Human Rights Officer (Sustainable Development Advisor)

The Human Rights Officer will have regional responsibility to assist OHCHR at the regional level by providing analysis and advice on human rights-based economic and social policies, development, and advancing human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The role involves policy advice, capacity development, monitoring implementation of human rights instruments, and coordination with UN and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Assist the work of OHCHR at the regional level and provide analysis and advice on policy, programming and capacity development in relation to human rights-based economic and social policies, development and advancing human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Provide advice on integration of human rights into State and UN development policy and practice, as well as UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCF) and national development strategies.
• Provide policy advice and technical assistance to strengthen national capacities.
• Review, monitor and evaluate activities relating to the implementation of international human rights instruments, including recommendations of treaty bodies and mechanisms of the Human Rights Council.
• Prepare relevant human rights parts of reports for the General Assembly, Human Rights Council, etc.
• Meet regularly with relevant units and teams including field staff to plan projects, provide guidance and review project activities in the area of human rights integration in development policy and practice.
• Work with UN entities, States, NGOs and international organizations including international financial institutions to integrate human rights, including gender dimensions, in their programs.
• Ensure up-to-date information regarding substantive matters in economic policy, development and human rights and make recommendations on actions to take.
• Coordinate with other UN sectors, international organizations, governments and national mechanisms on coordination and policy matters; brief representatives and provide suggestions and recommendations.
• Assist country offices and UN country teams and peace missions to develop and implement training programs with attention to gender perspectives.
• Coordinate closely with the Sustainable Development Section in Geneva to ensure regional developments contribute to and are informed by global OHCHR work.
• Train and supervise new/junior staff.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, development economics, social sciences or related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, political affairs, international relations, law, development economics or related area is required.
• At least three years of experience in integrating human rights into sustainable development, including economic and social policies and programmes, at regional and/or national level, is required.
• Experience in undertaking research and analysis and/or drafting reports and other documents in the area of human rights and development financing is required.
• Knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights and economic policy and development issues including approaches and techniques to address sensitive and complex human rights problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender and socio-economic dimensions.
• Knowledge of institutional mandates of human rights organizations, prevailing policies and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the human rights situation in the region or country of assignment, including the political and economic environment and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights.
• Ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to human rights problems in specific societies and systems.
• Demonstrated skills in training civil authorities and members of advocacy groups to advance human rights in the context of economic policy and development.
• Ability to relate to human rights issues and perspectives, including their gender equality dimensions, to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes in affected countries and areas.
• English language proficiency at UN Level III in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Human Rights Integration
• Sustainable Development
• Economic Policy Analysis
• Social Policy Analysis
• Development Economics
• Human Rights Research
• Report Writing
• Human Rights Training
• Advocacy Skills
• Policy Advice
• Capacity Development
• Monitoring Human Rights Instruments
• Coordination with stakeholders
• Political Analysis
• Legal Analysis
• Gender Equality Analysis
• Development Financing Analysis
• Knowledge of Human Rights Institutions
• Impact Assessment Design

Languages

English