OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Reference Number:
13/OHCHR/119/KYRGYZSTAN
Deadline for Application:
20 September 2013
Post Title and Level:
Human Rights Officer, P-3
Duty Station:
Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Duration:
From 1 January to 30 December 2014)
Organizational Unit:
OHCHR Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) in Kyrgyzstan
Within the framework of the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, and under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative for Central Asia and overall
guidance and supervision of the Regional Representative, the incumbent’s main responsibilities
and tasks will be to:
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Monitor the human rights situation in the area of assignment, including developments that
may have an impact on the human rights situation in the south of Kyrgyzstan through
gathering information from authorities, NGOs, National Human Rights Institutions and
international organizations;
Identify and monitor patterns of human rights violations in relation to the administration of
justice and the prevention of torture in the south of Kyrgyzstan; Conduct monitoring of
court hearings in selected cases related to the June 2010 events for compliance with fair
trial guarantees and draft analytical inputs for ROCA to develop advocacy strategies;
Contribute to the Office’s monthly and ad-hoc reports, as well as project reports, bearing
in mind the donor’s requirements and OHCHR guidance on results based management;
Draft other
communications
such as
talking points and briefing notes on
substantive/thematic issues;
Conduct outreach activities to raise public awareness about human rights issues in the area
of assignment;
Provide expert advice on the application of national and international human rights
standards and protection mechanisms to lawyers and human rights defenders in cases of
human rights violations;
Foster and maintain active engagement and cooperation with relevant national and
international actors, including with civil society, National Human Rights Institutions and
local authorities;
Engage with State authorities at the local level including police, prosecutors, judges and
court officials to increase their awareness of human rights and advocate for compliance
with international hum standards in particular in relation to the administration of justice
and the prevention of torture;
Raise awareness on recommendations from international human rights mechanisms in the
areas of administration of justice and prevention of torture and develop appropriate
advocacy strategies for their implementation;
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Develop and maintain a strong network of local and international human rights partners in
the south of Kyrgyzstan for regular exchange of human rights information including
through coordination of the Human rights Working Group (HRWG) to coordinate the
activity of human rights actors in the south of Kyrgyzstan;
Undertake human rights capacity-building activities as appropriate to government actors,
national institutions, NGOs and human rights defenders;
Represent OHCHR at meetings and seminars including in inter-agency coordination
meetings on protection related issues;
Ensure the integration of gender and other marginalized groups’ perspectives, including
specific women/girl’s rights and minority rights;
Supervise OHCHR ROCA national staff in Osh including a national Rule of Law Field
Specialist and a driver;
Assist ROCA in programme management related to the implementation of the project.
Perform other tasks as assigned.
COMPETENCIES
Professionalism: Good knowledge of and exposure to a broad range of human rights and
humanitarian issues, ability to apply approaches and techniques to address sensitive problems.
Good knowledge of international institutional mandates, human rights and humanitarian policies
and guidelines. Ability to identify problems, i.e., political, ethnic, racial, gender, social,
economic, etc., which may impact the human rights situation in a given county/location; Excellent
analytical, monitoring, reporting, and research skills, including ability to evaluate and integrate
information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the human rights situation in assigned
region/country. Excellent knowledge of International Human Rights Law as well as knowledge of
humanitarian response activities.
Communication: Strong communication (spoken, written and presentational) skills, including the
ability to produce a variety of written reports in a clear, concise style, to deliver presentations on
human rights matters to external audiences, to build/maintain effective partnerships, to manage
information and public information activities.
Planning and organizational skills: Ability to coordinate and facilitate meetings, including of an
inter-agency nature, and to establish strategies, priorities and to plan work assignments, juggle
competing demands and supervisory tasks, and work under pressure of frequent and tight
deadlines.
Teamwork: Proven interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic
environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity, including in an inter-agency environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Advanced university degree, preferably in law, political science, international relations or other
disciplines related to human rights. A combination of relevant academic qualifications and
extensive experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
Work Experience
At least 5 years of proven progressively responsible professional experience in the promotion and
protection of human rights and in monitoring, reporting, and advocacy in fragile, conflict-prone or
post-conflict societies is desirable.
Date of issuance: 06/09/2013
13/119/ KYRGYZSTAN P-3
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Languages
Fluency in spoken and written English and Russian is required.
Other Skills: Good knowledge of the region, including knowledge of the political environment
and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights. Experience of working in a transitional or postconflict setting. Ability to work and act under pressure in a difficult environment.
How to apply:
Applicants are instructed to submit the following documents in one single e-mail to:
humanresources@ohchr.org
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A completed United Nations Personal History form (PHP) or P-11, in PDF or Word
A cover letter as attached document;
United Nations staff members must submit scanned copies of their latest Performance
Appraisal System (PAS).
Important:
Please mention the reference number of the vacancy announcement in the subject header of
your e-mail: 13/OHCHR/119/KYRGYZSTAN
Name any attached documents as follows:
LAST NAME First name – Type of document
Example:
SMITH Jacqueline – PHP.doc
SMITH Jacqueline - Cover letter.doc
SMITH Jacqueline – PAS.pdf
Note: Applications without P-11 or PHP cannot be considered;
Applications received after the deadline or not compliant with the instructions will not
be accepted.
Please note that, because of the volume of messages, applications will not be acknowledged.
Only applicants possessing the required qualifications will be taken into consideration. Only the
successful candidate will be notified of the outcome of the selection.
The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of
the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The UN also encourages women’s candidatures.
The Secretary-General reserves the right to appoint a candidate at one level below the advertised
level of the post.
"Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or
her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in
accordance with established rules and procedures".
Date of issuance: 06/09/2013
13/119/ KYRGYZSTAN P-3