UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency is looking for a PPLA Section Intern (Legal Unit)

Terms of Reference

Title: PPLA Section Intern (Legal Unit)

Internship Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Division/Service/Section/Unit: Division of International Protection and Solutions, Policy and Law Service, Protection Policy and Legal Advice section, Legal Unit

Duration (length of internship): 16 February – 15 May 2026

Contract Type: Internship (Part time @ 26 hours per week)

Start date: 16 February 2026

Deadline for Applications: January 16, 2026

Organizational context

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution and those who are stateless. UNHCR leads international action to protect refugees, internally displaced people and stateless people. Our vision is a world where every person forced to flee can build a better future. UNHCR was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes. Today, UNHCR works in over 130 countries. We provide life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. We defend their right to reach safety and help them find a place to call home so they can rebuild their lives. Long term, we work with countries to improve and monitor refugee, asylum and statelessness laws and policies, ensuring human rights are upheld.

The Division of International Protection and Solutions provides the necessary thematic, functional and operational support and guidance to UNHCR’s Regional Bureaux and Country Operations around the world. DIPS’ support and guidance is aimed at enhancing protection delivery globally, and contributes to ensuring global coherence, consistent application of international law and of UNHCR’s positions and policies, as well as cross-regional fertilization. The Division comprises two Services. Service 1 focuses on Law and Policy, Service 2 on Field Support and Durable Solutions for displaced persons.

The Protection Policy and Legal Advice (PPLA) Section, which falls in Service 1, leading UNHCR's work on the development of international law and policy relevant to the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers pursuant to UNHCR’s supervisory responsibility. PPLA leads, guides and supports UNHCR’s law and policy efforts in various contexts and across the globe. PPLA guides engagement with the legal community, including facilitating and supporting law reform and the preparation of court interventions by UNHCR around the world as well other judicial engagement activities at the global level. PPLA engages with human rights mechanisms and actors globally, regionally, and nationally and leads the legal and normative work on the protection of displaced populations.

The Legal Unit works positively to influence the implementation of legal standards in relation to the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers, including by advising governments, international organizations, the legal community, civil society, and other partners as well as the whole organization. Advice covers a wide range of legal and protection issues, policies and practices, including in operational contexts. The Unit advances UNHCR’s legal guidance, coordinates preparation of inputs to international legal instruments and standards as well as domestic State laws and policies and guides global analysis, information management and reporting on law and policy, particularly through the online Rights Mapping and Analysis Platform (RiMAP). In relation to issues arising at the intersection of protection and data, and protection and national security, the Unit advises respectively on approaches to ensure the rights of displaced and stateless persons and that measures addressing terrorism, as well as serious crimes that threaten national or international security and public order, comply with relevant international legal obligations. The Unit currently includes a Senior Refugee Law Advisor as Head of Unit, a Senior Policy Officer, a Legal Officer and a Protection Officer.

The position

This internship position sits with PPLA’s Legal Unit. The intern will be a full member of the team and asked to provide valuable assistance to the Legal Unit and the PPLA section as a whole. The focus of the internship is the ongoing law and policy work of UNHCR vis-à-vis refugees and asylum-seekers. The internship will familiarize the intern with the daily realities of UNHCR HQ and its engagement with operations and partners and matters of law and policy related issues and processes around the world.

The overarching objectives of the internship – from the perspective of the intern – are (i) to gain a deeper knowledge of the work of UNHCR and the international legal frameworks and policy contexts governing the organization’s work in relation to refugee protection and the organization’s supervisory responsibility, and (ii) to practice and develop ‘professional working skills’, such as time management, prioritization of tasks, teamwork, presentation skills, legal research and drafting skills.

Duties and responsibilities

• conducting research and analysis and updating and/or drafting of legal analytical and policy papers on topics of relevance to the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers in particular in the context of international law developments, legal interpretative guidance, domestic legislation, judicial engagement and engagement with human rights mechanisms;
• preparing a report on global law and policy developments related to the protection and solutions for forcibly displaced and stateless persons;
• assisting with collecting and analyzing data on refugee treaties and legislation;
• editing position papers and other law and policy documents;
• where appropriate, attending meetings, workshops, and seminars, taking notes and reporting back to the team.

Minimum qualifications required

• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.
• Candidates with previous UNHCR Internship experience must not have exceeded the maximum total cumulative full-time internship duration of eight (8) months.

NOTE: An individual who bears the relationship of parent, child or sibling or step-parent, step-child or step-sibling to a current UNHCR staff member or affiliate is not eligible for an internship.

Desirable qualifications and skills

• Fluency in English (both oral and written), with working knowledge in a second UN language being desirable.
• Strong analytical skills;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Creative thinking;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Computer literacy (MS Office);
• Favourable disposition to working effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from varied cultures and backgrounds;
• Demonstrated affinity with the rights and well-being of refugees, IDPs and/or stateless persons.

Conditions

It is a part-time role with working hours starting from 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (26 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Geneva, Switzerland.

Obligations

• Acquiring and renewing current visas, residence permits including all associated costs, obtaining medical certification and compliance with taxation requirements (if applicable), are the responsibility of the intern.
• The selected candidate will need to provide UNHCR with a proof of funding from the sponsoring institution (if applicable), health insurance coverage applicable to the assigned internship location and a certificate of good health from a qualified medical practitioner certifying their fitness for work, as well as travel. In the event the candidate is not able to produce the required certificate, they will not be admitted to the Internship Programme.

Allowance and Travel: The Sponsoring Institution shall provide non-reimbursable financial support in the form of a stipend/scholarship/allowance/etc. for the period of internship with UNHCR.

Travel expenses to and from the internship location shall be the responsibility of the respective sponsoring institution. UNHCR is not responsible for any renumeration for the intern during the internship period.

If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form.

There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process.

Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request.

All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, or training).

We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

English

Desired Languages

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No

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