Oxford Global Justice Internship Report - Louis Tran Van Lieu

The Global Justice Programme gave me the opportunity to do an internship in the Policy Branch of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.   During three months I worked on a very wide range of projects, such as the organization of the Global Humanitarian Policy Forum, the drafting of reports to Security Council members about protection of civilians in Peace Keeping Operations, and  legal advice to field offices regarding humanitarian access.

Having studied the Law of Armed Conflicts and International Criminal Law during my Masters, I was prepared for this type of work and very much enjoyed it.  However the tasks I was given went beyond my legal background and reach out to politics and diplomacy. Moreover, during this internship, I discovered the dynamics of the organization and the relationship between Member States, agencies, NGOs and all the other stake holders of humanitarian diplomacy.

My time in New York was therefore an invaluable experience and an ideal first step for a professional career in international affairs. I am therefore very grateful to the Global Justice Programme and to the University of Oxford.