Consultant on Access to Legal Aid

Contract

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Result of Service

Morocco: - Desk review of international best practices, standards, and guidelines completed and documented; - Presentations and materials prepared and submitted to UNODC, outlining findings from the review and proposed approach for developing SOPs and guidelines; - Participation in field mission to Morocco, including facilitation of interactive workshops, provision of technical expertise, and fostering consensus on finalized SOPs and guidelines; - Finalized SOPs report submitted to UNODC, summarizing outcomes and recommendations. Southern Africa/Namibia: - Inputs submitted to UNODC; - Desk review of shared materials conducted; - Draft presentations prepared and submitted to UNODC; - Participation in field mission to Namibia (24-28 June 2024, TBC), including participation in meetings with various stakeholders, as well as delivery of presentations; and notes taken and submitted to UNODC; - Input for final report submitted to UNODC. Review and piloting of tools: - Concept/agenda for quality training submitted to UNODC; - Online launch event conducted; - Review of draft tool completed and draft submitted to UNODC. Preparation of conference: - In coordination with UNODC officers, mapping document completed, including with contact information of experts to develop a mailing list; - Substantive inputs to the thematic agenda and background materials submitted; - Recommendations of expert speakers submitted; Review and piloting of tools: - Concept/agenda for quality training submitted to UNODC; - Online launch event conducted; - Review of draft tool completed and draft submitted to UNODC. Preparation of conference: - In coordination with UNODC officers, mapping document completed, including with contact information of experts to develop a mailing list; - Substantive inputs to the thematic agenda and background materials submitted; - Recommendations of expert speakers submitted; Review and piloting of tools: - Concept/agenda for quality training submitted to UNODC; - Online launch event conducted; - Review of draft tool completed and draft submitted to UNODC. Preparation of conference: - In coordination with UNODC officers, mapping document completed, including with contact information of experts to develop a mailing list; - Substantive inputs to the thematic agenda and background materials submitted; - Recommendations of expert speakers submitted; Review and piloting of tools: - Concept/agenda for quality training submitted to UNODC; - Online launch event conducted; - Review of draft tool completed and draft submitted to UNODC. Preparation of conference: - In coordination with UNODC officers, mapping document completed, including with contact information of experts to develop a mailing list; - Substantive inputs to the thematic agenda and background materials submitted; - Recommendations of expert speakers submitted;

Work Location

Home-based with travel to Windhoek, Namibia (23-27 September 2024); and to Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco (16-20 July 2024); and Vienna, Austria (18-22 November 2024).

