Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Service of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The position is located in Tripoli, Libya. (Tripoli is classified as a Hardship “E” duty station and a non-family duty station). The Human Rights Officer [Reporting] will be under the overall supervision of the Principal Human Rights Officer.

On 28 October 2022, the Security Council, by its resolution 2656 (2022) extended the mandate of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 31 October 2023, as set out in resolution 2542 (2020) and paragraph 16 of resolution 2570 (2021). The Security Council, in resolution 2542 (2020), tasked UNSMIL, as an integrated special political mission, in full accordance with the principles of national ownership, to exercise mediation and through its good offices to: (i) further an inclusive political process and security and economic dialogue; (ii) further the continued implementation of the Libya Political Agreement; (iii) help consolidate the governance, security and economic arrangements of the Government of Libya, including support for economic reform in collaboration with international financial institutions; (iv) help to achieve a ceasefire and, provide appropriate support to its implementation; (v) support subsequent phases of the Libyan transition process, including the constitutional process and the organisation of elections; (vi) coordinate and engage closely with international actors including neighboring countries and regional organisations; (vii) provide support to key Libyan institutions; (viii) support, on request, the provision of essential services and delivery of humanitarian assistance, including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with humanitarian principles; (ix) monitor and report abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence in conflict, notably through the effective deployment of women and child protection advisers; (x) provide support in securing uncontrolled arms and related materiel and countering their proliferation; and (xi) co-ordinate international assistance, and provision of advice and assistance to Government-led efforts to stabilise post-conflict zones, including those liberated from Da’esh. The Security Council, through resolution 2570 (2021), tasked UNSMIL to provide support to the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned ceasefire monitoring mechanism including through the facilitation of confidence-building measures and the scalable and incremental deployment of UNSMIL ceasefire monitors.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer [Reporting] will be responsible for performing the following duties:

• Lead in drafting, compiling and reviewing of high quality and timely delivery of a variety of reports, briefings and other type of communications in compliance with established standards, including with regard to public human rights reports, with materials tailored for a variety of audiences.
• Analyse and synthesize significant amounts of information of relevance to human rights, including from open sources.
• Reach out to various UN actors to collect and analyze information of relevance to human rights.
• Promote the effective flow of information and channel human rights analysis and concerns for inclusion in UN crisis management and response.
• Ensure, coordinate and supervise the timely entry of accurate and verified human rights cases into an established database; conduct quality control and deliver statistics and trend reports as required.
• Work directly with other components of the Mission, including the political and security sector components to integrate human rights considerations into the planning and review of their programmes and operations.
• Contribute to advocacy strategies, advocate and advise relevant authorities, including State officials, the SRSG, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Country Team (UNCT) and senior management on strategies to better protect and promote human rights and mechanisms to address impunity and redress human rights violations.
• Contribute to the integration of gender perspectives/considerations and specific women/girls’ rights issues in all activities, programmes and strategies.
• Develop and coordinate initiatives to strengthen the response to systematic and/or emerging patterns of human rights violations and abuses, including with respect to sexual violence in conflict.
• Contribute, and where required, coordinate the implementation of the Human Rights Due- Diligence Policy on UN support to non-UN forces including by coordinating risk assessments and ensuring relevant human rights monitoring.
• Contribute to the integration of human rights in the Mission’s protection of civilians (PoC) efforts and, where relevant, coordinates such efforts including by, inter-alia, mapping and reporting protection risks and early warning.
• Facilitate cooperation and appropriate communication with OHCHR in the establishment of policies and sharing of best practices.
• Assist in the development, coordination and implementation of the human rights work plan; evaluate or assist in the evaluation of its progress and suggest adjustments as needed.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Ability to produce analysis of political, ethnic, racial. gender-based. social, economic and other human rights related problems to assess their impact and to provide recommendations to redress situations. Knowledge of relevant human rights standards and exposure to a range of human rights issues 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 train authorities and civil society organizations in investigating, reporting and advocacy. Ability to relate human rights issues and perspectives, including their gender equality dimensions, to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes. Shows pride in work and in achievements, demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments. observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problem or challenges. remains calm in stressful situations. Provides leadership and takes
responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent degree) in law, political science, international relations, or other human rights related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in human rights is required, including experience in human rights monitoring, reporting and advocacy and conducting human rights investigations.

Experience in human rights protection, including through engaging with military and police for the protection of civilians, child protection and/or in addressing sexual gender-based violence and work on arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and enforced disappearances, including promoting fair trial rights is required.

Human rights related experience working in a field operation in an international organization, non-governmental organization, or within the United Nations common system (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) is required.

Demonstrated competency in drafting high quality reports, briefings and public advocacy materials is required.

Relevant experience in the Middle East or North-Africa region is desirable.

Experience in documenting human rights violations in a human rights database is desirable.

Experience in inter-agency coordination, humanitarian response or in the management of technical cooperation projects, and well as demonstrated experience in managing budgets and teams is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required and proficiency/fluency in Arabic is desirable.

Assessment

Previously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and as such, will not be invited for such an assessment.

Special Notice

This “Recruit from Roster” job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected.

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.