Org. Setting and Reporting

The term of office of the current Registrar of the Court will expire on 31 July 2026. The Court therefore invites qualified candidates to submit applications in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 22 of the Rules of Court and in the present announcement. Pursuant to Article 22 of the Rules of Court, the Registrar is elected by the Court for a term of seven years by secret ballot and may be re-elected. Candidates shall be of high moral character and must possess the legal, managerial and diplomatic experience as well as the linguistic knowledge necessary to carry out the functions attaching to the post.

Responsibilities

The Registrar of the International Court of Justice, principal judicial organ of the United Nations, is responsible for all departments and divisions of the Registry. In the performance of his/her functions, the Registrar reports to the Court. The incoming Registrar will be required to show proven leadership qualities and a demonstrated ability to successfully discharge multiple and wide-ranging responsibilities. The Registrar’s role is threefold: judicial, diplomatic and administrative. Judicial duties – Managing the proceedings in cases before the Court, including the preparation of cases for consideration by the Court. – Participating in the work of the Committee appointed by the Court to draft the text of judgments and advisory opinions. – Drafting and reviewing a range of legal texts, including substantive and procedural orders. – Maintaining relations with the parties to a case, with specific responsibility for the receipt and transmission, inter alia, of applications and special agreements, as well as all written pleadings, and case-related official correspondence. – Ensuring that all communications and notifications provided for by the Statute are duly issued. – Being present in person at meetings of the Court and of Chambers; providing any assistance required and ensuring the preparation of reports or minutes of such meetings by Registry officials. – Keeping the General List of all cases; signing all judgments, advisory opinions and orders of the Court, as well as minutes; taking responsibility for the translation, printing and publication of the Court’s judgments, advisory opinions and orders, the pleadings, written statements and minutes of the public sittings in every case; and maintaining custody of the seals and stamps of the Court, the archives of the Court, and any other archives entrusted to the Court. Diplomatic duties – Managing the Court’s external relations and acting as the channel of communication to and from the Court. – Managing external correspondence and being available for consultation if required. – Managing relations of a diplomatic nature, in particular with States, with the organs of the United Nations, as well as with other international organizations, and with the government of the country in which the Court has its seat. – Maintaining relations with the press; and being responsible for issuing information about the Court’s activities and for the Court’s publications, including press releases. – Ensuring that information concerning the Court and its activities is made accessible to governments, the highest national courts of justice, professional and learned societies, legal faculties and schools of law, and public information media. Administrative duties – Managing all aspects of the internal administration of the Registry itself. – Being responsible for the Court’s financial management, in accordance with the financial procedures of the United Nations, and in particular preparing and implementing the budget. – Representing the Court at meetings of the competent financial organs of the United Nations. – Making arrangements for such provision or verification of translations and interpretations into the Court’s two official languages (French and English) as the Court may require.

Competencies

Not available.

Education

– Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, with a specialization in public international law. – A relevant combination of university degree, legal training and qualifications, and professional experience in public international law may be considered as equivalent.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in the practice of public international law and international dispute resolution is required. Progressively responsible managerial experience, preferably in a judicial institution or an international organization, and proven supervisory abilities in a multilingual and multicultural environment are required. Experience in multilateral and/or bilateral diplomacy is required. Excellent knowledge of the jurisprudence and procedure of the International Court of Justice is required.

Languages

French and English are the two official languages of the Court. An excellent command of both languages is required, including outstanding drafting abilities. Knowledge of one or more of the other official United Nations languages would be highly desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IVUN Level IVUN Level IVUN Level IVFrenchUN Level IVUN Level IVUN Level IVUN Level IV

Desirable Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingArabicUN Level IUN Level IUN Level IUN Level IChinese (Mandarin)UN Level IUN Level IUN Level IUN Level IRussianUN Level IUN Level IUN Level IUN Level ISpanishUN Level IUN Level IUN Level IUN Level I

Assessment

Not available.

Special Notice

The Court is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a staff member. Depending on professional background, experience and family situation, a competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. The Court”s salaries are calculated in US dollars but paid in euros. They consist of a basic salary and a post adjustment which reflects the cost of living in the Netherlands and the euro/dollar exchange rate. The emoluments received from the Court are free of all taxation. In addition, the Court offers an attractive benefits package including 30 days of annual leave, home travel every two years, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan and subsidized medical insurance. As Head of the Registry, the Registrar is accorded the same treatment as heads of diplomatic missions in The Hague.

United Nations Considerations

In accordance with the ICJ Staff Regulations and Rules, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with ICJ if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the Inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances, and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in Inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision, or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised in Inspira will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

ICJ does NOT charge any fees or request money from candidates at any stage of the recruitment process, nor does it concern itself with bank account details of applicants. Requests of this nature allegedly made on behalf of ICJ are fraudulent and should be disregarded.