Human Rights Officer

The mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is to work for the protection of all human rights for all people; to help empower people to realize their rights; and to assist those responsible for upholding such rights in ensuring that they are implemented.

In carrying out its mission OHCHR will:

Give priority to addressing the most pressing human rights violations, both acute and chronic, particularly those that put life in imminent peril;
Focus attention on those who are at risk and vulnerable on multiple fronts;
Pay equal attention to the realization of civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights, including the right to development; and
Measure the impact of its work through the substantive benefit that is accrued, through it, to individuals around the world.
Operationally, OHCHR works with governments, legislatures, courts, national institutions, civil society, regional and international organizations, and the United Nations system to develop and strengthen capacity, particularly at the national level, for the protection of human rights in accordance with international norms.

Institutionally, OHCHR is committed to strengthening the United Nations human rights programme and to providing it with the highest quality support. OHCHR is committed to working closely with its United Nations partners to ensure that human rights form the bedrock of the work of the United Nations.

This position is located within the Joint Human Rights Service (HRS) of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The incumbent reports to the Head of Unit in the thematic area of assignment under the overall supervision of the Chief of the HRS.

Within delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer/UNV will be responsible for the following duties,

• Research and collect information pertaining to human rights matters, including their gender dimensions from a variety of data sources (e.g. communications, publications, the press) to keep abreast of issues/events and provide up-to-date information; assist in the analysis of information, to include the impact on the countries and thematic mandates on the human rights situation in assigned area.
• Plan and coordinate activities related to the UN human rights due diligence policy (HRDDP) on UN Support to non-UN Security Forces including from a gender perspective.
• Conduct substantive research and analysis of human rights issues/events and assess their impact on the human rights situation in Haiti.
• Collect and analyse human rights data and indicators in Haiti on HRDDP implementation, including gender-specific data and indicators.
• Ensure that human rights issues, including their gender equality dimensions considerations, are integrated into political, humanitarian and economic efforts and programme.
• Define work plan for area assigned in accordance with established terms of reference.
• Assist Haitian national police to develop and implement a training program in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, with attention to gender perspectives.
• Supervise field verification work through periodic visits; follow up on different cases and situations.
• Represent UN human rights programme at working level meetings.
• Draft a variety of reports, communications, briefings, statements, etc., including to policy making bodies.
• Maintain awareness of current human rights issues, to include relevant political and legal developments.
• Participate in human rights training programmes for the multinational security forces and national law enforcement officials, representatives of the civil society and human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to promote national capacity building.
• Review human rights issues, including their gender dimensions, and participate in discussions with other Human Rights Officers (HROs) on the integration of these issues into political, humanitarian and economic efforts and programmes.
• Assist in promoting efforts for community mobilization and those that focus on exercise of rights of population.
• Participate with other Human Rights Organizations in discussions with relevant authorities and other influential actors with the aim of stopping or preventing human rights violations or seeks other remedial action by the authorities to prevent similar violations occurring in the future.
• Liaise with government, NGOs, Civil Society organizations, UN agencies and other partners to create baseline data on the human rights situation, with special attention to vulnerable groups.
• Design and maintain database to track project progress.
• Contribute to the collection and analysis of data as well as identification of trends or patterns and provide draft insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports, using data visualization methods for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Perform other related duties as required