UNITED NATIONS
OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
TITLE
ANTICIPATED DURATION
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT
DUTY STATION
ESTIMATED REMUNERATION*
10-CON-15
20 February 2015
Consultant (Maritime Crime Law Reform and Legal Training, West Africa)
30 working days
UNODC
Home based (with occasional travel to West Africa Regions)
to be determined
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES
* This assignment does not carry any entitlement to social benefits such as medical insurance, pension, sick leave, etc.
BACKGROUND AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The pirate business model in West Africa (WA) is increasingly targeted on hijacking petro-chemical tankers or
other oil/petroleum storage or transport platforms, with occasional opportunistic robberies and kidnappings for
ransom. In the West Africa region as a whole, approximately 60% of piracy attacks relate to oil, but this is
believed to be increasing. Opportunistic robberies are less profitable than oil/petroleum piracy and bunkering,
which also tends to support predictions that any regional increase in piracy and armed robbery against vessels
will be driven by oil/petroleum piracy and bunkering. Overall, the incidence of piracy and armed robbery
against vessels in the West Africa region is fairly consistently focussed upon the GoG region – in 2011, Benin,
Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Togo collectively accounted for 49 attacks; in 2012, the same five GoG
states accounted for 51 attacks.
While the incidence of robbery at sea and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region is trending up, the
capacity of regional States to prosecute has come under increased scrutiny. What is plainly evident – from a
number of assessments and fact-finding missions conducted by UNODC, IMO, AFRICOM and other US
agencies, France, and the UK – is that no GoG State currently has the necessary mix of jurisdiction, offence
creating legislation, and prosecutorial and judicial awareness and capacity to undertake a piracy prosecution.
Additionally, many GoG States do not yet even have all the links in place to enable prosecution of robbery at
sea (that is, piracy-like offences within their territorial seas). Before any effective prosecution of a GoG pirate
can even be considered a realistic option in the region, these legal gaps have to be closed.
The UNODC Maritime Crime Programme will approach the task of overcoming this fundamental legal gap via
a coordinated program of activities founded upon three strategic pillars. By undertaking focused and specific
assessments, law reform planning, and legislative drafting, and identifying local champions to act as
facilitators within these processes, UNODC through its “Global Maritime Crime Programme” seeks to deliver
law reform plans tailored to the systemic requirements and opportunities evident in the target States Nigeria,
Gabon, Togo and Benin. Additionally, through a structured and co-ordinated approach to awareness raising,
and engaging local experts and champions in the assessments, law reform planning, and lessons learned
processes, the programme seeks to create a cadre of more deeply knowledgeable focal points.
With this background, the purpose of this assignment is to facilitate targeted law reform and legislative
drafting activities in order to enable Nigeria to have in place the necessary jurisdictional and criminal laws so
as to be in a position to prosecute piracy and robbery at sea. The reform work will include liaison with relevant
authorities with regard to necessary drafting of legislation, including procedural law for the executing and
operational entities fighting piracy and armed robbery. The Consultant will also conduct a workshop and
training session for Magistrates, Judges, Prosecutors, and legal policy advisers from Nigeria aimed at raising
awareness of the context, jurisdictions, and legal instruments available in relation to maritime security and
maritime crime (civil law states).
Under the overall supervision of the UNODC Head of the MCP (in Nairobi), and under the direct supervision of the
MCP Programme Officer (in Vienna), the consultant will implement the following tasks:
VA 10-CON-15
-
Conduct a mission to draft an assessment of a comprehensive legal implementation model in Nigeria.
Develop drafts (or amendments to existing drafts) of those laws necessary to permit prosecution of armed
robbery and piracy, including jurisdiction and executional mandate, for Nigeria;
-
Prepare and conduct a 4-day workshop/training session in Nigeria for Magistrates, Judges, Prosecutors and
legal policy advisers from Nigeria aimed at raising awareness of the context, jurisdictions, and legal
instruments available in relation to maritime security and maritime crime.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law
Professional Experience: At least ten years of relevant, and progressively responsible and extensive work
experience with Law of the Sea and other international law applicable at sea, and the
application of criminal law at sea; Proven experience in drafting legally focussed reports,
proposals, and training plans; Proven experience in dealing with counterparts from
various cultural backgrounds; Proven familiarity with the UNODC Maritime Crime
Programme.
Languages:
English and French are the working languages of the United UN Secretariat. For the
position advertised, fluency in English with proven drafting and communication skills is
required/desired/an asset.
All applicants are requested to complete a United Nations Personal History form (PHP), available online
(inspira.un.org) or send a complete United Nations Personal History form (P.11). Applicants should also outline in
a cover letter why they consider themselves qualified for the position. Due to the expected high volume of
applications, only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. All applications should be sent to
consultants@unvienna.org, by e-mail with PHP/P.11 in pdf format attached and with the announcement number
mentioned clearly in the subject line. Preference will be given to equally qualified women applicants.
VA 10-CON-15