April 22, 2018: My time as intern in NAMMCO
Strahinja Ivanovic, period of internship: 20 November 2017 to 20 May 2018
Course/University: International Fisheries Management, University in Tromsø
My NAMMCO internship
I was always intrigued by the functioning of international organisations. NAMMCO is a well-known international organisation dealing with the law of the sea issues and it was a pleasure being a part of it for the past 6 months.
I was interning at the NAMMCO Secretariat, during which I was assigned to a couple of major engagements and had the opportunity to put my legal knowledge into practice and perform actual assignments. Among the other daily tasks, I worked on the following:
- Review of the Inspection and Observation Scheme
- Analysis of international legal instruments relevant to NAMMCO
What I like about my internship experience
“I was treated just like a full-time associate and get assigned actual and meaningful tasks which are crucial and beneficial to the organisation. It felt great to be a part of the NAMMCO team! The most memorable part of my internship was the opportunity to present my work of the review of the Inspection and Observation Scheme at the CIO Committee meeting in Copenhagen.
Also, I was given an opportunity to present the NAMMCO experiences on conservation and utilisation of resources in the North Atlantic at the International Maritime Academy at the Gujarat National Law University in India.
Challenges that I met during my internship
I handled very specialised tasks for NAMMCO, such as review of the inspection and observation Scheme, that demanded skill sets which had not been taught in school. Hence, this was challenging at times when I was faced new problems I had not seen before. However, the seniors and mentors at NAMMCO were always ready and willing to give their advice and guidance to help me overcome these challenges.
What I learnt from my internship
I gained deeper insights into the NAMMCO and it has helped me significantly with my career planning. I developed a better understanding of my career path through the internship, helping me to make an informed career decision. My biggest takeaway would be the new long-term relationships and connections which I had forged with my colleagues at NAMMCO.
For information on the NAMMCO internship programme click here.