Background

As the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its supplementing Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (TIP Protocol) and Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (Smuggling Protocol), the UNODC primary goal with respect to addressing trafficking in persons (TIP) and smuggling of migrants (SOM), is to promote global adherence to the TIP and Smuggling Protocols, and assist States in their efforts to effectively implement them.

The incumbent will work, under the overall guidance of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Representative and for substantive issues, under the direct supervision of the UNODC Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section (HTMSS) Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer and substantive oversight by HTMSS Technical Cooperation Team Leader of the UNODC Action Against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (GLOTS3), and in cooperation with the designated UNODC staff. The incumbent will serve as Regional Specialist (Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants) supporting the implementation of the UNODC Action Against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (GLOTS3) in South Eastern Europe (SEE) countries.

Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will be responsible for implementation of the activities of the GLOTS3 in SEE region, and act as a resource person on substantive issues related to good practices in combating trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants and related forms of organized crime. Under the direct supervision of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, UNODC Action Against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (GLOTS3), the Regional Specialist (Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants) will achieve the following key tasks:

Ensure strategic management of the project and provide day-to-day technical, financial, and administrative support for the delivery of the Projects’ activities focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Responsible for implementation of all phases of the project cycle of the HTMSS’ UNODC Action Against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (GLOTS3) and UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe;
• Responsible for implementation of all phases of the project: EU and UNODC Joint Action Promoting Rule of Law and Good Governance through targeted Border Control Measures at Ports and Airports in South-Eastern Europe (Phase 2) in South Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia)
• Act as a resource person in trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, specifically in the field legislative harmonization of TIP and SOM legislation with international instruments, prevention, protection, identification, investigation, prosecution and adjudication of TIP/SOM and related offences;
• Maintain constant liaison with all beneficiary agencies to ensure timely delivery of activities and provision of guidance to the executing agencies on routine implementation of projects activities, tracking use of financial resources;
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of action plans in order to identify and resolve issues on financial delivery towards the full and optimal utilization of project funds;
• Coordinate activities related to budget and funding, including identifying donor priorities and funding opportunities, drafting funding proposals accordingly, following up with the donors and relevant UNODC sections for the securing and use of funding, and coordinating timely periodic progress report to the donors and prepare related documents and reports to this effect;
• Participate in the development and implementation, as assigned, of technical assistance projects and policy work, and their component activities against TIP and SOM, with a special focus on criminal justice, especially law enforcement and prosecution, in line with UN rules and regulations;
• Provide substantive and technical expertise for the formulation, implementation and assessment of projects, including the collection and compilation of relevant background data and information;
• Undertake associated desk research and assessment missions;
• Promote in SEE, in general, the work of UNODC against human trafficking and migrant smuggling within the overall framework of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, both supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
• Collaborate closely with relevant Sections and Branches at UNODC;
• Establish links with relevant UNODC projects, as well as with relevant external partners in those areas, including civil society organizations and non-UN organizations.

Participates in effective management of SEE regional activities of GLOTS3 focusing on quality control from formulation to implementation of project activities, achieving the following results:

• Implement GLOTS3’s and UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe annual work plan and quarterly work plans in consultation with stakeholders;
• Provide inputs to quarterly, semi-annual and annual narrative and financial reports of GLOTS3 and UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe;
• Effective support to various planning instruments such as internal work plans; assistance on reporting requirements, guidelines, rules and procedures and ensuring completeness and accuracy of data submitted;
• Effective implementation of the UNODC SOPs, effective monitoring of the project/s performance and timely production of result-oriented draft progress reports, and provision of regular inputs for donor reporting;
• Provide inputs, guidance and quality assurance of project concept notes, document and reports;
• Prepare and analyse of project budget proposals including budget revisions, monitoring checklists, and coordination of submissions of work proposals and budget estimates;
• Prepare contributions for implementing GLOTS3’s and UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe Communication and Visibility Plan.

Leads the development and management of strategic partnerships in the SEE region, ensuring effective collaboration with stakeholders, alignment with GLOTS3 objectives, and successful implementation of regional activities:

• Initiate and maintain partnerships with development partners, government institutions, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to contribute to the achievement of project results;
• Prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, prepare correspondence and communications related to all aspects of project administration, including work plan and budgets, revisions and other implementation related issues with all stakeholders;
• Encourage stakeholder buy-in and ownership in implementation of project activities through in-kind contribution.
• Strengthen UNODC’s partnerships on human trafficking and migrant smuggling through joint research, programming and knowledge sharing.

Facilitation of knowledge building and management, producing and disseminating lesson learnt from designated projects and support to the promotion of cross-project, cross-unit knowledge fertilization:

• Identification of credible sources of information concerning programme implementation and related issues;
• Provide new and innovative ways of working to achieve the goals of the project in the most efficient and effective means possible
• Contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Contribute to development of knowledge products under the projects;
• Perform other tasks and assignments as necessary.

Measurable outputs of the assignment and performance indicators for evaluation of results:

• Full and appropriate implementation of the duties in-line with the project activities;
• Results, experiences and lessons learned during implementation of the projects;
• Reporting and quality monitoring activities completed.
• Respective sections of the annual work plan of the projects are fully and timely implemented;
• Funds delivery allocated for the project activities reached as much as possible;
• Programme and Component activities are carried out in strict accordance with UNDP/UNODC rules and procedures.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Communication;
• Delivery;
• Innovation;
• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNODC;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

• Knowledge Management and Learning;
• Development and Operational Effectiveness;
• Conflict Management;
• Result orientation;
• Teamwork;
• Self –management and emotional intelligence.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

Client Orientation:

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNODC’s Goals

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses;
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level.

Required skills:

• Ability to implement project/programmes components for results, including the ability to translate strategic aims into achievable annual work plans; and prepare inputs to project/programme reports in a timely manner;
• Ability to handle politically sensitive issues and establish partnership with government authorities, local authorities, CSO’s and within UNODC;
• Sound judgment and maturity to foster a positive work environment;
• Demonstrated strong analytical, coordination and facilitation skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Law; International Law; Criminal Law or related field;
• A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant progressively responsible professional experience with Master’s Degree or seven (7) years with Bachelor’s Degree in the area of rule of law, law enforcement, prosecutor’s office, customs or criminal justice system is required;

Required skills:

• Experience working in close cooperation and collaboration with relevant authorities focused on awareness-raising, capacity building, strategy and policy development, legislative assistance, international cooperation;a
• Ability to implement project/programmes components for results, including the ability to translate strategic aims into achievable annual work plans; and prepare inputs to project/programme reports in a timely manner;
• Ability to handle politically sensitive issues and establish partnership with government authorities, local authorities, CSO’s and within UNODC;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel etc.) and handling of web-based management systems, data-based management;
• Experience in carrying out analytical work, preparing brief, reporting and contributing to reports;
• Experience in successfully building and maintaining close productive working relationships with government, civil society and other key stakeholders.

Desired skills:

• Demonstrated experience supporting the criminal justice response to trafficking in persons and/or smuggling of migrants, or other roles concerning the response to trafficking in persons and/or smuggling of migrants is an asset;
• Experience in combating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in South Eastern Europe is an asset;
• Experience in carrying out analytical work, preparing briefs, reporting and contributing to reports is a strong asset;
• Work experience within government institutions will be considered as an advantage;
• Work experience on legislative harmonization, provision of capacity building to criminal justice practitioners and the TIP and SOM-related case law will be considered as an advantage.
• Experience in investigation and prosecution of TIP and SOM and/or organized crime cases, and/or facilitation of international criminal justice cooperation will be considered as an advantage.

Languages:
Knowledge of Serbian and English language is required.