OAS » Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) » Fellowships » Caribbean 2015

IACHR

Fellowship for Lawyers from English-Speaking Countries of the Caribbean

1) Venue of Fellowship: Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ES/IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS). Address: 1889 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, United States of America.

2) Modality: On-site.

3) Deadline to present applications:  June 7, 2015.

4) Start and End Dates: July 15, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

5) Length of the Fellowship: 11.5 months

6) Objective: To provide an opportunity for young lawyers from OAS English-speaking Caribbean to understand and apply the mechanisms of protection of the inter-american system of human rights.

7) Program: The fellow will provide support to the work of the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR, under the supervision of its human rights specialists during the period of the fellowship and, at the end of the fellowship, present to the Executive Secretariat of the ES/IACHR a detailed report on activities carried out by the fellow.

8) Expected results:

• Collaboration with the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR in the processing of petitions, cases, and requests for precautionary measures.
• Preparation of draft reports on petitions and cases.
• Organization of research to analyze the human rights situation in specific countries and the preparation of the respective resulting reports.
• Preparation of memos and other documents for hearings, working meetings and visits of the Commission.  
• Collaboration in thematic studies.
• Preparation of summaries and other documents for hearings, working meetings, and visits of the ES/IACHR.
• Collaboration in initiatives related to the promotion and dissemination of the Inter-American system of human rights.

 
9) Requirements:

• Be a citizen of an OAS English-speaking Caribbean Member State;
• Knowledge of Caribbean Legal Systems;
• Make a commitment to return to the country of origin (the Caribbean) upon completion of the fellowship;
• Be bilingual in Spanish and English (attach certificates testifying intermediate-advance level); knowledge of Portuguese or French desirable;
• Have graduated in law from an officially recognized university (attach copy of the law degree and grades obtained);
• Have received law degree preferably within the past 7 years;
• Have a demonstrable professional interest in the legal field of human rights, with prior experience in promotional activities in the Caribbean desirable; and
• Written essay of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on any human rights issue of interest to the candidate. The essay shall be presented half in English and half in Spanish using any format; if is not possible, please explain (no cover letter and/or bibliography are required).

 

10) Required documents: The following documents are required in order to be considered for the fellowship:

• Letter of interest (cover letter from the interested person)
• Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional)
• Curriculum vitae
• Certification of second language from any qualified institution
• Copy of law degree and grades obtained
• Written essay of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on any human rights issue of interest to the candidate. The essay shall be presented half in English and half in Spanish using any format; if is not possible, please explain (No cover letter and/or bibliography are required).

Please note: Only simple copies of the original documents required. There is no need to notarize or legalize them. The letters should be addressed to the INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

Subject to the discretion of the Commission, the shortlisted candidates might be requested to respond to additional questions.

11) Benefits:

• The ES/IACHR provides a monthly stipend of US$3,200.00 during the period of the fellowship. With the stipend provided, the fellow is responsible and required to obtain health insurance coverage of his/her choosing for the duration of the fellowship, and shall provide proof of coverage to the Executive Secretariat of the ES/IACHR prior to initiating the fellowship.
• Round-trip economy class air transportation from the participant’s country of residence to Washington, D.C. Terminal and transfer expenses are not covered.
• The ES/IACHR will award a certificate of participation in the Fellowship Program to the fellows who satisfactorily complete the entire period of the fellowship.

12) Responsibilities of the selected candidates:

• Once an applicant has been selected, he/she should formally accept the fellowship in writing, confirming with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights his/her availability to complete the fellowship during the specified time period. Once accepted, the ES/IACHR will proceed with the necessary arrangements for purchase of round-trip economy air transportation between the candidate’s country of origin/residence and Washington, D.C.
• In the event a candidate accepts a fellowship but cannot complete it, for whatever reason, he/she must immediately inform the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights so that the appropriate  course of action may be decided.
• It is the responsibility of each selected candidate to request and obtain the necessary visa to enter the United States, and/or transit visa (if applicable) in a timely manner. The ES/IACHR will not incur in any expense related to the processing of immigration or visa documents. The IACHR will provide the candidate a document certifying his/her selection as an official fellow of the IACHR so that he/she may request the corresponding visa, which is the sole responsibility of the selected candidate. In addition, the OAS will send a diplomatic note to the Embassy or Consulate where the selected candidate will be requesting his/her visa, certifying the fellow’s selection.
• It is the responsibility of the selected candidate to arrive in a timely manner so that he/she will be present for the commencement of the fellowship on the date established by the ES/IACHR.
  
• If the selected candidate declines the fellowship after the flight ticket has been purchased, or does not travel on the established dates or changes routes, the candidate shall reimburse the ES/IACHR the cost of the flight ticket or any additional costs incurred. The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the ES/IACHR, such as extra costs for accommodation during the candidate’s travel to and from Washington, D.C.
• If the candidate resigns, cancels or terminates the fellowship after the program has begun without providing sufficient reason and evidence to the ES/IACHR for doing so, he/she will fully reimburse the ES/IACHR for all costs incurred on his/her behalf.

13) Presentation of candidates:

• The electronic application can be accessed through the link below. Prior to accessing the electronic application, applicants should have all the documents indicated in sections 9 and 10 above ready for upload.
• Documents can be uploaded in the following formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx and .zip. The files to be uploaded should first be saved in the following manner prior to uploading, and should not include any special characters in the name: First name, last name, name of required document. (Example: JohnSmithResume.doc)

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