HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER

Organizational Context

This position is within the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in Pretoria, South Africa. The Human Rights Officer supports human rights promotion and protection in the region, focusing on mainstreaming human rights in development, country engagement strategies, and providing thematic expertise. Work involves technical assistance, program design and implementation, training, and advocacy.

Job Purpose

The Human Rights Officer is responsible for supporting the promotion and protection of human rights across southern Africa. This involves developing country engagement strategies, providing thematic expertise, and delivering technical assistance to various stakeholders. The role focuses on mainstreaming human rights within development initiatives and implementing programs through training and capacity building. Key duties include monitoring human rights law implementation, analyzing human rights data for early warning and accountability, drafting reports and policy advice, and advising UN leadership and national authorities. The position also fosters partnerships and advocates for equality and accountability, ensuring a 'leave no one behind' approach.

Responsibilities

Conduct substantive monitoring of human rights and international humanitarian law implementation, following up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms. Collect, document, and analyze evidence-based human rights information to support early warning, response, and decision-making, ensuring data is discoverable and shared appropriately. Draft, review, and disseminate human rights reports, briefings, and communications, providing legal analysis and preparing papers to inform strategies and policies. Provide advisory support to national counterparts to strengthen their human rights systems and engagement with international mechanisms. Design and deliver capacity-building programs for various stakeholders on human rights-based approaches. Contribute to mainstreaming human rights into political, humanitarian, and development frameworks. Offer policy advice on human rights issues related to economic policy and sustainable development. Engage in partnership-building activities and deliver training programs to enhance capacity.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in human rights or related fields such as political affairs, international relations, law, or development is required. Experience in critical thinking, knowledge of international human rights law, and partnership building is essential. Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building programs is desirable.

Skills

Critical thinking, knowledge of international human rights law, norms, and standards, ability to build and maintain partnerships, skills in designing, delivering, and evaluating capacity-building and training programs, programme management skills, professionalism, teamwork, planning and organizing.

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