Human Rights Officer
Organizational Context
These positions are within the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), its regional and country presences, and peacekeeping operations. Reporting to a Director or Chief, incumbents may serve as Deputy Heads of Country Presence. The role falls under the Human Rights job family, encompassing five specialties: General Human Rights, Human Rights Adviser, Gender Adviser, Legal Adviser, and Protection of Civilians Specialist.
Job Purpose
The Human Rights Officer is responsible for leading and coordinating the monitoring of human rights and international humanitarian law, ensuring follow-up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms to support compliance and accountability. This includes collecting, documenting, and managing evidence-based information on rights, conducting field missions, and producing comprehensive reports. The role involves providing substantive advice and technical support to national counterparts to strengthen human rights systems, designing and delivering capacity-building programs, and ensuring human rights mainstreaming across various frameworks. The officer will also participate in inter-governmental negotiations, advise UN leadership and partners on human rights integration, and lead strategies for civilian protection, conflict-related sexual violence, and child protection. Additionally, the role involves supporting treaty bodies, managing fundraising, leading advocacy and outreach, building partnerships, and coordinating communication activities to amplify human rights messaging.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include leading human rights and international humanitarian law monitoring, ensuring follow-up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms, and advancing accountability. This involves coordinating the collection, documentation, and quality control of evidence-based human rights data, including from gender and 'leave no one behind' perspectives, to support early warning and decision-making. The role requires leading human rights monitoring and field verification missions, conducting assessments, and producing comprehensive reports. Officers will lead the production and review of human rights reports and analytical papers to inform strategies and policies, integrating gender and 'leave no one behind' perspectives. They will provide substantive advice and technical support to national and regional counterparts to strengthen human rights systems and deliver capacity-building programs for various stakeholders. Responsibilities also include ensuring human rights mainstreaming, participating in inter-governmental negotiations and peace processes, advising UN leadership and partners, and coordinating UN efforts. Developing and leading strategies for protection of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence, and child protection is crucial. The role involves supporting treaty bodies, managing fundraising, leading advocacy and outreach, building partnerships, and coordinating communication activities. Additionally, maintaining confidentiality, leading training programs, managing teams, and planning resources are essential duties.
Work Experience
A minimum of 7 years of experience in human rights or related fields such as political affairs, public affairs, international relations, law, social sciences, economics, development, or humanitarian affairs is required. Essential experience includes knowledge of international human rights law, norms, and standards, and skills in drafting human rights reports and policy documents. Proficiency in integrating a human rights-based approach, gender equality, and 'leave no one behind' principles into work is also required, along with programme management skills.
Skills
Professionalism, Teamwork, Planning and Organizing, ability to identify trends and provide insights, communication of complex matters, persistence, calm under stress, gender perspective integration, collaborative work, valuing input, learning from others, prioritizing tasks, risk assessment, time management.