UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN ASSOCIATE EXPERT
FOR THE ORGANIZED CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION (OCS)
INT-175-08-P147-01-V
Title:
Associate Expert
Duration:
1 year (with possible extension for another year)
Date required:
As soon as possible
Office:
Division for Treaty Affairs (DTA)
Treaty and Legal Assistance Branch (TLAB)
Organized Crime and Criminal Justice Section (OCS)
Duty Station:
Vienna, Austria
Area of Assignment:
reform of the criminal justice system, particularly of
developing and post-conflict countries, through the
promotion of the use and application of United Nations
standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal
justice and the United Nations crime conventions
Supervision:
Under the overall guidance of the Director of the Division and
the Chief of the Branch, the Associate Expert will work
under the direct supervision of the Chief, OCS. Supervision
will entail work assignment, discussion and approval of
time-bound work plan, regular guidance on how to
accomplish work goals, routine review of work progress,
review of all products, and periodic informal and formal
assessment of performance.
Duties, responsibilities and output expectations:
The Associate Expert will provide professional support for assisting countries,
particularly developing and post-conflict countries, in reforming their criminal justice
system, through the promotion of the use and application of United Nations standards
and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice and other relevant international
instruments, including the United Nations crime conventions.
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Specific tasks within this general framework will be established through the
incumbent's work plan. Under the supervision of the Chief, OCS, the Associate
Expert will:
1. Provide substantive support in the conduct of criminal justice reform activities,
including:
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supporting the activities of the Section to reform and strengthen national
criminal justice systems in line with international standards and norms on
crime prevention and criminal justice, through the provision of legal advice
and advisory services
elaborating on new UNODC model laws or upgrading existing ones as
well as conceiving and drafting inputs to UNODC's implementation
guidelines for its model legislation;
contributing to the development of specific legislative tools, manuals and
specialized training modules for criminal justice reform;
undertaking comparative research and preparing technical papers to help
States improve their criminal justice reform efforts and strengthen
relevant control mechanisms and infrastructure.
2. Provide administrative support in the conduct of criminal justice reform activities,
including:
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assisting in the conduct of and accompanying senior officers during
criminal justice reform missions;
mission preparation: preparation of briefs, research and reference materials;
coordinating preparations with all mission stakeholders and assisting with
administrative arrangements;
mission follow-up: mission report preparation and mission evaluation;
facilitating and assisting in the conduct of workshops, training seminars and
expert working group meetings: making audio-visual presentations,
preparing technical papers, reference and hand-out documents, case studies,
moot exercises, etc.; briefing participants on evaluations, trends, research
results, etc.; ensuring an adequate record of proceedings;
assisting in the organization of workshops, training seminars and expert
working group meetings: assisting in negotiations with host country; budget
development, arranging for financial support and arrangements for the
meeting, preparing agendas, provide administrative support for international
experts as well as participants; preparing evaluation questionnaires;
preparing, participating, recording and following up on internal operational
and management meetings, and generally assist in the day to day planning
and management.
3. Undertake, collaborate or participate in the day-to-day core work of OCS, including:
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servicing sessions of the Conference of State Parties to the UN
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and the Commission
on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, as well as drafting of criminal
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justice reform project documents or components thereof to UNODC
country, subregional or regional projects and programmes; provide project
implementation support where appropriate;
drafting of technical and analytical inputs to UNODC reports to the
Conference of State Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime and the UN subsidiary bodies such as the Commission
on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice;
drafting of technical, management and performance inputs to UNODC
reports to the UN oversight system, donors, etc.;
providing inputs to UNODC's strategic, operational and technical
documentation;
drafting of other reports, correspondence, background papers, briefing
notes, etc.
Outputs: Specific outputs will be continuously agreed upon at the beginning of each
assignment as outlined above, according to the nature of assigned tasks.
Qualifications, experience and competencies required:
Qualifications:
- advanced university degree in law, criminology and/or related social science.
Experience:
- at least two years professional experience in the field of law at national or
international level.
Language skills:
- excellent knowledge of English and corresponding drafting ability;
- knowledge of another UN language (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) an
asset.
