Human Rights Associate

Contract

This is a UNV International Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Youth contracts.

The historical Peace Agreement signed in November 2016, by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) has provided OHCHR with additional responsi-bilities on a wide range of human rights related components. This includes to monitor and report on public policies for the dismantling of criminal organizations and protecting human rights defenders, security for FARC members as they transition from ex combatants to fully fledged political party members, case review of detained FARC members, and accompanying victims in their search for truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.

Under the direct supervision of the Coordinator of Civic Space Unit in Colombia, the UN Youth Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Assist in monitoring, fact-finding and follow-up activities in relation to the situation of human rights defenders in Colombia through: field monitoring missions; dialogue with state authori-ties including the AGO, security forces and no state actors; networking with human rights de-fenders and following individual cases in close coordination with the regional OHCHR field presences;
• Contribute to regular reporting on the situation of human rights defenders with a special atten-tion on women human rights defenders and areas related with the fight against impunity in cases of attacks against human rights defenders including identification of regional trends and patterns of attacks, early warning analysis and regular internal and external reports on ac-tivities; • Provide support in capacity building and advisory services as appropriate to the Specialized Unit for the investigation and prosecution of crimes against human rights defenders of the At-torney General Office and other relevant state institutions; • Ensure the timely entry of accurate and verified human rights cases into an established data-base; conduct quality control and deliver statistics and trend reports as required; • Ensure a gender mainstreaming with an intersectional perspective; • Identify key contacts and opportunities for strategic partnerships to facilitate communication; • Assist the Office to transmit and spread its mandate; • Perform other duties as required.

☒ Accountability ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility ☒ Client Orientation ☒ Commitment and Motivation ☒ Communication ☒ Ethics and Values ☒ Professionalism ☒ Working in Teams

(ideally one year) human rights, preferably in the area of technical assistance to National Institutions (e.g. Attor-ney General Office, Ombudsman Office). • Human rights monitoring and reporting is required. • Good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines related to human rights. • Good knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues to include ap-proaches and techniques to address sensitive problems. • Capacity of research, analysis, discussion and drafting required. • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national person-nel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and of-fice technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;
• Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;

The UN Volunteer will be located in Bogotá, which is the capital of Colombia. All public and health services are available in Bogotá, as well as cultural and other recreational activities. Since this is an international UNV assignment, the holder will be responsible for the organization of his or her own home and the other essential elements of life. Official missions and all movements must be reported to UNDSS. United Nations Volunteers are part of an insurance plan.

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia and one of the most populated cities in Latin America, so that subsistence expenses (including housing expenses) are higher than in other cities. Living and working conditions in Bogotá present "low" risks. The city has security problems common to most growing capitals, however this does not create a permanent risk exposure for national and international staff. All UN Volunteers receive a report from the Mission Security Section that addresses the security envi-ronment of the duty station, guides the security measures to adopt and the selection of the resi-dence. United Nations Volunteers are entitled to a grant for improvements in residential security (MORSS) and have access to security training (some are mandatory, and others recommended).

In Bogotá there are complete health services. In addition to the public service, several international schools are present in the city. Bogotá offers a lively cultural program and other recreational activi-ties. The El Dorado Airport in Bogotá is the largest in the country. It is served by flights from the Americas and from the main airports in Europe. It is very close to the urban area and is easily acces-sible, either by public or private transport.