Every six months we welcome a Rijkstrainee in our team. From March 2024 to August 2024, Jesse Wijlhuizen worked as a Rijkstrainee in Strasbourg, as part of his Rijkstraineeship. Read more about his experience:

"The team fully involved me in the work of the Permanent Representation. Based on instructions from The Hague, I was entrusted to negotiate and speak on behalf of the Netherlands. This experience taught me invaluable lessons that I can apply later in my career."

Working at the Permanent Representation as a Rijkstrainee
“As a Rijkstrainee, you are completely integrated into the team and assigned various responsibilities tailored to your skills and knowledge. For instance, you may (re)present the Dutch position during Council of Europe rapporteur groups, draft reports for the weekly Committee of Ministers, contribute to the public diplomacy activities of the Dutch Permanent Representation, and assist with incoming visits from government officials, parliamentarians attending the Parliamentary Assembly, local administrators during the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and representatives of civil society. Due to the multilateral context in which I worked, I met many people and learned a lot about other countries.”

Human rights, the rule of law, and democracy at the core
“I knew that the work I was doing here was socially relevant. At the same time, I gained an excellent overview of the state of human rights, the rule of law, and democracy across the European continent. The Committee of Ministers also oversees the implementation of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. This not only gave me knowledge about specific human rights and rule of law violations in various countries but also insight into how states respond to judgements or interact with other nations.”

Strasbourg as an European city
“I thoroughly enjoyed the city, which feels very charming yet also has a European side with residences and other stately buildings. I went on many trips with fellow trainees to the surrounding wine region, the Black Forest, the Vosges, and, of course, Switzerland. It was the perfect combination of work and leisure.”

Highly recommend!
“My time at the PR not only enriched me professionally but also gave me a deeper appreciation for multilateral work and the role of the Netherlands in Europe. For anyone interested in international relations and socially relevant work, this is truly a highly recommended experience!”

Every six months we welcome a Rijkstrainee in our team. The vacancy for this position can be found on the Dutch mobiliteitsbank.