Two National Junior Human Rights Officer to support the National Human Rights Commission

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

Beyond the material damage, the devastation caused by the August 4th blast is expected to exacerbate vulnerabilities and translate into human rights violations in several of the affected neighborhoods. The blast area is home to many migrant, refugee, and disadvantaged communities which are at risk of falling between the cracks when it comes to recovery plans. The area is also composed of high percentage of renters with insecure tenure, which entails a significant risk of large-scale displacement. With the resolve of the women and men of Lebanon continuing to be tested beyond imagination, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are committed to: (i) helping people recover, by having their needs taken into account; their human rights safeguarded (ii) ensuring that no one be left behind In 2016, Lebanon passed the necessary legislation to establish a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Since its creation and the appointment of its members in 2018, the Commission has faced numerous issues preventing it from being fully operational. Nonetheless, its human rights promotion and protection mandate remains critical, even more so in the context of the post-August 4 recovery process. In this regard, the NHRC is currently seeking amongst other to monitor the post-blast interventions of national stakeholders (Security Institutions, High relief commission…); conduct field visits in affected areas; identify systemic or wide-spread issues leading to human rights violations with the view of recommending measures seeking to safeguard the rights of survivors of the blast, including vulnerable groups; receive and investigate individual complaints of human rights violations; and prepare a report on the situation of human rights post-blast identifying measures to be implemented to mitigate the risk of violations. As part as their sustained support to the functioning of NHRC in light of the Paris principles, UNDP and OHCHR are seeking to recruit two junior human rights officers to assist the NHRC in the implementation of its post-blast activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

The junior human rights officer will be employed for a total of 40 working days over a 2 months period. Under the direct guidance and supervision of the NHRC, and in coordination with the UNDP Chief technical Advisor and OHCHR focal point, he/she will: 1- Assist in interviewing persons affected by the 4 August blast, giving particular attention to reaching out individuals and groups in vulnerable situations, including migrant workers, refugees, women and elderly, persons with disabilities and disadvantaged communities, and document their testimonies, focusing on human rights issues 2- Assist in receiving complaints with allegations of human rights violations and prepare summaries for the NHRC 3- Assist in identifying vulnerable individuals whose rights have been or are at risk of being violated, and duly report to NHRC, and follow-up where instructed so by NHRC 4- Assist in collecting information relevant for the assessment of the post-blast engagement of relevant national authorities and stakeholders, including assistance/relief-providing organizations and security institutions 5- Assist in supporting logistically the on-field visits of the NHRC, including by supporting meetings with national stakeholders, and outreach activities 6- Regularly liaise with UNDP/OHCHR focal points on the way

For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Fluency in Arabic and English (oral and written); French is an asset
• Strong interpersonal skills: Ability to listen and persuade;
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Knowledge of the UN preferable.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• Minimum a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, International Development, International Relations, Human Rights, Law, or any other relevant field.

Previous Experience:

• At least 2 years of experience in the area of human rights (civil, political, social, etc);
• Previous experience with field work experience
• Knowledge of “do not harm” and “leave no one behind” principles

How to apply: The consultancy is open for all national and international consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal. Submissions through any other media will not be considered. The application must include all of the following documents: 1. P11 2. Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and 3. Financial proposal All files shall be submitted in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site. It has been observed that bidders don’t submit all requested documents and thus reducing their chance to be selected for a contract with UNDP. before you submit your offer please revise that the application is complete and comprises all documents. Incomplete applications will not be considered.