Human Rights Specialist

Mission and objectives

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) represents the world’s commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. OHCHR has the mandate to promote and protect all Human Rights for all. The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal Human Rights official of the United Nations. The High Commissioner heads OHCHR and spearheads the United Nations’ Human Rights efforts. OHCHR offers leadership, works objectively, educates, and takes action to empower individuals and assist states in upholding Human Rights.

The Office’s priorities, expected accomplishments, and strategies are set out in the OHCHR Management Plan 2018-2023. OHCHR’s thematic priorities are strengthening international human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality and countering discrimination; combating impunity and strengthening accountability and the rule of law; integrating Human Rights in development and in the economic sphere; widening the democratic space; and early warning and protection of human rights in situations of conflict, violence, and insecurity. These resonate with the priorities of the Czech Republic, mainly under Good Governance, inclusive Development, and humanitarian protection, among others.

The Office also supports the work of the United Nations Human Rights mechanisms, including the Treaty Bodies established to monitor State Parties’ compliance with the core international Human Rights treaties and the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. We promote the right to development, coordinate United Nations Human Rights education and public information activities, and strengthen Human Rights across the United Nations system. We work to ensure the enforcement of universally recognized Human Rights norms, including through promoting both the universal ratification and implementation of the major Human Rights treaties and respect for the rule of law.

Context

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative of OHCHR-EARO (The East Africa Regional Office) or a delegated official, the UN Volunteer will support OHCHR-EARO’s work in capacity building, human rights monitoring, and the provision of technical assistance to the Government and Regional authorities, Civil Society, and Human Rights Defenders.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the OHCHR-EARO Deputy Representative and the relevant workstream lead, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Contribute to general human rights and development work, including monitoring, reporting, and advocacy.

• Support data management and analysis related to human rights trends.

• Support in providing capacity and technical assistance to the Federal and Regional Government institutions, Civil Society, and Human rights defenders on human rights issues.

• Develop and analyze human rights products in collaboration with human rights officers.

• Help plan and implement training and awareness activities, working with field monitors and Human Rights Officers across the regions.

• Support stakeholder engagement, including with justice, corrections, police, civil society organizations (CSOs), national human rights institutions (NHRIs), and UN agencies

• Support in building new partnerships with national actors on behalf of OHCHR-EARO.

• Participate as needed in OHCHR-EARO’s engagements with UN agencies, humanitarian actors, protection actors, and other relevant stakeholder meetings in the regions as required in mainstreaming human rights in the humanitarian context.

• Ensure a human rights-based approach is used in OHCHR-EARO’s work with other UN and civil society organizations (CSOs) partners in the planning and implementation of the Ethiopia country-based initiatives/projects.