Fellowship – Rapporteurship on the Rights of Children 2013
1) Venue of Fellowship: Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights (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: May 17, 2013
4) Start and End Dates: June 17 to December 31, 2013
5) Length of the Fellowship: 6½ (six and a half) months
6) Objective: To provide an opportunity for young lawyers from OAS
Member States to understand and apply the mechanisms of protection of the inter-American
system of human rights in the area of children’s rights.
7) Program: To assist with tasks of the Rapporteurship on the Rights
of the Child of the Inter-American Commission, 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 IACHR a detailed
report on activities carried out by the fellow.
8) Requirements:
- Be a citizen of an OAS Member State;
- Be bilingual in Spanish and English (attach certificates testifying
thereto), 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 after January 1, 2006;
- Have a demonstrable professional interest in the legal field of human
rights, specifically in the area of children’s rights;
- Be registered as an attorney before the courts or the appropriate
professional body; in the absence of registration, indicate the reason; and
- Present a paper of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on a
human rights issue of interest to the candidate in the area of children’s
rights, with an approach that takes into account cultural diversity.
9) Required documents: The following documents are required in order
to be considered for the fellowship:
- Letter of interest
- Completed
Fellowship Application
- Two letters of recommendation
- Curriculum vitae
- Certification of second language
- Copy of law degree and grades obtained
- Proof of registration as an attorney before the courts or the
appropriate professional body (if applicable)
- Written paper of up to five pages
10) Benefits:
- The IACHR provides a monthly stipend of US$3,000.00 for the period
covered by the fellowship. With the stipend provided, the fellow is
responsible for obtaining health insurance coverage of his/her choosing for
the duration of the fellowship, and should provide proof of coverage to the
Executive Secretariat of the IACHR on the first day of 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 IACHR will award a certificate of participation in the Fellowship
Program to the fellow who satisfactorily completes the entire period of the
fellowship.
11) 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 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 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 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 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 IACHR the cost of the
flight ticket or any additional costs incurred. The latter includes any
additional costs, if any, incurred by the 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
IACHR for doing so, he/she will fully reimburse the IACHR for all costs
incurred on his/her behalf.
12) Presentation of candidates: The
application and
other required documents indicated in sections 8 and 9 must be submitted to the
Executive Secretariat of the IACHR prior to the closing date of the application
period, by email, fax or mail:
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
1889 F Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20006
U.S.A.
[email protected]
Telephone: 202-370-9000
Fax: 202-458-3992
This fellowship is offered thanks to the Support of Save the Children
International, in carrying out a project to promote the human rights of children
and adolescents in the Americas.