Business and Human Rights and Peace Specialist (Home-based)

UNDP as the UN lead agency on international development, UN Development Programme (UNDP) works in 170 countries and territories, including those fragile and experiencing crisis, to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. UNDP helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s work is concentrated in three focus areas: (1) sustainable development, (2) democratic governance and peace building, and (3) climate and disaster resilience.

UNDP’s Rule of Law, Security, and Human Rights Team: The UNDP’s Rule of Law, Security, and Human Rights (RoLSHR) Team is responsible for policy and practice development in the areas of the rule of law, justice, security, human rights, including business and human rights (BHR), through the implementation of the UNDP Global Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace and Fostering Development for 2022-2025. The Global Programme is guided by and aligned with the UNDP Strategic Plan for 2022-2025 and provides tailored, context-specific technical, financial, and strategic support to contexts across the development spectrum.

UNDP’s B+HR Initiative: The RoLSHR’s programmatic work on BHR is provided through the global initiative on B+HR currently implemented in 42 countries (and growing) in Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, focusing on supporting: 

• Governments (across sectors): in upholding their duty to protect human rights from businesses’ abuses, including by strengthening and enforcing robust regulatory frameworks on BHR;
• Businesses (across industries): in embedding their responsibility to respect human rights throughout their operational policies and practices, including to carry out human rights due diligence across supply chains, through the B+HR Academy, which trains approximately 1,300 businesses per year;
• Civil society and other relevant stakeholders: in monitoring businesses’ human rights performance, advocating for advancing corporate respect for human rights, and providing ‘routes to remedy’ to people adversely affected by businesses.

The UNDP’s global initiative on B+HR is coordinated from the Geneva Office (Switzerland) and led by the Global Policy Adviser on BHR, which supports and guides Regional B+HR Focal Points. Regional Focal Points are the entry point for requests of guidance coming from B+HR Focal Points at the Country Office level. 

The UNDP’s global initiative on B+HR is supported by the Governments of Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, and the EU, and is part of the UNDP Global Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace and Fostering Development for 2022-2025.

The Business and Human Rights and Peace Specialist will work under direct supervision of the Global Policy Advisor on BHR, and in close coordination with the BHR Specialist. They will also work directly with Regional Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Focal Points and/or B+HR Focal Points and provide technical and capacity-strengthening support to B+HR Focal Points at the Country Office level, as needed.

• Provide technical and programmatic advisory support in implementing the existing activities of the UNDP’s global initiative on B+HR and Peace, including by: 
  • Advising and supporting the implementation of the global, regional, and Country Office level donor-funded projects (e.g., JSB projects, Responsible Business Conduct in Africa project, Business and Human Rights in Asia, ‘Investing the Rights Way’ Guide for Investors, etc.);
  • Guiding and supporting the preparation of regional Forums/Dialogues on BHR in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central Asia, and Arab States Regions, and contributing to UNDP’s substantive participation in the UN Annual Forum on BHR. 

• Provide technical and programmatic advisory support to further UNDP’s promotion of B+HR and Peace, including by: 
  • Providing technical support to Businesses, Country Offices, Governments, Civil Society and other stakeholders on ensuring business positively impact human rights and peace in crisis settings, including through provision of training and advice to businesses and other stakeholders;
  • Advising and supporting the development and implementation of UNDP’s tools on so-called heightened Human Rights Due Diligence (hHRDD), including the Guide for Business on Heightened Human Rights Due Diligence, and the development of a training guide on hHRDD and an e-learning course on hHRDD; 
  • Promoting UNDP’s engagement in the growing Community of Practice on Business and Conflict, consisting of independent practitioners engaged in promoting responsible business practices in crisis settings;
  • Contributing to the mobilisation of resources from development partners, businesses and other donors targeted at promoting a positive contribution of businesses to human rights and peace in crisis settings;
  • Strengthening the in-house capacities of UNDP’s Crisis Bureau, Bureau of Policy and Programme Support, and links with the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund, on Business, Human Rights and Conflict.

• Provide technical support in scaling up global initiative on B+HR and Peace, including by:
  • Guiding the implementation of the resource mobilization strategy (e.g., providing thematic and regional/country-specific research, liaising and partnering with other UN Agencies for joint resource mobilization initiatives and other UNDP Teams for portfolio programming, drafting project concept notes and documents, developing workplans and activity-based budgets);
  • Promoting the positioning of UNDP as a ‘practice setter’ on BHR (e.g., ensuring its global visibility, contributing to the work of the Human Rights Council, UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and other UN Special Procedures, participating in global and regional multi-stakeholder platforms);
  • Developing and negotiating the multi-partner arrangements with other UN agencies and implementing partners for the ‘Responsible Business Conduct in Africa’ Project;
  • Developing new thematic offers (e.g., community of practice on stakeholder engagement, business case on human rights, critical minerals) and internal strategies for way forward of the existing thematic programming (e.g., on BHR and Peace);
  • Providing ad hoc support to global, regional and Country Office units in developing initiatives on Business and Human Rights.

• Contribute to the UNDP’s knowledge generation on BHR and Peace, including by: 
  • Leading the development of knowledge products on human rights due diligence, EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and other mandatory human rights due diligence legislation, modern slavery, Universal Periodic Review, etc.;
  • Providing peer review of knowledge products of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights and other UN Special Procedures, UN Agencies, UN Teams, multi-stakeholder platforms, etc.;
  • Providing peer review and support to the development of global, regional and Country Office knowledge products on B+HR and Peace. 

• Leading the implementation of the human rights offer to the business sector of the global initiative on B+HR, including by: 
  • Leading the outreach to potential business-partners, carrying out UNDP corporate private sector due diligence, and developing and implementing Development Service Agreements with business-partners at the global level; 
  • Guiding regional and country offices in developing private sector engagement strategies in line with UNDP’s private sector offer;
  • Guiding Country Offices in carrying out UNDP corporate private sector due diligence and supporting them in developing and implementing Development Service Agreements with business-partners at the country level;
  • Providing in-house capacity-strengthening and/or other services under global and/or country-level Development Service Agreements.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Institutional Arrangement

The Business and Human Rights and Peace Specialist will work under direct supervision of the Global Policy Advisor on BHR, and in close coordination with the BHR Specialist. They will also work directly with Regional Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Focal Points and/or B+HR Focal Points and provide technical and capacity-strengthening support to B+HR and Peace Focal Points at the Country Office level, as needed.

• Achieve Results:    
  • LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact. 
• Think Innovatively:    
  • LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems. 
• Learn Continuously:    
  • LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• Adapt with Agility:    
  • LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands. 
• Act with Determination:     
  • LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner:    
  • LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:    
  • LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies 

• System Thinking:     
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
• Entrepreneurial Thinking:    
  • Identify and seize opportunities to service and add value to clients, create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners, develop clear service offers responding to client needs in line with UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate.
• Rule of Law Security and Human Rights:     
  • Business and Human Rights.
  • Human Rights/HRBA. 
• Private Sector Engagement:    
  • Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the private sector.
• Project Management:    
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goal.
• Partnership Management:    
  • Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.