Human Rights Officer
Organizational Context
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, works to advance human rights across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This UK-funded project position focuses on civic space, freedom of expression, and civil society protection in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The role leads the Kyrgyzstan team and serves as the regional focal point for civic space, reporting to the Regional Representative.
Job Purpose
This Human Rights Officer position within OHCHR's Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) in Bishkek is crucial for advancing human rights across the region. The role involves monitoring human rights implementation, analyzing situations, and providing evidence-based reports and strategic advice. It supports national counterparts and civil society through capacity-building and advisory services, contributing to advocacy, partnership development, and resource mobilization efforts. The incumbent will also coordinate country team activities and serve as the regional focal point for civic space, ensuring the effective implementation of international human rights norms and standards and recommendations from human rights mechanisms. The position is funded by a UK project and specifically targets work on civic space, freedom of expression, and civil society protection in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Responsibilities
Conduct substantive monitoring of human rights and international humanitarian law implementation, following up on recommendations from international mechanisms and investigative findings to ensure accountability. Collect, document, and analyze evidence-based information on civil, cultural, economic, social, and political rights, including the right to development, to support early warning, response, and decision-making, ensuring data is discoverable, interoperable, and shared appropriately with a focus on gender and inclusivity. Undertake human rights monitoring and field verification missions, drafting comprehensive reports with findings and recommendations. Prepare and disseminate human rights reports, briefings, and analytical papers to inform strategies and policies, integrating gender perspectives. Provide advisory and substantive support to national and regional counterparts to strengthen their human rights systems, institutions, and frameworks. Engage in fundraising and resource mobilization activities, contributing to donor engagement and proposal development. Promote human rights through advocacy and outreach. Supervise the Kyrgyzstan team, organizing work assignments, providing technical guidance, and ensuring timely delivery of outputs.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of experience in human rights or related fields such as political affairs, international relations, law, or development is required. Experience in human rights monitoring, documentation, analysis, research, and reporting methodologies, including field missions, is essential. Skills in drafting human rights reports and policy documents, along with programme management, are also required. Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building programs and mobilizing stakeholder support is desirable.
Skills
Professionalism, Communication, Planning and Organizing, Human rights monitoring, documentation, analysis, research, reporting, Programme management, Drafting reports and policy documents, Capacity-building program design and delivery, Stakeholder mobilization, Knowledge of regional and international human rights mechanisms.