HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER

This position is found in the Regional Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for South America in Santiago, Chile. The incumbent reports to the Senior Human Rights Officer (Economist) and has an additional reporting line to the UN Human Rights Regional Representative.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer will have regional responsibility and will be responsible for the following duties:

1. Assists the work of OHCHR at the regional level, keeps abreast of relevant developments, and provides human rights analysis and advice on policy, programming, and capacity development in relation to economic policies and development financing in the region, as part of strategies to fight poverty and address inequalities and realize a human rights economy.
2. Provides advice and keeps abreast of relevant developments on the integration of human rights to States, UN development entities, and other stakeholders including in relation to national development and economic strategies as well as UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCF).
3. Provides policy advice and technical assistance to strengthen UN and national capacities on fighting poverty and addressing inequalities.
4. Reviews, monitors, and evaluates activities relating to the implementation of international human rights instruments, including recommendations of treaty bodies and mechanisms of the Human Rights Council.
5. Prepares relevant human rights parts of reports for the General Assembly, HRC, etc.
6. Meets regularly with the relevant units and teams including field staff, to plan projects, provide concrete guidance/inputs and review project activities in the area of human rights, development, and economic policy and practice.
7. Works with UN, States, non-governmental programmes, and international organizations including international financial institutions, in the country/region to integrate human rights, as relevant to fighting poverty and addressing inequalities and realizing a human rights economy, including their gender dimensions in their programs; helps design and implement the human rights program and designs the organization and focus of the evaluation.
8. Ensures up-to-date information regarding substantive matters in the field of economic policy, development, and human rights and makes recommendations on actions to take.
9. Makes contact with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations, including international financial institutions, and governments on coordination and policy matters; briefs representatives and provides, as appropriate, suggestions and recommendations.
10. Assists country offices and relevant components of UN country teams and peace missions to develop and implement a training program, with attention to gender perspectives, contributing to a human rights economy.
11. Serves as team leader with responsibility for carrying out, in consultation with the Chief of the Section, work coordination and administrative functions relating to the staff, planning, and budget.
12. Trains and supervises new/junior staff.
13. Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights and economic policy and development issues, as also relevant to domestic and international development financing and fighting poverty and addressing inequalities, including approaches and techniques to address sensitive and complex human rights problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender, and socio-economic dimensions. Knowledge of institutional mandates of human rights organizations, prevailing policies, and procedures. Ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the human rights situation in the region or country of assignment, including the political and economic environment and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights.

Ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to human rights problems in specific societies and systems. Demonstrated skills in training civil authorities and members of advocacy groups to advance human rights in the context of economic policy and development. Ability to relate to human rights issues and perspectives, including their gender equality dimensions, to political, social, economic, and humanitarian programmes in affected countries and areas.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style, and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow; empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, sustainable development, law, public policy, business or public administration, human rights, social sciences, or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, economics, political affairs, international relations, law, or related area is required. Experience in integrating human rights into economic policies and sustainable development, including at regional and national level, is desirable. Experience in undertaking research and analysis is desirable.

Experience in drafting reports and other documents on macroeconomic policy, trade, investment, fiscal space, including on budgets, debt, and austerity measures, or other development and economic areas in the context of human rights, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 August 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs.

The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.

The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised.

This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted.

Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

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