Senior Fellow

Result of Service- Gather information material to compile desk research; - Conduct interviews (organize them) and establish contacts with relevant stakeholders to gather information on real cases to be inserted as examples; - Prepare a first draft of the research documents for submission to supervisor and partner organization (OAS), where relevant, for review on the topic of nexus in Latin America and on cultural heritage trafficking and terrorism respectively; - Finalize documents ready for publishing based on inputs from supervisor; - Deliver substantive presentations on cultural heritage/property trafficking during roundtable events

Work Location Home-based; travels to New York, Latin America or the Sahel region may be required.

Expected duration 6 months (March-June 2023)

Duties and Responsibilities Background of the assignment:

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is a United Nations entity established in 1968 to support countries worldwide in preventing crime and facilitating criminal justice. UNICRI is mandated to assist intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in formulating and implementing improved policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI' s goals are:

• to advance understanding of crime-related problems;
• to foster just and efficient criminal justice systems;
• to support the respect of international instruments and other standards;
• to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation and judicial assistance.

Since 2016, UNICRI’s Programme on the Nexus between transnational organized crime and terrorism (the Nexus, or Nexus Initiative) has covered the Institute’s strategic priorities and has expanded into many regions of the world.

The Nexus Initiative seeks to expand the existing knowledge on the links between transnational organized crime and terrorism (Nexus), as well as to develop new strategies that can allow for effective interventions where the nexus is present. It focuses on the regional variations of the nexus and is underpinned by several regional workshops and trainings. From the information and data gathered during the meetings, and further consultations with relevant stakeholders, UNICRI in cooperation with the Netherlands and under the auspices of the Global Counter terrorism Forum (GCTF) developed The Hague Good Practices on the Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism. In order to translate the Good Practices into concrete actions, a Policy Toolkit was developed to help Member States to better understand and identify the phenomenon and how it is manifested and facilitated in specific contexts; and provide Member States with guidance to respond to the links between organized crime and terrorism, and build capacity that will further enable Member States to address the nexus and its associated crimes. The Nexus Initiative over the years has become different projects which come under the UNICRI Nexus Programme.

Purpose of the assignment:

As UNICRI continues to receive requests for awareness-raising and capacity-building training, and further information to be gathered on different global regions on the Nexus trends, the Senior Fellow shall provide technical and substantive support in the research and information gathering from different sources to prepare a series of research papers for publication (one on the Nexus in Latin America, done in partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS) and another on cultural property/heritage trafficking and links with terrorism) within the framework of the UNICRI programme development funds, in support of the wider UNICRI Nexus between transnational organized crime and terrorism programme. The focus of the research will be on Latin America for the first research, which is linked to the second research on cultural property/heritage trafficking at the global level (nexus related). The purpose of the research and later publication is to develop projects and garner support from interested Member States, which will stem from these areas of work on the nexus which are beginning to receive much attention at the regional and global level, and where UNICRI is being asked to collaborate on with different entities in view of its expertise.

In this context, under the overall guidance and supervision of the Associate Programme Officer, the Senior Fellow shall perform the following tasks:

- Prepare a structure for the reports and a desk research gathering information from open sources for real cases (x2 for both reports); - Perform interview rounds and information collection with stakeholders and other sources to enrich the substance and content of the desk research; - Deliver the first draft of the reports (x2, with different timelines for submission); - Conduct a second round of interviews/information collection to fill any gaps and tighten the research objectives; - Submit the final draft for review; - Prepare for and present at roundtable meetings with an online setup to present findings and gather inputs from invited experts; - Advise on nexus-related opportunities relevant for UNICRI and partake in meetings on this topic, specifically, the meetings and activities linked to the publishing of the reports prepared and follow-up activities.

Qualifications/special skills Education: Advanced University degree (i.e., Master or equivalent) in criminology, security studies, political science, international relations, law or other related field is required. A minimum of 10 years of research and analysis experience in the field of countering transnational organized crime and/or countering terrorism and/or criminal law is required. Previous experience with the United Nations or similar large international organizations is required. Experience with delivery of training and/or in teaching, in the field of transnational threats, countering transnational organized crime and/or countering terrorism, is strongly desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, proficiency (oral and written fluency) in English is required. Knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese is desirable.

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.