Human Rights Officer

Organizational Context

The Human Rights Officer position is based in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office in Pretoria, South Africa. Reporting to the Regional Representative, the role supports human rights promotion and protection across southern Africa. This involves mainstreaming human rights in development, developing country engagement strategies, and providing expert advice through technical assistance, program design, capacity building, and advocacy.

Job Purpose

The Human Rights Officer is responsible for advancing human rights promotion and protection in southern Africa. This involves developing country engagement strategies, mainstreaming human rights into development initiatives, and offering thematic expertise. The role contributes through technical assistance to stakeholders, designing and implementing programs, conducting training, and engaging in human rights advocacy. Key activities include monitoring and investigating human rights law compliance, analyzing data for early warning and accountability, drafting reports and policy advice, integrating human rights into peace and development planning, advising leadership and national authorities, and fostering partnerships to promote equality and accountability. The position also involves contributing to research on economic policy and sustainable development, and engaging in advocacy and outreach.

Responsibilities

Monitor and investigate the implementation of human rights and international humanitarian law, following up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms to ensure compliance and accountability. Collect, document, and analyze evidence-based information on human rights to inform decision-making, early warning, and response, ensuring data quality and inclusivity. Draft, review, and disseminate human rights reports, briefings, and analytical papers to guide strategies, policies, and programs, with attention to gender and leave-no-one-behind perspectives. 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, peace, security, humanitarian, development, and economic frameworks. Conduct research and provide policy advice on human rights issues related to economic policy and sustainable development. Engage in human rights advocacy, outreach, and partnership-building activities.

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 collaborative work, building partnerships, knowledge of international human rights law, and critical thinking skills are essential. Experience in designing, delivering, and evaluating capacity-building programs and programme management skills are desirable.

Skills

Professionalism, Teamwork, Planning & Organizing, Working collaboratively, Ability to build and maintain partnerships, Skills in designing, delivering, and evaluating capacity-building and training programmes, Knowledge of international human rights law, norms, and standards, Critical thinking skills, Programme management.

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