Competencies:
- Core values:
- Core competencies:
integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity;
analytical,
planning
and
organizational
skills;
communication skills; teamwork; creativity; client
orientation;
commitment
to
continuous
learning;
technological awareness and ability to utilize them
effectively in work, especially office computer
applications.
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Learning elements:
After a two year assignment, the Associate Expert will have acquired sufficient
expertise to advise on criminal justice reform issues arising from the use and application
of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice and
other relevant international instruments; provide substantive comments on relevant draft
national legislation; independently organize and conduct training events; give
presentations on a variety of topics relevant to criminal justice system’s reform; carry
out substantive assessment of project proposals and technical assistance requests; draft
project documents or components thereof according to UN standards and manage their
implementation.
Background Information:
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is established to implement
the Organization's Drug Programme and Crime Programme in an integrated manner,
addressing the interrelated issues of drug control, crime prevention and international
terrorism in the context of sustainable development and human security.
Through the Drug Programme, UNODC serves as the central drug control entity with
exclusive responsibility for coordinating and providing effective leadership for all
United Nations drug control activities. It serves as the repository of technical expertise
in international drug control for the Secretariat of the United Nations, including the
regional commissions, and other United Nations organs, as well as Member States, and
in this capacity advises them on questions of international and national drug control. It
acts, on behalf of the Secretary-General, in fulfilling responsibilities under the terms of
international treaties and resolutions of United Nations organs relating to
international drug control. It provides substantive services to the General
Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and committees and conferences dealing
with drug control matters.
Through the Crime Programme, UNODC is responsible for activities in the field of
international crime prevention and control, with special focus on strengthening
regional and international cooperation in preventing and combating transnational crime,
in particular organized and economic crime, money laundering, illicit trafficking in
women and children, financial crimes and terrorism in all its forms. It promotes effective
and fair administration of justice, with due respect for the rights of all those affected by
crime and involved in the criminal justice system. It serves as the repository of technical
expertise in the field of crime and terrorism prevention and criminal justice for the
Secretariat of the United Nations, including the regional commissions, and other United
Nations organs. It acts on behalf of the Secretary-General in fulfilling responsibilities
under the terms of international instruments, standards, norms and resolutions in this
field. It provides substantive services to the General Assembly, the Economic and Social
Council and committees and conferences dealing with crime and terrorism prevention
matters.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is organized into four Divisions: The
Division for Treaty Affairs, the Division for Operations, the Division for Policy Analysis
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and Public Affairs and the Division for Management. The Division for Treaty Affairs
has the primary responsibility for carrying out the normative functions of UNODC.
These functions relate mainly to the fulfillment of the pertinent treaty and legal
responsibilities of the Secretary-General under the terms of international drug and
crime control treaties and the resolutions of the United Nations organs, as well as
relevant aspects of terrorism prevention. This treaty and legal affairs "pillar" of the
work of the Office is concerned with the stewardship of already established
conventions in the drug abuse control area and the development, promotion
and implementation of new conventions in the crime control area, such as
the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its
three Protocols, as well as the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The
normative programme is a central element of the UNODC's functions and comprises
the bulk of the crime control and drug policy support and coordination functions
mandated by the treaties and the UN General Assembly and its subsidiary organs. The
normative programme fulfils and provides the legal and treaty basis for international
cooperation and policy development in drug and crime control matters, from which
emanates the operational programme, which provides technical assistance to
requesting Governments in meeting their legal and treaty obligations and in
implementing relevant United Nations policies, including the application of United
Nations guidelines, standards and norms related to crime prevention and criminal justice.
When fulfilling its normative functions, the Division for Treaty Affairs also provides
direct assistance to Member States that seek assistance in implementing the legal
aspects of the crime and drug control treaties. Such technical cooperation component, of
an on-going nature, is an important contribution to and direct interaction of the Division
with the operational activities of UNODC. This support, undertaken especially by the
Organized Crime and Criminal Justice Section within the Treaty and Legal Assitance
Branch of the Division, takes the form of expert legal advice to Member States to bring
national laws and regulations into compliance with the existing United Nations
conventions or on measures required to implement existing United Nations standards and
norms. Legal experts in the Division develop legislative guides, model laws and
legislation, best practices tool kits, software packages to assist investigators and
prosecutors in developing treaty-related cases, training to legal practitioners and
needs assessments. In addition, they provide training to judges and prosecutors on
the drug and crime conventions and on the legislative measures required to
implement the international instruments.
