Human Rights Internship – Sri Lanka Accountability Project

About the role

This six‑month, full‑time internship with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva supports the Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLap). The role offers students a unique opportunity to contribute to UN‑level human‑rights work while gaining practical experience in research, data management and project coordination.

Key responsibilities

• Review, catalogue and analyse information relevant to OSLap’s mandate, extracting data into structured datasets.
• Maintain and regularly update internal repositories of documentation, reports and research materials on human‑rights violations in Sri Lanka.
• Analyse datasets and assist in producing statistical outputs and visualisations where appropriate.
• Support the development and enhancement of information‑management systems.
• Conduct desk‑based research on national and international accountability frameworks, especially regarding enforced disappearances.
• Collect, synthesize and summarize best practices from UN entities, NGOs and academic sources.
• Undertake open‑source research on human‑rights violations and core international crimes.
• Assist in planning, organising and coordinating meetings, events and related activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Required profile

• Current university student with a strong interest in United Nations work and human‑rights issues.
• Demonstrated ability to interact respectfully with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently under general guidance of the Head of OSLap.

Required skills

What we offer

• Non‑remunerated, full‑time internship providing exposure to UN Secretariat operations.
• Opportunity to develop research, data‑management and project‑coordination skills in a high‑impact human‑rights context.