FIXED-TERM, FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
ADVOCATE, PACIFIC ISLANDS
Advocacy Department
Location: Suva, Fiji preferred
Application Deadline: 15 October 2023

The Advocacy Department of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking applicants for the position of Pacific Islands Advocate. The Pacific Islands Advocate will be responsible for devising, leading, and executing an engagement strategy to mobilize and leverage Pacific Island nations on human rights issues. This strategy will be developed working closely with senior management of the Advocacy Department, and in close coordination with the Australia Director and the Asia Division, as well as relevant thematic divisions at HRW. While the remit would include all Pacific Island states with the exception of Australia, the advocate will be responsible for identifying several priority states and human rights issues upon onboarding.

Globally, Human Rights Watch is already working on the growing consequences and human rights impacts of environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change, as well as the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, including through engagement with the United Nations Climate Change Convention Conferences of the Parties and the request for an International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the human rights impacts of climate change. These areas of work are likely to continue.

This is a one-year fixed-term role with the possibility of extension dependent on available funding. The Advocate would ideally be based in Suva, Fiji, and will report to the Chief Advocacy Officer based in Paris, France.

The successful candidate will work remotely. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position.

Responsibilities:

1. Devise an engagement strategy to mobilize and leverage the Pacific Islands on human rights issues that are of national, regional, or global concern;

2. Contribute to relevant recommendations for national, regional, or multilateral strategies for HRW’s advocacy work on a range of issues, including foreign policy issues that may be far removed from the Pacific Islands but are of global concern;

3. Promote, encourage, and leverage greater engagement on and support by Pacific Island states for global human rights protections within key multilateral fora, with a view to strengthening their foreign policy engagement in support of a range of both country and thematic priorities;

4. Utilize the various human rights mechanisms and tools available within the United Nations, including treaty bodies, special procedures, commissions of inquiry, Universal Peer Review, United Nations General Assembly special or emergency sessions;

5. Mobilize Pacific Island states to support, where applicable, multilateral efforts to strengthen human rights standards, enhanced scrutiny of and accountability for country-specific or thematic human rights violations, as well as abuses committed by non-state actors;

6. Engage regularly and create a strong working relationship with government officials and key policymakers, representatives of international institutions and civil society organizations in the Pacific Islands, and other important actors, to generate a solid foundation for the overall engagement strategy;

7. Present relevant HRW research and recommendations in private and public meetings and speak on behalf of HRW to the media and general public;

8. Prepare issue analyses, policy submissions, advocacy letters and other related documents targeting international and regional institutions, governments, corporations, and other important actors;

9. Influence policy debates by writing press releases, op-eds, and blog postings, and using social media;

10. Work with other human rights organizations, including through coalitions and partnerships as appropriate;

11. Keep abreast of political and social events, or pertinent advocacy or policy developments, that impact the national or regional advocacy scene, and advise colleagues of important changes;

12. Ensure organization-wide coordination of any advocacy pertaining to the Pacific Islands, including through close collaboration with other relevant staff in other HRW divisions and offices, especially coordinating with the Australia Director given Australia’s role in the region;

13. Travel domestically and internationally, as required for internal and external meetings, advocacy opportunities, and relevant conferences;

14. Contribute to achieving the overall strategic goals and objectives of the Advocacy Department, and;

15. Perform other tasks as required.

Qualifications:

Education: An advanced degree or equivalent work experience in public policy, international relations, political science, area studies, journalism, law, environment, indigenous rights, or related studies is required.

Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of experience in nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, or government working to influence international and/or regional policies relevant to human rights issues is required. Prior experience working and living in the Pacific Islands region is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

1. Demonstrated experience designing and implementing successful advocacy initiatives at national and/or regional level in the Pacific Islands region is required.

2. Knowledge of human rights issues within international and/or regional systems, ideally related to one or more of: civil and political; economic, social, and cultural; environmental; and/or indigenous rights is required.

3. Demonstrated experience engaging with government officials and policymakers, as well as representatives of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations is required.

4. Demonstrated experience designing, building, managing, and sustaining partnerships, and coordinating with diverse stakeholders in the Pacific Islands region, together with knowledge or lived experience with cultures, values, customs, and traditions relevant to the Pacific Islands region is preferred.

5. Ability to develop and sustain relationships through regular targeted engagement, with attention to timely responsiveness and deliver information and recommendations to policymakers and their staff is required.

6. Ability to defend and persuasively explain complex issues and positions to government officials, including senior officials, representatives of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations is required.

7. A track record of dealing with the media and cultivating relationships with unlikely allies and journalists is required.

8. Demonstrated ability to think creatively and strategically is required.

9. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required; proficiency in another language is desirable, particularly languages in use in the Pacific Islands region.

10. Strong interpersonal skills to work collaboratively and as part of a team and with external partners is desirable.

11. Ability to work individually and multi-task effectively, and have strong communications, networking, planning, and organizing skills, and work well under pressure is desirable.

Other: Applicants for this position must possess current Fijian work authorization.

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by 15 October 2023 by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and attaching a letter of interest and CV or resume. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require accommodations during the application process, please email [email protected]. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.

Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and come from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.