Human Rights Officer (TJO)

The Human Rights Officer will plan and coordinate activities related to human rights mandates, conduct research and analysis of human rights violations, gather and corroborate information, and support UN human rights mechanisms. The role includes supervising field verification work, representing the mission at meetings, and writing reports and communications.

Responsibilities

• Plans and coordinates activities related to thematic and country mandates on human rights, including from a gender perspective.
• Conducts substantive research and analysis of human rights violations, including through interviews with victims and witnesses.
• Gathers information and corroborates allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and assesses their impact.
• Collects and analyses human rights trends and patterns, data, and indicators in Ukraine, including gender-specific data and indicators.
• Provides support to UN human rights mechanisms and other bodies; follows-up on implementation of decisions rendered by policy-making bodies.
• Ensures human rights issues, including their gender equality dimensions considerations, are integrated into political, humanitarian, and economic efforts and programme.
• Defines work plan for area assigned in accordance with established terms of reference.
• Supervises field verification work through periodic visits, including in and across Ukraine; follows up on different cases and situations.
• Represents HRMMU at working level meetings.
• Writes a variety of reports, communications, briefings, statements, etc., including to policy-making bodies.
• May provide guidance to new/junior staff.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, social sciences, or related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, political affairs, international relations, law or related area is required.
• Out of the five years, a minimum of two (2) years of experience conducting human rights monitoring is desirable.
• Experience conducting face to face and/or remote interviews with victims and witnesses of human rights violations is desirable.
• Experience working in conflict setting, involving international humanitarian law, is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level III for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
• Russian is required at UN Level III for reading, listening, and speaking, and Level I for writing.
• Ukrainian is desirable at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Skills

• Human Rights Monitoring
• Human Rights Research
• Human Rights Analysis
• Interviewing Victims
• International Humanitarian Law
• Conflict Zone Experience
• Report Writing
• Field Verification
• Mandate Coordination
• International Relations
• Political Affairs
• Legal Analysis
• Information Gathering
• UN Human Rights Mechanisms
• English Language Proficiency
• Russian Language Proficiency

Languages

English, Russian, Ukrainian