International Human Rights by Siomara Umaña: Fellowships/Internships/Scholarships

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With the aim of supporting the efforts of OAS Member States in the development of human resources as a means to achieving the objectives of the OAS Strategic Plan for Integral Development, the OAS provides valuable study opportunities to students by granting scholarships for the pursuit of graduate studies and research that are related to the eight (8) priority areas contemplated in the plan.

•  OAS Academic Scholarships are awarded for full-time studies at a university or higher learning education institution in an OAS Member State with the exception of the applicant’s sponsoring country.

•  OAS Academic Scholarships are awarded to undertake graduate studies (Master’s or Doctorate degree) and/or graduate research leading to a degree at a university or higher learning education institution (Not Post-Doctorate) in an OAS Member State.  Studies may be carried out onsite or online, or under a combination of both.

•  OAS Academic Scholarships are awarded for a maximum of two academic years.

•  Scholarships are contingent upon the continued availability of funds, the good academic performance of the student during the first academic year, and the confirmation by the academic institution that the renewal period for the second year is necessary to conclude the program of study for which the scholarship was initially awarded.

•  Candidates must return to reside in the sponsoring country for a period of no less than twenty-four (24) months after completing the program of study covered by the OAS scholarship. Applicants for online studies must agree to remain in the sponsoring country for the same period of time.

•  OAS Staff members, OAS consultants, staff members of the Permanent Missions to the OAS, and their relatives are not eligible to apply for a scholarship. They will be eligible only after six months from the termination of their employment relationship or contract before they can apply for a scholarship.

•  The OAS does not award scholarships for studies in the Medical Sciences and the learning of new languages.

•  The OAS will not consider incomplete applications.

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"The Inter-American Commission has a fellowship program, called the “Rómulo Gallegos” Fellowship, geared toward young professionals from the OAS Member States who have completed their university law studies and hold the degree of lawyer. Lawyers from the countries of the Americas are selected each year through a rigorous competition in which they must demonstrate their commitment to human rights as well as a solid academic background and a good command of at least two official languages of the OAS."

Some Old Fellowship Calls (Currently Closed)

• Fellowship – Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2014
  Status: Candidate Selection on Process
• Fellowship Rapporteurship on the Rights of Women 2014
• Romulo Gallegos 2014 Fellowship
• Two fellowships at the Rapporteurship on Human Rights Defenders
• Fellowship - Unit on the Rights of LGTBI Persons 2013
• Fellowship - Rapporteurship on the Rights of Children 2013
• Fellowship – Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2013
• Romulo Gallegos Fellowship 2013

CEJIL’s Internship Program is primarily directed at students and graduates who wish to have more practical experience in the field of human rights to complement their academic and professional training.

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General Information Relating to Both Programs

The Internship and Visiting Professionals Program at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights offers students and professionals in the areas of law, international relations, political science, linguistics and translations an opportunity to gain a practical experience in the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights.

Internship Program Requirements

• Applicants must be students committed to the subject of human rights, who have at least completed their second year of education at a university. Law students will be given priority, as legal assistance is the chief necessity of the Tribunal. However, applications from students in different areas related to the work of the Court will also be considered.
• A minimum of 3 months of availability is required. Applications for internships longer than three months are highly valued.
• The online application must be completed.

Visiting Professionals Program Requirements

• Degree in law or a similar area. Moreover, at the present time the Court encourages the application of translators of written Spanish, English and Portuguese.
• Academic knowledge and professional experience related to the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights, public and private international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international comparative law, is highly valued.
• A minimum of 3 months of availability is required. Applications for longer than three months are highly valued.
• The online application must be completed.
• A copy (scanned or sent via fax) of the applicant's university degree or, if applicable, a letter from the applicant's academic institution confirming the completion of his or her studies followed by a copy of the applicant's university degree when it is issued.
• Complete applications will receive an automatic acknowledgement of receipt.
• All requested documentation should be submitted on-line through the Court's webpage or via email to corteidh@corteidh.or.cr.
• If it is not possible to send all of the aforementioned documents electronically, applicants may submit them to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Apartado 6906-1000, San Jose, Costa Rica, or by fax at +(506) 234-0584. 

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"The Inter-American Commission has an internship program that is managed in conjunction with the OAS Internship Program. It gives young students and those recently graduated from the OAS Member States the opportunity to learn about the IACHR and work in applying the protection mechanisms provided by the inter-American human rights system. One of the benefits of this program is that after the internship, the acquired knowledge is used in the intern’s home country."

Objectives

The objective of the internship is to provide law students and recent law school graduates (or other disciplines mentioned above) from OAS Member States the opportunity to learn about the Commission’s work. It is also an opportunity to acquire practical training in the area of human rights.

During the internship, the participants have the opportunity to work together with the lawyers of the Executive Secretariat in different activities that are carried out by the IACHR.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should apply via the OAS Internship Program web page where an electronic application is accessible during the open application periods, which are indicated on the Program’s web page. In this electronic application please be sure to indicate your interest in the IACHR. It is important that applicants review the requirements for applying and upload all required documentation to the electronic form.