UNV Human Rights Specialist (Climate and Environmental Action)

Volunteering Legal IT & Telecom

Overview

Support human rights defenders addressing climate change impacts in the Pacific.

You have:

• Bachelor's degree in human rights law, international relations, peace and conflict studies or a related area is required.
• Knowledge of international human rights instruments and mechanisms is essential.
• Good communication and analytical skills are required.
• Experience in capacity building for the promotion and protection of human rights is desirable.
• Experience in data collection, statistical analysis, data visualization and dissemination through various platforms is desirable.

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.

UN Human Rights, Pacific Regional Office works to ensure the meaningful participation of women, children, persons with disabilities and local communities in the development and implementation of climate change and disaster risk reduction frameworks. Specifically, protection networks for Human Rights Defenders, along with other civic space actors, remain weak or inexistent in most Pacific Island Countries. There is a need to strengthen overall capacity to apply intersectionality and other human rights-based approaches to widen and deepen the space for engagement of/with indigenous peoples and local communities vis-à-vis policies aimed at mitigating and remediating environmental degradation, including impacts stemming from climate change. Women Human Rights Defenders intersectional efforts to work on land and environmental issues, and to collaborate with LGBTQI+ human rights defenders, in particular, need increased coordination within civil society, as well as support from government, the UN and the international community. The expansion of economic activities in the mining (including critical minerals for a green transition), tourism and other sectors, Pacific Island Countries are at risk of failing in their duty to protect against human rights abuses by businesses and other economic actors. The 2024-2028 UNSDCF should be implemented in a manner that identifies, targets, and concretely redounds to the benefit of groups experiencing greater deprivation and vulnerability due to changing migration, cultural and economic patterns brought about by the triple planetary crisis. Their active, free and meaningful participation should be ensured in projects and programmes of the UN in the Pacific. OHCHR is uniquely positioned to do this within the UN Pacific Country Team given its broad mandate and its close cooperation with human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, special procedures mandate holders and the Human Rights Council.

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Representative, the UN Volunteer Specialist will undertake the following tasks:

1). Support the creation and/or strengthening of protection networks for land and environmental human rights defenders working to address impacts of climate change in the Pacific with a view to providing human rights capacity building for them and a broad range of civic space actors, as well as protection services to defenders who are under threat. 2). Support the identification of population groups experiencing greater deprivation and vulnerability to climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, including in terms of analysing capacity gaps and protection needs, and collecting/processing disaggregated data and indicators, in order to recommend appropriate interventions. 3). Engage in educational and promotional activities in the country to raise awareness on human rights, climate, and environmental action. 4). Develop and implement a communication strategy to increase external engagement on these issues, and among others, will include the sharing of information of related activities on social media.

☒ Accountability ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility ☒ Client Orientation ☒ Communication ☒ Ethics and Values ☒ Integrity ☒ Knowledge Sharing☒ Respect for Diversity ☒ Self-Management ☒ Working in Teams

human rights law, international relations, peace and conflict studies or a related area
Knowledge of international human rights instruments and mechanisms. Good communication and analytical skills. Experience in capacity building for the promotion and protection of human rights is desirable. Experience in data collection, statistical analysis, data visualization and dissemination through various platforms is desirable.

In the 2022 classification exercise of duty stations according to conditions of life and work, Fiji has received a B hardship classification. The selected candidate will be responsible for arranging her/his own housing and other living essentials.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org