News

Job opportunity: Resource person/trainer

The UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section (Accelerating Justice Team) is looking for a prosecutor or police officer who would be available as a resource person for a training on Diversionary Cautions for police, prosecutors and other relevant professionals from Saint Kitts and Nevis. UNODC would cover travel costs and provide a daily subsistence allowance but cannot offer any contractual relationship entailing a salary or fee.

Date and place:

22-25 June 2026, Saint Kitts and Nevis

(22-23 June: dedicated training of trainers for police; 24-25 June: multi-stakeholder training for prosecutors and other relevant professionals)

Purpose of the training:

To enable target participants to effectively implement the forthcoming Diversionary Cautions Act, by transmitting knowledge on the national and international legal framework, conducting practical exercises, facilitating peer-learning and sharing experiences from other jurisdictions.

Target participants:

Professionals from the following institutions/services:

• Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
• Judiciary (Judges, Magistrates, and Registry staff)
• Ministry of Social Development (Probation, Rehabilitation, and Community Development)
• His Majesty’s Prison
• Legal Aid / Public Defence / Bar Association
• Other Rehabilitation Services

Training Approach

The training will combine plenary sessions, hands-on exercises, and simulated case scenarios to strengthen practical application. It will also support the development of Standard Operating Procedures, inter-agency checklists or case management tools. A train-the-trainer model will be adopted to ensure sustainability and internal replication within agencies, particularly for police. Police/prosecution experts from another jurisdiction will share knowledge and experience on how they have applied cautions, conditions and referrals.

Background:

The Cautions regime envisaged by the forthcoming Diversionary Cautions Act aims to reduce the overuse of custodial sentencing, promote behavioural change, and strengthen inter-agency coordination across the justice chain. Minor, non-violent offences are eligible for caution where the offender admits responsibility and agrees to comply with caution conditions, which can include referral to rehabilitation programmes, reparation and restorative conditions, conduct and monitoring conditions, travel restrictions, as well as financial penalty or compensation conditions. Both police and prosecutors will be authorized to issue conditional cautions, but for different types of offences that are predefined in the Act.

Requested profile:

• Prosecutor or police officer (former or current) with demonstrated experience in applying cautions and diverting people away from the criminal justice system;
• Experience in training police and justice professionals is desirable;
• Knowledge of relevant international standards and norms, including the Tokyo Rules and the Bangkok Rules, is desirable;
• Openness to share and critically reflect on their own professional experiences.

Interested candidates are invited to contact the UNODC focal point for this activity:

Sven Pfeiffer, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, sven.pfeiffer@un.org  

Extended deadline - Call for applications for new Secretary-General and General Counsel

The IAP’s Secretary-General and General Counsel end their terms of service as of 1 January 2027. The vacancies for these positions have been published on our website since 27 February 2026 and a news bulletin has been sent to our members.

In response to requests from several members and to give other potential candidates the opportunity to consider applying to these positions, we have decided to extend the application period.

NEW CLOSING DATE
The new extended application deadline is
Monday, 1 June 2026, at 23:59 CET

You can find the call for applications and job descriptions in the Special News Bulletin #4. We have done our best to include as much relevant information as possible in the Special News Bulletin but, should there be any further queries regarding these positions, I cordially invite you to contact us at info@iap-association.org.

We look forward to your questions and applications.

Call for applications for new Secretary-General and General Counsel

The IAP’s Secretary General and General Counsel end their terms of service as of 1 January 2027, and the IAP is officially starting the recruitment process for both positions.

The IAP is the only worldwide organisation of prosecutors and a non-governmental, non-political association. The IAP provides networking opportunities, professional development resources, and inspiration to more than 250,000 prosecutors across all regions of the world. Working for the IAP means serving in an innovative organisation that sets ambitious targets for network growth, the expansion of specialist training for prosecutors worldwide, and the global implementation of digital platforms for international cooperation. The IAP work environment is flexible, cross-functional, and multicultural, and day-to-day work is always an exciting challenge, offering strong opportunities for personal and professional development. The IAP values team performance while recognising the importance of each staff member’s input and involvement.

