From Perth to New York City: Opening a World of International Law Opportunities

By Amelie Szczecinski, Curtin University, United Nations General Assembly 6^th, 2025

Attending the United Nations General Assembly 6^th as part of my Global Voices Fellowship was an incredible and life-changing experience in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I was inspired by witnessing diplomacy and multilateral cooperation firsthand at United Nations Headquarters. I was inspired by my fellow delegates and their passion for the topic of their policy papers. I was also inspired by each and every one of the people we met in our bilaterals, and across the week.

However, what stood out to me as something I hadn’t anticipated was how this experience would shift my view on career paths within the United Nations and international diplomacy space. Throughout this experience my eyes were opened to so many more UN-adjacent and international relations and international law opportunities across the world.

Growing up and living in Perth, Western Australia, a city frequently cited as the most isolated major city in the world, careers and paths to diplomacy and international law have often felt distant. Throughout my Law and International Relations degree, it has often seemed as though the only career path where I can combine both areas of my degree, is through pursuing a career at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra. Arriving in New York on a rainy day in October this year however I was unaware of how my perception of this would change.  

Over the course of the week we met with incredibly inspiring people,  all doing important work in different areas related to the United Nations, whether this be humanitarian aid, international law, diplomacy or human rights. Each had a different story; however many had a common underlying theme – they had arrived at their current role by ‘accident’ or through unexpected opportunities which had arisen along the way, a particularly reassuring sentiment. 

Each different organisation we met with represented both important functions within the global space, and exciting career opportunities.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Permanent Mission to the United Nations represented an opportunity to be involved both within humanitarian aid and the direct workings of the United Nations itself. Walking into our bilateral, I was excited to find that the person we were meeting with had just spoken earlier in the day in a 6^th Committee session we observed, focused on New Requests for Observer Status. In this bilateral, discussions on the ICRC’s call to organise negotiations for a legally binding obligation for lethal autonomous weapons and the connection between this and artificial intelligence highlighted the contemporary and ever evolving nature of the ICRC’s work.

The United Nations Codification Division stood out to me as something I was unaware existed, but also as an exciting opportunity to directly blend legal skills and analytical thinking, with the development of international law. Here we learnt about the drafting of international obligations and frameworks and their connection to legal principles. As someone who enjoyed my criminal law unit at university, learning about the connection of international law concepts such as crimes against humanity, to criminal law elements, such as the mental element of knowledge in this example, was particularly fascinating. For a state to commit crimes against humanity as per the legal principles contained in the Rome Statute, they must know ‘that the conduct was part of or intended the conduct to be part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population’. After this bilateral, as we spoke with young interns from across the globe about how this role perfectly blends the law and international relations, I knew this was an opportunity I would be interested in.

The Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations represented another valuable experience -  to be involved with international law and diplomacy in an Australian context, representing the interests of Australia on an international stage. Similarly, Legal Action Worldwide provided an important opportunity to utilise legal skills in fragile and conflicted areas, particularly for victims and survivors of human rights abuses. Throughout these bilaterals I found myself feeling increasingly encouraged by the diversity of roles which exist in the international space. 

I also found myself particularly in awe of the UN translators, and their ability to immediately translate complex legal speak between a number of the 6 official UN languages. Upon further research I discovered the qualifications needed for this role are incredibly high level. These include perfect English, as well as fluency in two other UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish), competitive exams, and both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. While I know translation is not a career path for me, observing their linguistic skills has reignited a passion for learning languages, something I haven’t done since graduating high school.

While the UN may seem (and is geographically) incredibly distant from Perth, its impact and opportunities spread far. There are so many exciting opportunities which exist beyond the traditional pathways. While I previously felt worried about what career path I would take once graduating, I now feel reassured knowing that there are a wide range of opportunities for me to pursue, both in relation to traditional legal pathways, and in relation to international law and diplomacy.

As I sit in my university library reflecting on my time in New York, I feel so grateful for this life-changing experience, and I am excited for the opportunities ahead, regardless of where in the world they arise.

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The views and opinions expressed by Global Voices Fellows do not necessarily reflect those of the organisation or its staff.