Duration and Location
Placements involve approximately 40 hours of work per week and last for an ideal period of six months, although shorter or longer durations may be exceptionally accepted. Starting dates are preferably in March, June, September and December.
Starting in November 2025, NPWJ internships follow a hybrid working model. Much of the daily work, including research, project support, and internal coordination, will be carried out remotely. Interns will receive structured remote supervision and maintain regular contact with their assigned mentors.
In addition, interns will regularly take part in in-person NPWJ-organised meetings, missions and events as part of the NPWJ team. In particular, interns' participation will be expected at major advocacy activities, including NPWJ's engagement at the International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties (held in December every year), work with the Human Rights Council in Geneva, at which we regularly organise institutional side-events, and advocacy meetings at the European Parliament. During these missions and activities, interns will work side-by-side with NPWJ staff and interact directly with advocacy counterparts and partners, gaining experience in real-life human rights work in both diplomatic and activist settings.
At this stage, NPWJ is not considering fully remote internships, as we believe meaningful "learning by doing" requires some degree of in-person interaction.
This hybrid model reflects NPWJ's broader operational evolution and aims to combine greater flexibility with continued assurance of meaningful professional engagement for interns.
For in-person missions, NPWJ will typically take care of accommodation, usually shared with other members of the team, while subsistence costs are expected to be covered by the internship sponsors.
Qualifications
The Internship Program is open to professionals, recent graduates and graduate students in relevant disciplines, but in exceptional cases NPWJ will also consider final-year undergraduate students. Participants must be fluent in spoken and written English, which is the operating language of our Belgian office. Fluency in Arabic, Italian or French is an asset. Legal expertise is encouraged but is by no means mandatory – however participants must demonstrate strong interest in the protection and promotion of human rights.
Training
NPWJ will assign work to participants in all three of NPWJ’s core thematic areas, taking into account individuals’ interests. Work will largely consist of substantive tasks, including but not limited to: drafting and publishing of press releases; grant-writing; maintaining external contacts; research and drafting of concept or position papers in relation to various NPWJ policy initiatives; planning of conferences and in-country activities; translating documents from or to English/French/Italian; and website and newsletter publications and support. Participants will be involved in all aspects of the work of NPWJ, and will be included in staff meetings and functions. For students able to obtain university credit towards their degrees for their work as interns, NPWJ will provide written assessments of their undertakings at the conclusion of the Program, together with any other documents required by their respective universities. All participants will also be expected to prepare detailed reports on the work they have undertaken as interns at NPWJ, including structured assessments of NPWJ’s Internship Placement Program.
Applications
If you are interested in collaborating with us, fill in the form below enclosing a cover letter, Curriculum Vitae and writing sample in English, such as an essay or publication on a topic which relates to the work of NPWJ. The preferred starting period should be clearly stated. If applicants do not receive a reply within a month, they can contact us through our contact form.
