International Court of Justice (ICJ

About

Being one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) provides a platform for states to settle international disputes. The rulings within this Court, as well as the advisory opinions which stem from this institution, form crucial sources of international law. All UN members are parties to the ICJ statute, and so the ICJ’s rulings - although not absolutely binding on states - have a profound influence on the ongoing development of global legal affairs.

What kind of work?

Professional staff members are appointed by the ICJ. Employees for the ICJ are part of the Registry, which is a network of numerous departments and divisions which help the ICJ effectively perform its functions. These departments are wide-ranging, and include the Department of Legal Matters, Publications Division, Finance Division and the Judges’ Secretaries.

Location

The Netherlands

Student Opportunities

The International Court of Justice offers internships of one to three months to students and young professionals who are in the early stages of their careers. The internship is an opportunity for them to put their knowledge and experience into practice, while performing certain tasks for the Court under the supervision of Registry officials.

Given the size of the organization, only a limited number of internships can be offered throughout the year. Placements are, however, possible in all departments and divisions of the Registry. The working languages of the Court are English and French.

Graduate Opportunities

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recruits staff in both the Professional (P) and General Service (GS) categories. The working languages of the Court are English and French. Professional staff members are appointed by the Court on a proposal by the Registrar; General Service staff are appointed by the Registrar with the approval of the President. Short-term staff, in both the Professional and General Service categories, are appointed by the Registrar. Registry staff are subject to Staff Regulations approved by the Court.

Around 100 people currently work in the Registry.

The Registry is divided into the following departments and divisions:

- The Department of Legal Matters - The Department of Linguistic Matters - The Information Department - The Administrative and Personnel Division - The Finance Division - The Publications Division - The Library of the Court - The Archives, Indexing and Distribution Division - The Text Processing and Reproduction Division - The Information Technology Division - The Security and General Assistance Division - The Judges’ Secretaries.

You can find the application guidelines here: https://www.icj-cij.org/en/employment

Fun Fact / Recent Project

Publications The publications of the International Court of Justice are published by the Registry, in several series, some of which are available in electronic versions. Each decision is published as soon as possible after it has been given. To ensure that all the decisions in a given year can be assembled and bound, the page numbering is continuous for all the fascicles in that year.