Internship in the Sustainable Development Department, Fall 2025

Job Description

As an intern in the Human Rights and Sustainable Development Department, you will contribute to the ongoing work to integrate human rights standards and principles into sustainable development policies, planning and processes.

You will gain a solid understanding of the relationship between human rights standards and sustainable development, including the links to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and contribute to strategic analysis and concrete actions to ensure that human rights institutions and bodies contribute to sustainable development.

Please consult our homepage www.humanrights.dk for a general introduction to the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

You will be assigned a supervisor and undertake tasks such as:

• Support research related to the promotion of human rights in relation to sustainable development, e.g. questions around equality and non-discrimination; human rights data and development; or human rights implications of climate change and environmental and natural resource governance;
• Contribute to collaboration with and capacity-building of partners, including National Human Rights Institutions, in regional- and country-level work;
• Support the development of tools and approaches for promoting human rights;
• Carry out ad-hoc tasks in relation to ongoing project work

Your qualifications

• Relevant ongoing studies within the fields of development, human rights law, or other subjects of relevance to this work.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French, Spanish or Arabic is an advantage.
• Experienced user of Microsoft package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Solid communication skills (both written and oral).

Internships at the Danish Institute for Human Rights are seen as integral to the candidate’s tertiary education. Therefore, it is a formal requirement that you currently are or will be enrolled in an ongoing education programme for the duration of your internship and that you are able to have your internship transferred into university credits. Please also note that a work permit must be obtained for the duration of the internship if you are not already living in Denmark or an EU citizen.

Terms of employment

The position is based in Copenhagen and requires up to 37 hours of work per week. We offer up to a six-month contract, and duration and starting date (preferably in August or September 2025) can be negotiated.

Students should be aware that this is an unpaid position. We encourage international students to seek and apply for a grant/scholarship that would allow them to cover the living costs in Denmark.

How to apply

Please send a CV and a cover letter (in English), indicating your suitability for the internship and availability (start and end dates). Please make use of the link on this page. Please pay attention to language requirements.

Deadline for applications is 27 April 2025. Please note that we expect to conduct interviews within 14 days of the deadline.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights is an equal opportunities employer and encourages all interested candidates to apply.

Should you have any questions about the positions, please contact Magdalena Ruiz Liard Krysa (magk@humanrights.dk).

About the Organization

The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) is a national human rights institution in accordance with the UN Paris Principles. It became part of the Danish Centre for International Studies and Human Rights January 1, 2003. The work of DIHR includes research, analysis, information, education, documentation, and complaints handling, as well as a large number of national and international programmes. DIHR takes a multidisciplinary approach to human rights, and the DIHR employ staff from the areas of law, political science, economics, and others.