Org. Setting and Reporting

This post is found in the Intergovernmental Affairs, Communications and Outreach Section of the New York Office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCH. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Section, the Director of the New York Office and the Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Human Rights.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Follows, supports and reports on the work of intergovernmental bodies at United Nations Headquarters in New York, with a focus on peace and security issues, as well as treatyestablished bodies and extraconventional mechanisms and special procedures. • Prepares relevant human rights parts of reports for the General Assembly, HRC, and Security Council etc. notes on human rights and peace and security matters, etc. • Prepares briefing and background notes, analyses and talking points for senior officials on the work of intergovernmental bodies related to human rights and peace and security. • Meets regularly with peacebuilding and peacekeeping actors including UN staff, national officials and nongovernmental organizations to plan projects and review project activities. • Works with Member States, UN and nongovernmental organizations to integrate human rights, including their gender dimensions in their programs related to intergovernmental processes; helps design and implements the human rights program and designs the organization and focus of the evaluation. • Ensures uptodate information regarding substantive matters in the field of human rights and peace and security and makes recommendations on actions to take. • Makes contact with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters; brief representatives and provides, as appropriate suggestions and recommendations. • Assists relevant UN staff, Member States and nongovernmental organizations to develop and implement a training program in the field of human rights, international humanitarian law, democracy and the rule of law, with attention to gender perspectives. • Supports the Chief of the Section in work coordination and administrative functions relating to the staff, planning and budget. • Trains and supervises new/junior staff. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable datadriven planning, decisionmaking, presentation and reporting. • Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues including approaches and techniques to address sensitive and complex human rights problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender and socioeconomic 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 environment and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights. Ability to complete indepth 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 recognize warning signs of civil unrest and take preventive action to avert hostilities. 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. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decisionmaking and convey resulting information to management. • Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having twoway communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalenin human rights, law, political science, international relations, social sciences or related field. A firstlevel university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

JobSpecific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, political affairs, international relations, law or related area is required. At least five years of experience at the international level in the field of human rights is required. At least two years of experience in strategic outreach to and engagement with national authorities or civil society in intergovernmental fora or in the work of the UN human rights mechanisms is required. At least one year of experience in peace and security matters is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For the position, fluency in English (both oral and writteis required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competencybased interview.

Special Notice

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 August 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, GuineaBissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States o, Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, TimorLeste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Pursuant to section 11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. Staff members are subject to the authority of the SecretaryGeneral and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a nonsmoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the SecretaryGeneral, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 2 (. Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira accountholder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York timon the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAININ. THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.