The IAP’s objectives are delivered through three main strands of activity:

• To safeguard the prosecutor’s role and the role of legal officers, the IAP actively advocates for prosecutors’ functional independence and legal accountability, and develops practical responses to challenges to that independence. Furthermore, the IAP monitors threats to the  safety and security of prosecutors and supports the development of practical strategies for relevant authorities to respond to those threats. The IAP also manages a worldwide program for prosecutors in difficulty, responding to their requests for assistance when they report facing challenges while carrying out their prosecutorial duties.
• The IAP builds and maintains a worldwide community that enables prosecutors to share experiences and challenges in a trusting  professional environment. Through annual conferences and regional meetings, training sessions, workshops, and webinars, the IAP  routinely brings together frontline prosecutors, specialists, and heads of prosecution services to network, collaborate, cooperate, and share  best practices and knowledge. Through our rapidly growing online network, the IAP provides a digital database and platform of prosecution contact points and specialists to facilitate the exchange of information and the provision of casework assistance.
• The IAP produces the world’s leading statements of professional standards, best practices, and guidelines for the prosecution of a wide range of crimes and offenses. The IAP also facilitates specialised learning programs in international criminal justice. Focus areas include mutual legal assistance, counterterrorism, cybercrime, financial crime, trafficking in persons, international crimes, and crimes of sexual violence.

The Secretary-General is the Chief Executive and Financial Officer of the International Association of Prosecutors (the Association) and directs the Association’s day-to-day administration while mobilising logistical and financial support to expand the Association’s impact and relevance. The Secretary-General is responsible for ensuring that the Association delivers its objectives, namely to promote the role of prosecutors, raise standards for prosecutors through the provision of professional programmes, and develop initiatives to improve international cooperation. To learn more about the expectations and requirements for this position, please click here to see the job description.

The General Counsel is the IAP’s leading legal adviser and is responsible for IAP’s professional programme. Together with the Executive Director, Janne Holst Hübner, the General Counsel reports to and supports the President and Secretary General. The General Counsel and Executive Director are part of the Bureau of the Secretary General, together with several other staff members. To learn more about the expectations and requirements for this position, please click here to see the job description.

The Bureau of the Secretary General is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. However, the Secretary-General and the General Counsel do not need to be based in The Hague and may work from another location, as long as they are available for regular stays in The Hague. There is also an expectation of regular travel to other locations worldwide.

Candidates are welcome to apply for both positions if they wish to do so, provided they meet all job requirements. If this is the case, they must express this intention in their application letter and submit all relevant information. Successful candidates are expected to start on 1 January 2027, but the IAP is open for the new General Counsel to start at an earlier date.

CLOSING DATE
Applications will close at 23:59 hours CET on Friday, 1 May 2026.

Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Following this deadline, the IAP Leadership Planning Sub-Committee will review the applications received and produce a shortlist of selected candidates for both positions. The shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview either at the Secretariat in The Hague or via a virtual platform in May or June 2026.

If you need any further information regarding these positions, please contact us at: 
pcm@iap-association.org.

Call for applicants for 2026 Granting Programme

The Granting Programme supports suitably experienced representatives of prosecution services and associations of prosecutors ot attend the IAP Annual Conference, in circumstances where they may otherwise be precluded from doing so due to financial constraints.

Applications are now open for the IAP Granting Programme 2026 to support attendance at the 31th Annual Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 15 - 18 November 2026.

Attendance at an Annual Conference enables prosecutors to share their experiences, expertise and best practice, and to network with fellow prosecutors from around the world.

The criteria for applications is set out in the IAP Policy for the Granting Programme. If you are interested in applying for the IAP Granting Programme 2026, please send your CV and a letter in support of your application, outlining your motivation to apply for a grant and explaining the benefits for the IAP and your own prosecution service or association of your attendance at the conference to pcm@iap-association.org.

Please also include proof of the support/approval of the relevant organisational member. All applications must be submitted by 01 May 2026. Please note that we normally receive more applications than we can support financially each year. If you have any questions about the Granting Programme or your eligibility for it, then please contact the Executive Administration Manager at pcm@iapassociation.org. 

REMINDER - Registration and Call for Speakers for the 12th IAP Asia and Pacific Regional Conference

Executive Programme in Criminology, Sentencing and Justice (Cambridge University)

The Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge offers a two-week executive programme designed for senior legal professionals, prosecutors, and policy-makers globally to engage with cutting-edge criminological research and its implications for criminal justice.  Delivered by internationally recognised senior academics from the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, the programme combines academic rigour with applied insight, equipping participants with the knowledge and critical insight to shape criminal justice systems for the future.

The programme draws on the Institute’s world-leading research expertise and incorporates input from the Legal Service Academy of the Attorney-General’s Chambers (Singapore), ensuring strong relevance for prosecutors and senior practitioners. Through interactive, small-group seminars, participants will examine contemporary challenges including sentencing policy, criminal investigations, predictive approaches to crime, and the use of artificial intelligence in criminal justice. The programme also provides a valuable opportunity to build an international professional network with peers working at the highest levels of legal practice.

On successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a Certificate of Completion from the University of Cambridge.

If any IAP member is interested in participating in the course, then full details can be found at https://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/executive-programme-criminology-sentencing-and-justice .
Interested participants must send an Expression of Interest (detailed in the link above) by 31 January 2026 to the address listed on the webpage.