Expected duration

01.09 - 31.12.2024

Duties and Responsibilities

The purpose of the assignment is to support the team working on access to justice in UNODC HQ in Vienna in the preparation and implementation of 1) activities on legal aid for children together with ROMENA/Morocco Office; 2) a regional event for South African countries to exchange experiences on legal aid for groups with specific rights and needs in the criminal justice system, together with ROSAF; and 3) piloting of a tool and preparations for an international conference in Vienna. The Consultant will provide his/her knowledge and expertise as outlined below. The Consultant will be working home-based and travel to Windhoek, Namibia, and Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Team Leder, Access to Justice Team, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section, Division for Treaty Affairs of UNODC, and direct supervision of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer acting as HQ focal point on legal aid, the Consultant will be undertaking the following activities: (1) Morocco a) Pre-mission preparation: • Conduct an exhaustive examination of international best practices, standards, and guidelines relating to the provision of legal aid for children in conflict with the law, with a specific focus on the pre-detention and interrogation phases. • Collaborate closely with UNODC, UNODC’s national consultant and pertinent stakeholders to gather insights and perspectives on existing practices and challenges in legal aid provision for children in Morocco. • Analyze the gathered information and identify key areas for the development of specialized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines tailored to the Moroccan context. • Prepare detailed presentations and materials outlining the findings from the review and the proposed approach for developing SOPs and guidelines, ensuring alignment with international standards and practices. b) Mission to Rabat and Casablanca: • Facilitate interactive workshops and collaborative sessions to co-create the SOPs and guidelines with input from key stakeholders, ensuring buy-in and ownership. • Provide technical expertise and guidance during the workshops to ensure that the SOPs and guidelines effectively address the unique challenges and needs of children in conflict with the law in Morocco. • Foster consensus and agreement among participants on the finalized SOPs and guidelines, facilitating the process of national endorsement. c) Post-mission: • Compile and consolidate the outcomes and recommendations from the workshops into a comprehensive report, highlighting key decisions made and agreements reached regarding the SOPs and guidelines. • Collaborate with UNODC and national partners to finalize the SOPs and guidelines based on the feedback and inputs received during the mission. (2) Southern Africa/Namibia a) Pre-mission preparation: • Contribute to the development of the background materials for participants, and provide inputs to the event agenda; • Review substantive documentation shared by UNODC to prepare for the mission; • Prepare presentations on assigned topics to be delivered during the event by the Consultant as agreed with UNODC, including best practice examples from various jurisdictions across all regions. In developing the presentations and choosing the examples from other countries, the Consultant should particularly focus on the following elements: o Identifying key issues for efficient organization, funding and delivery of services to groups with specific rights and needs in terms of obtaining legal aid in the criminal justice system (with a focus on sub-topics to be agreed with UNODC) and presenting them in a manner that showcases basic and advanced entry points for legal aid reform and allows for inspiring discussions on potential approaches in the context of the countries in attendance; o Need to keep in mind the specificities of national legal and legal aid delivery systems and judicial procedures, as well as the variety of legal, social, economic, cultural, and geographical conditions of States. b) Mission to Windhoek/Namibia: • Participate in meetings to be held during the field mission, including the official event sessions, as well as potential meetings organized in the margins of the event with actors from government, civil society, the private sector, etc., as applicable; • During the event, deliver presentations on assigned topics; and • During the event and other meetings, participate in Q&A sessions with participants and take notes on information shared by stakeholders. c) Post-mission: • Based on information shared by stakeholders during the mission, and discussions held during the event and other meetings, contribute to the post-mission report including recommendations on concrete future technical assistance activities, and how to engage local stakeholders in these potential activities (report outline and detailed instructions will be shared by UNODC before/during the mission). (3) Review and piloting of tools: • Prepare and facilitate an online training event of 1-2 hours duration (on zoom or teams) for selected legal aid experts that UNODC will invite to launch and pilot the forthcoming eLearning training tool on quality of legal aid services, with a view to explain its functions and objective. • Conduct a review of the draft UNODC Legal aid assessment tool from the point of view of a former legal aid practitioner and suggest changes and amendments that would be required to finalize the tool, such as regarding the table of contents; areas where further input is needed; substantive changes; or mistakes. (4) Preparation of a global legal aid conference: • Support the preparation of a global conference on legal aid, tentatively scheduled to be held in UNODC’s HQ in Vienna, Austria, in November 2024, by supporting the mapping of regional stakeholders to determine who may represent different regions of the world and setting up a mailing list for communication. • Provide substantive inputs to the development of the thematic agenda, related background materials including the background paper to be shared with experts a month before the conference, and identification of expert speakers. • Participate in meetings to be held during global conference, including the official event sessions, as well as potential meetings organized in the margins of the event with conference participants, as applicable; • During the event, deliver presentations on assigned topics; and • During the event and other meetings, participate in Q&A sessions with participants and take notes on information shared by stakeholders.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree in law or criminology with adequate focus on international law, criminal law or criminal justice is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree At least 7 years of professional experience in criminal law, human rights and in the area of legal aid. Experience regarding current developments in the organization of delivery of legal aid services at the national and/or local level, including requirements for meeting the needs of vulnerable groups or groups with specific needs. Experience in supporting criminal justice professionals in legal aid reform. Excellent analytical and drafting skills. Work experience with an international organization in the areas of criminal justice reform and/or access to justice, including access to legal aid, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English, with excellent drafting and communication skills, is required. Knowledge of any other official United Nations language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Equal access to justice for all - or the ability of people to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal institutions of justice in conformity with rule of law principles and human rights standards - is a key component of fair, humane, effective, inclusive, and efficient criminal justice, so that all individuals in society can equally enjoy their rights. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s approach to enhancing access to justice is based on an understanding that, to truly realize this objective, all those affected by crime must be able to seek redress: There is a need to fully safeguard the rights of alleged and sentenced offenders; to ensure their humane treatment during and after criminal proceedings; to enable people to make better use of the law and legal services, including legal aid services, in the protection of their rights; and to protect and assist victims impacted by crime. UNODC has developed longstanding technical expertise and works with national authorities, academia, and civil society partners in countries around the world to strengthen the capacity of legal aid providers, justice professionals and law enforcement officials, as well as support the development of policy and other frameworks. UNODC’s work on legal aid, specifically, is based on the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems, adopted by the General Assembly in 2012 and developed under the auspices of UNODC. As the only international instrument dedicated exclusively to the right to legal aid, the UN Principles and Guidelines, drawn from international standards and recognized good practices, aim to provide guidance to States on the fundamental principles on which a legal aid system in criminal justice should be based, and declare the significance of the provision of legal aid to the protection of human rights. They made it an obligation for Member States to put in place accessible, effective, sustainable and credible legal aid systems. In the Resolution, in paragraphs 6 and 7, UNODC is called upon to continue to provide advisory services and technical assistance to Member States. The access to justice team in UNODC HQ implements assistance under HQ Global Programmes, and, in addition, UNODC Field Offices are implementing projects under the umbrella of country or regional programmes, either jointly or with the substantive advice of the HQ focal points.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.