Legal internship with the Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions

Duties and Responsibilities

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. The Basel Convention was created to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of the inappropriate management of hazardous wastes worldwide. It is the most comprehensive global treaty dealing with hazardous waste materials throughout their lifecycles, from production and transport to final use and disposal. The Rotterdam Convention provides Parties with a first line of defence against hazardous chemicals and pesticides. It promotes international efforts to protect human health and the environment as well as enabling countries to decide if they want to import hazardous chemicals and pesticides listed in the Convention. The Stockholm Convention is to protect human health and the environment from highly dangerous, long-lasting chemicals by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage.

Under the direct supervision of a Legal Officer in Governance Branch/Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the intern will: Primarily assist the Branch in implementing the 2026-2027 work programme of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. Tasks will include: collection of information, legal research and analysis, drafting of letters and other legal documents, such as presentations or training materials, and other tasks as may be required.

Areas of work may include:

• Support for the preparations for, during and follow-up to the meetings of the governing and subsidiary bodies such as compliance committees and 2027 conferences of the Parties
• Support the work programme of compliance committees and specific submissions
• Cooperation and coordination with other international bodies
• Trade and environment legal matters
• Illegal traffic and enforcement of the conventions
• Support to legal technical assistance and capacity building activities
• Communication of legal information
• National legal frameworks
• Support for the preparation of publications and outreach materials
• Other areas as may be assigned

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet the following requirements: be enrolled in, or have completed, a post-graduate school programme (master’s degree or equivalent, or higher). The following areas of study are an advantage: international law, international environmental law, political science, international relations, development studies. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Experience in a field that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for (e.g. professional experience, publication, project etc.) is an advantage. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

The candidate is expected to have good drafting, planning and organizational skills, attention to detail is essential; and be able to work as a team.