Associate Human Rights Officer, NOB

The Associate Human Rights Officer supports the monitoring and implementation of international human rights law and humanitarian law in West Africa. The role involves collecting and analyzing human rights information, conducting field missions, supporting capacity-building activities, and contributing to human rights reporting and advocacy under the supervision of the Deputy Regional Representative.

Responsibilities

• Monitor the implementation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and support follow-up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, the Universal Periodic Review, special procedures and investigative mechanisms, to advance compliance and accountability.
• Collect, document and analyse evidence-based information on civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights, including the right to development, within assigned thematic or geographic areas to support in-depth analysis, early warning, accountability, and informed decision-making, ensuring that human rights data is discoverable, interoperable and appropriately shared, including from gender and leave-no-one-behind perspectives.
• Conduct human rights monitoring and field verification missions, including assessments and early-warning exercises, in line with UN standards and methodologies, and draft substantive analytical reports containing findings, trends and actionable recommendations.
• Support fact-finding and investigative missions documenting violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, ensuring adherence to victim- and witness-protection standards and facilitating collaboration across components.
• Draft, review and contribute to human rights reports, briefings, legal and policy analyses and other communications, and prepare analytical papers that inform strategies, policies, programmes and decision-making, with integration of gender and leave-no-one-behind considerations.
• Provide technical research and substantive support to advisory processes with national counterparts, including reviewing draft legislation, policies and security-sector reforms to ensure alignment with international human rights standards.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of human rights capacity-building activities for State institutions, security forces, NHRIs, civil society and other stakeholders, including training on human rights-based approaches that integrate gender and leave-no-one-behind perspectives.
• Support and promote transitional justice processes, including truth-seeking, prosecutions and reparations, by contributing analysis, coordination support and background materials aimed at addressing impunity.
• Provide research, coordination and follow-up support to treaty bodies, special procedures, the Universal Periodic Review and commissions of inquiry.
• Support the delivery of training programmes and workshops across multiple platforms for different audiences by providing technical content, facilitation support and logistical coordination.
• Prepare and update training materials through research and drafting inputs in collaboration and consultation with relevant UN Agencies and other partners.
• Supervise the activities of junior staff, including training, assigning tasks and responsibilities, reviewing, advising, and ensuring that deadlines are met.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in human rights, law, political science, international relations, social sciences, economics, public policy, sustainable development, humanitarian affairs or related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience in human rights or related areas is required.
• Relevant experience may include political affairs, public affairs, international relations, law, social sciences, economics, development, humanitarian affairs, or other related areas.
• Ability to mobilize support from a wide range of partners and stakeholders is required.
• Skills to communicate complex and technical matters to diverse audiences is required.
• Knowledge of international human rights law, norms, and standards is desirable.
• Skills to integrate a human rights-based approach, leave no one behind, gender equality, and women's empowerment into all areas of work are desirable.
• Skills in drafting human rights reports, policy and other documents is desirable.
• Skills in incorporating a survivor-centred approach and survivor-led design into programmes and projects is desirable.
• Programme management skills is required.

Skills

• Human Rights Monitoring
• International Human Rights Law
• Humanitarian Law
• Field Mission Coordination
• Human Rights Reporting
• Policy drafting
• Programme Management
• Stakeholder mobilization
• Technical Communication
• Human Rights Analysis

Languages

English