Human Rights Officer - Transitional Justice and Fight Against Impunity

Volunteering Legal

Overview

Support human rights initiatives and transitional justice processes in DRC

You have:

• Experience in a family duty station environment is essential.
• Contributing to transitional justice related activities is required.
• Experience on the design and management of capacity building programmes is required.
• Experience in drafting various documents, including reports on human rights issues, and in research will be an asset.
• Human rights training experience is desirable.
• Peacekeeping and/or peace building experience is an advantage.
• Ability to live and work in difficult and harsh conditions is essential.
• Knowledge of multiple languages including French, Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba, and Swahili is beneficial.

Contract

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

Assignment is in a family duty station (Kinshasa)

Under the overall supervision of the Director of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) and the direct supervision of the Transitional Justice and Fight Against impunity Unit Coordinator where s/he will be deployed, the Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Plan and coordinate activities related to thematic and country mandates on human rights, including from a gender perspective. • Conduct substantive research and analysis of human rights issues/events and assess their impact on the human rights situation in assigned region or country. • Collect and analyse human rights data and indicators in country/region of assignment, including gender-specific data and indicators. • Plan, design, implement and evaluate strategies for the mainstreaming of human rights in the activities of the Mission and the UNCT and advocate for the integration of human rights in these programmes; and suggest strategies to better promote and protect human rights in the Area of Responsibilities. • Provide support to sub-commissions, commissions, and other bodies; follow-up on implementation of decisions rendered by policy-making bodies. • Assist in the design, delivery, coordination, and evaluation of human rights training programmes for national officials, civil society representatives, human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs), National Human Rights Institutions and other national stakeholders, including the judicial actors and the Police. • Support to establish and maintain effective working relationships with national authorities, civil society (human rights and victim organizations, and organizations with a focus on transitional justice and fight against impunity), and other partners in order to develop and strengthen transitional justice mechanisms and the implementation of transitional justice processes. • Support the coordination of mission and UNCT actions in support of transitional justice mechanisms and processes. • Ensure the integration of gender-sensitive victim perspectives in the design and implementation of transitional justice mechanisms and processes, as well as relevant advocacy strategies and capacity building initiatives obligations. • Assist country military and police to develop and implement a training program in the field of human rights, international humanitarian law, democracy, and the rule of law, with attention to gender perspectives. • When working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-)governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs), the incumbent is strongly encouraged to set aside dedicated time for capacity development through coaching, mentoring and formal and on-the-job training. • Any other related duties as may be required.

Professionalism, Respect for diversity and gender, Teamwork, Communication, Integrity

contributing to transitional justice related activities is required.
Experience on the design and management of capacity building programmes is required. Experience in drafting various documents, including reports on human rights issues, and in research will be an asset. Human rights training experience is desirable. Peacekeeping and/or peace building experience an advantage.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse. Living conditions therefore vary between MONUSCO duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water. The ability to live and work in difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential. Accommodation is very expensive in both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Supermarkets exist in the large towns (e.g. Bukavu, Kisangani), but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative. All MONUSCO duty stations are considered non-family duty stations, except for Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Entebbe which are now considered family duty stations, and most are currently under UN Security Phase III (“relocation phase”: internationally-recruited staff are temporarily concentrated or relocated to specified sites/locations). In addition to insecurity related to the relatively volatile political situation as well as various conflict situations, certain places are subject to increasing street and residential crime, including in Kinshasa and Goma. Some degree of medical service is provided in all MONUSCO duty stations. Certain vaccinations are mandatory for MONUSCO personnel to enter the DRC, while others are compulsory for all other incoming persons. It is possible for incoming MONUSCO personnel, including UN Volunteers, to be asked to provide proof of some or all vaccinations, though this is unlikely. All UN Volunteers must ensure that they are up-to-date with all appropriate vaccinations, which should be clearly and properly endorsed in the International Certificate of Vaccination (“carte jaune”). Malaria is present virtually throughout the DRC, and it is therefore recommended to take prophylaxis. The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller’s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), UN Volunteers are recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and VLA payments will be processed in cash. UN Volunteers have the possibility to send part of their allowances to a bank account abroad. In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org