, and provide support with administrative duties such as preparing documentation and reference files in advance of and during the session
📣 Provide input to outreach and information tasks, including the Branch newsletter
🗄️ Support the work of the Universal Human Rights Index (UHRI) and the treaty body documentation databases
🧪 Conduct research and develop training exercises for use in capacity building activities on reporting by States to the treaty bodies
📰 Prepare the Weekly Human Rights Treaties Branch Update
🏛️ Assist with the preparation of reports and background papers for the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council (HRC) and the annual meeting of Chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies
🎒 Support the organization of training activities and the development of relevant training material
🔍 Assist with the evaluation of project proposals for funding
📌 Perform other duties as requested by the supervisor, as appropriate
Academic Qualifications You Need
The minimum educational qualification required is a High School Diploma. You must also meet one of these two conditions:
🎓 Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher)
🏫 Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent)
Relevant Coursework and Backgrounds
OHCHR seeks candidates with relevant coursework in the following fields, and states that it is open to a broad range of educational, project, volunteering and research experience backgrounds.
📊 Business administration
🧭 Management
🎨 Strategic communications and design
📋 Project management
🗳️ Public administration
📘 Law and legal administration (criminal justice)
👔 Human resources management
Language Requirements
🗣️ Fluency in English or French is required, and knowledge of the other is an asset
🌐 Knowledge of another United Nations official language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) would be an advantage
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
The Competency and Skills OHCHR Is Looking For
🙌 Competency: A team player who is collaborative, reliable and communicative, consistently working to support teammates and the team's goals
🕊️ Skills: A demonstrated ability to interact successfully with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, including a willingness to try to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views
No Fee at Any Stage
The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, whether application, interview meeting, processing or training. The United Nations also does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
If you are planning a longer career in the UN system, our guide to the UN Junior Professional Officer Programme explains who can apply and how it works. You can also browse more internships and traineeships on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the OHCHR Human Rights Treaties Branch internship based?
The duty station is Geneva, Switzerland, where the OHCHR Secretariats supporting the treaty bodies are based. The internship can be conducted remotely or in person.
How long does the OHCHR Treaties Branch internship last?
The internship lasts for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months. The duration and modality can be adjusted at the request of the successful candidate.
Can I do this OHCHR internship part-time or remotely?
Yes. Internships are available full-time and part-time and can be conducted remotely or in person.
What education do I need for the Human Rights Treaties Branch internship?
The minimum educational qualification is a High School Diploma. You must also be enrolled in, or have completed, either a graduate school programme or the final academic year of a first university degree programme.
Do I need a law degree for this OHCHR internship?
Law and legal administration is one of several relevant fields listed. OHCHR also seeks coursework in business administration, management, strategic communications and design, project management, public administration or human resources management, and is open to a broad range of backgrounds.
Which languages are required for the OHCHR internship?
Fluency in English or French is required, and knowledge of the other is an asset. Knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish would be an advantage.
What does "candidate pool" mean for this internship?
This announcement is used to build a pool of qualified candidates. The pool will be used to fill internship vacancies between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.
Does the United Nations charge a fee to apply?
No. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview meeting, processing or training.
What kind of work will I do at the Human Rights Treaties Branch?
Your work depends on your area of assignment and your background. It may include legal and country analysis, research on treaty body jurisprudence, handling individual communications, supporting sessions and preparing training material.
According to Youth Works Hub's review of this announcement, the range of accepted backgrounds is wider than the human rights focus of the Branch suggests, so non-law students should read the coursework list carefully.
Deadline
⏳ 01 January 2027
Links
🔗 Official vacancy: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/280477?language=en
