Human Rights Monitoring Assistant

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.

OHCHR’s office in Mexico works to ensure that institutions, Government authorities, and the United Nations Country Team have adequate information, understanding, and skills to identify human rights concerns and to develop measures to address them effectively. OHCHR-Mexico also works to ensure that civil society and human rights victims have increased awareness of human rights standards and mechanisms.

Main activities are focused on technical cooperation and legal advice on harmonization of legislation, development of indicators on human rights, support the elaboration of public policies with human rights based approach, follow-up the international recommendations, gender and human rights, amongst other issues, and monitoring of human rights situation throughout the country, with emphasis on grave human rights violations (such as enforced disappearances and torture) as well as the situation of human rights defenders and journalists and the right of indigenous peoples to prior consultation. The overall objective of the Office is to strengthen national and local governmental and civil society organizations in order to help bridge gaps in human rights implementation (knowledge, capacity, commitment and security) at the national level.

OHCHR-Mexico is divided into several functional units: Administration, Grave Human Rights Violations, Gender and ESCR, Democratic Space, Vulnerable Groups, Indicators and Public Communications. The UNV would be part of the Democratic Space Unit, which currently consists of a coordinator (international staff) and an international UNV. The Democratic Space Unit personally receives complaints of alleged human rights violations and gives legal orientation to victims, particularly human rights defenders and journalists. The Democratic Space Unit also participates in field missions to follow up cases of alleged human rights human, meeting with victims, family members of victims, local NGO´s and government authorities. The Democratic Space

Under the direct supervision of the Coordinator of Democratic Space Unit, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Contribute to research and collect information pertaining to human rights issues through monitoring human rights situations at the field level and from a variety of data sources (e.g. communications, publications, the press) to keep abreast of issues/events and provide up-to-date information;
Participate in interviews with human rights victims, particularly human rights defenders and journalists, relevant authorities and civil society organizations as part of the documentation of cases;
Assist in the analysis of information regarding substantive matters in the field of human rights, particularly related to human rights defenders, journalists and freedom of expression, and recommend actions to be taken;
Assist in drafting inputs for reports, communications for UN reports and correspondence relating to human rights matters;
Provide inputs for meetings with relevant authorities to assist in strengthening their capacity for protection and promotion of human rights;
Perform other tasks as required.

, Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Integrity, Planning and Organizing, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Working in Teams

Demonstrated interest and/or experience (ideally one year) in protection or promotion of human rights and related areas.
Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;



Family duty station A
Very good infrastructure (health, housing, banking transportation, telecommunications and recreational facilities)
Adequate schools. There is no lack of private schools, although the number of bilingual or bicultural schools is not high.