The Organized Crime and Criminal Justice Section within the Treaty and Legal
Assistance Branch of the Division for Treaty Affairs provides technical and
substantive services to the Conference of States Parties for the UN Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime. The Corruption and Economic Crimes Section within
the same Branch provides technical and substantive services to the Conference of States
Parties for the UN Convention against Corruption. The two Sections, respectively,
promote the ratification of these Conventions through targeted special measures and the
provision of technical assistance to requesting countries, in coordination and close
cooperation with the Division of Operations, which is responsible for the execution of
country projects and other relevant operational activities implemented under the
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Global Programmes against organized crime, trafficking in human beings, corruption
and money laundering.
In addition, the Organized Crime and Criminal Justice Section facilitates the reform of
the criminal justice system of countries, particularly developing and post-conflict
countries, through the promotion of the use and application of United Nations
standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice. In particular, the
Organized Crime and Criminal Justice Section i) raises awareness on United Nations
standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice; ii) develops technical
tools, including model legislation, toolkits and handbooks, to assist Member States in
implementing relevant standards and norms; iii) assesses criminal justice needs of
countries, particularly in the area of legal/legislative reform; iv) provides legal advice
and drafting, including in the area of criminal law, criminal procedure and other
relevant legislation; v) provides specialized advice to policy makers and practitioners
in the area of criminal justice reform, including through high-level technical advice
and capacity-building; vi) assists in the design and implementation of strategies for
criminal justice reform; and vii) provides support to the UN system in transitional and
post-conflict countries in the justice reform sector, including the provision of expertise,
training, technical advice and long term programme development and implementation.
The Terrorism Prevention Branch of the Division fulfills UNODC's mandates in the
field of terrorism prevention. It works in close coordination with the Counter-Terrorism
Committee of the Security Council and focuses on the provision of substantive input for
the work of the Committee and technical assistance to requesting countries for the
ratification and implementation of the Terrorism Conventions and Protocols, in line
with relevant Council resolutions. Main work elements include facilitation and/or
provision of capacity-building assistance and identification and dissemination of best
practices. Related technical assistance activities are carried out under the
framework of the Global Programme against Terrorism.
The Division for Treaty Affairs includes the secretariat for the crime and drug
commissions in the Policy Support Section (PSS) and the secretariat for the
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). The Policy Support Section provides
technical and substantive support to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the United Nations Congresses
on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, while the INCB Secretariat provides
technical and substantive support to the INCB, all of which decide or recommend
policies and norms. The Policy Support Section also organizes workshops, seminars
and training events for practitioners in conjunction with commission and subcommission meetings as well as with the annual meetings of the Heads of Narcotic Law
Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA). The INCB Secretariat manages the control system
for licit controlled drugs and precursors, providing expert advice to Board members
and to Member States. The INCB also manages three special programmes that
coordinate governments efforts to combat diversions of the precursor chemicals used
in heroin, cocaine and synthetic drug production.
Whereas the Division for Treaty Affairs is primarily responsible for the
fulfillment of UNODC's normative functions, the Division for Operations and the
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Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs also undertake activities directly related
to the implementation of the normative aspects of work, such as providing reporting
and expertise to the governing bodies, follow-up action to their recommendations
and the development and dissemination of specialized technical knowledge. Other
prominent normative activities carried out by them are the work of the Laboratory and
Scientific Section and the inter-agency coordination and advocacy functions of the
Division of Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, as well as the many substantive
functions of the Human Security Branch of the Division of Operations, including those
relating to the anti-money laundering aspects of the drug, crime, and terrorism
conventions.
Further background information on the work of the UNODC is available at the
UNODC's web site (www.unodc.org).
The United Nations seeks the participation of suitably qualified female and male
candidates in the work of the drugs and crime programmes. It is urged that every effort
be made to locate and nominate suitable female and male candidates for the associate
expert position.
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