UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
The West Bank (including East Jerusalem) is home to nearly 775,000 registered refugees, around a quarter of whom live in 19 refugee camps. Most of the others live in West Bank towns and villages. UNRWA’s West Bank Field Office (WBFO) provides services to these refugees inside and outside camps. The Field Legal Office (FLO) is part of WBFO, based in East Jerusalem.
Internship Opportunity
Department : Field Legal Office, West Bank Field Office
Duty Station : East Jerusalem
Type of Appointment: Full time internship
Duration: 3-9 months
Preferred Starting Date: March 2021 (all interested candidates are encouraged to apply, indicating earlier/later starting date in their motivation letter)
BACKGROUND
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 UNRWA’s mandate and areas of operation within FLO, WBFO.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
· Provide research to assist FLO’s provision of legal advice on the interpretation and application of relevant public international law, including international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, as well as United Nations privileges and immunities;
· Assist with the drafting of legal documents, including correspondence, summary notes, briefing papers and reports on a wide variety of legal matters;
· Provide support for the provision of legal advice and analysis on matters arising from contracts entered into by WBFO, including those relating to construction works, and the procurement of goods and services;
· Contribute by researching and analyzing jurisprudence and the Agency’s legal framework on a wide range of administrative law issues, including matters relating to allegations of staff misconduct;
· Assist with servicing committees, high-level and other meetings, as well as training sessions covering a range of legal issues; and
· Perform any other duties as may be required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: A university degree from an accredited educational institution in law or related field.
Work Experience: Applicants are not required to have professional work experience.
Languages: Excellent command of spoken and written English, including the ability to draft legal documents in English.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
· Specialization in international law, commercial law or administrative law is desirable.
· Experience in a professional office environment is an asset.
· Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.
COMPETENCIES
· Advanced level of legal research skills
· Knowledge of Microsoft Office
· Communication skills
· Analyzing
APPLICATION PROCESS
Should you be interested, please send your CV and a motivation letter to WBFO-Recruitment@UNRWA.ORG no later than 31 January 2021. Please mention in the subject line “**FLO-WBFO internship March 2021”**.
The motivation letter (maximum one page) must include:
· Your interest in UNRWA and why you are the best candidate for this specific internship;
· Your knowledge of legal issues related to Palestine refugees and the operations of UNRWA;
· Title of degree (including expected graduation date, if applicable);
· Period of availability and preferred duration;
· IT skills and programs that you are proficient in.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Only those applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted.
UNRWA staff and complementary personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality at all times. 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. UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women.
UNRWA will not be responsible for the costs of travel, visa, accommodation, or any other costs related to the placement. All costs connected with an intern’s participation must be borne by the intern, including arrangements for travel (including to and from the office), visas, accommodation, etc. Interns will be solely responsible to secure visas. Applicants should be able to travel in the Agency's area of operations in the Middle East.
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.
Intern placements shall not constitute employment by UNRWA. Interns are considered to be complementary personnel with non-staff status. The purpose of the internship program is not to lead to further employment with UNRWA but to complement an intern's studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship. Interns are eligible to apply as external candidates for UNRWA staff vacancies in accordance with normal selection procedures.
Please note that UNRWA does not charge fees at any stage of the application process. Vacancy announcements advertised at: https://www.unrwa.org/careers/internships, will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (Jerusalem time) on the deadline date.
UNRWA is a non-smoking environment.
How to apply:
Should you be interested, please send your CV and a motivation letter to WBFO-Recruitment@UNRWA.ORG no later than 31 January 2021. Please mention in the subject line “**FLO-WBFO internship March 2021”**.
The motivation letter (maximum one page) must include:
· Your interest in UNRWA and why you are the best candidate for this specific internship;
· Your knowledge of legal issues related to Palestine refugees and the operations of UNRWA;
· Title of degree (including expected graduation date, if applicable);
· Period of availability and preferred duration;
· IT skills and programs that you are proficient in.
