Human Rights Internship at UN OHCHR, Human Rights Treaties Branch, Geneva or Remote (3 to 6 Months; Candidate Pool)

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is building a candidate pool of Human Rights Interns (Job Opening 280477, level I-1) for its Human Rights Treaties Branch (HRTB) in Geneva. The pool will be used to fill internship vacancies between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.

As established by UN General Assembly Resolution 68/268, the Branch supports the human rights treaty bodies, the committees of independent experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties. It also houses the Treaty Body Capacity Building Programme and the Secretariats of the UN Funds that award grants to civil society organisations assisting victims of torture and of contemporary forms of slavery.

• Internships are available full-time and part-time and can be conducted remotely or in person (duty station: Geneva).
• Minimum 3 months, maximum 6 months.
• Duration and modality can be adjusted on request of the successful candidate.

• Prepare country and legal analysis and draft legal background papers for the treaty bodies, on the State party reporting procedure and the individual complaints procedure
• Research and draft reports on treaty body jurisprudence
• Assist with the handling of individual communications and support work on inter-state communications
• Assist in preparing country visits of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT)
• Take notes during sessions and pre-sessions and prepare documentation and reference files
• Support the Universal Human Rights Index (UHRI) and treaty body documentation databases
• Help prepare reports and background papers for the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council and the annual meeting of treaty body Chairpersons
• Develop training material for capacity building and help evaluate project proposals for funding

Applicants must (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent).

Relevant coursework is sought in fields including law and legal administration (criminal justice), public administration, project management, strategic communications and design, business administration, management or human resources management. The posting is open to a broad range of educational, project, volunteering and research backgrounds and places no nationality restriction, so Indian students and graduates who meet these requirements may apply.

Language: fluency in English or French is required; knowledge of the other is an asset, and another UN official language is an advantage.

OHCHR's Internship Programme page states that United Nations internships are not remunerated and that travel costs and living expenses must be borne by the interns themselves or by a sponsoring institution. For an in-person internship in Geneva, OHCHR estimates living costs at approximately CHF 1,800 per month, and selected interns must arrange their own visa, travel and valid medical insurance for their stay in Switzerland.

The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Apply online through the UN Careers portal for Job Opening 280477 (Human Rights Intern). When completing the application, indicate the period when you are available to start the internship.

The posting closes at 04:59 UTC on 2 January 2027 (10:29 am IST on 2 January 2027). Apply by 1 January 2027 to be safe.