Human Rights Expert

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 43 Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

This UN Volunteer assignment is part of the Cyber and New Technologies Unit at the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT) at the regional OCT office in Budapest, Hungary. The incumbent will provide human rights expertise in the implementation of the flagship UNOCT/UNCCT Global Counter-Terrorism Programme on Cybersecurity and New Technologies.

OCT was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 43 Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

Cyber and New Technologies Unit is located with the UNCCT and is implementing a Global Counter-Terrorism Programme on Cybersecurity and New Technologies to support Member States, international and regional organizations and the United Nations entities in:
• developing knowledge and raising awareness of challenges and opportunities related to new technologies in countering terrorism;
• enhancing skills and capacities required to develop and implement effective national counterterrorism policy responses to the challenges and opportunities of new technologies;
• preventing, mitigating and responding to terrorist and violent extremist groups' misuse of new technologies like the Internet and AI to attack critical infrastructure; and in countering and investigating terrorist activities by gathering digital forensic evidence and through the use of new technologies.

The Programme mainstreams human rights and gender in all of activities, to ensure that Member States' counter-terrorism measures are in compliance with human rights and the rule of law and are gender-responsive.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Cyber and New Technologies Unit (Budapest) of the UNCCT/UNOCT or his/her designated mandated representative(s), and working closely with counterparts at the UNOCT Human Rights and Gender Section, the UN Volunteer will:

• Researches and collects information pertaining to human rights matters with regard to counter-terrorism and new technologies, including their gender dimensions, from a variety of data sources, including analysis and recommendations from the UN human rights mechanisms on a specific country or thematic area.
• Maintains awareness of current human rights issues in the countries assigned to him/her, including on relevant political and legal developments, especially in counter-terrorism and new technologies context
• Provides recommendations how human-rights considerations can be reinforced in Cyber and New Technologies Programme through design and implementation, including in line with relevant UN Secretary-General Guidance Notes.
• Researches and contributes to the integration of relevant human rights issues with regard to cyber and new technologies in countering terrorism, including their gender dimensions into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Cyber and New Technologies Programme’s capacity building efforts, including by conducting human rights analysis and human rights due diligence.
• Liaises with government representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, UN agencies and other partners to provide advice on the human rights situation in the countries assigned with special attention to the use of counter-terrorism measures and new technologies.
• Implements UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, when applicable to the beneficiaries in the countries assigned to him/her, including determining the applicability of the Policy, conducting the assessment, drafting relevant documentation, identifying possible mitigation measures and participates in discussions with relevant authorities and other stakeholders with the aim to agree on the mitigation measures, their implementation and human rights monitoring.
• Participates in capacity building assistance missions on new technologies in countering terrorism for national law enforcement officials, representatives of the civil society and human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to promote adherence to human rights and gender-sensitive approaches.
• Contributes to drafting Cyber and New Technologies reports, communication and visibility materials.

The above outlines the general responsibilities and requirements for the position of Human Rights Expert. Specific tasks and activities may vary based on the evolving needs of UNOCT country office in Budapest.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UNV mandate within their assignment and promote volunteerism through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate part of their time to the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant publications, developing networks with volunteering organisations and taking an active part in UNV activities (for example, in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end-of-assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever possible.

The UNV is not to perform staff functions or any core functions involving any relevant administrative, managerial, and financial functions that may require delegation of authority and approving/certifying functions or supervision of staff members.

Results/expected outputs:

• Human rights and gender is mainstreamed across the work of the Programme.
• The United Nations Human Rights Due Diligence Policy is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all Cyber and New Technologies capacity building activities for the countries assigned to him/her (when applicable).
• Human rights and gender, modules for capacity building assistance, implemented by the Cyber and New Technologies Programme, are developed.
• Human rights, including gender, training is integrated and delivered in assigned Cyber and New Technologies capacity building activities.
• Human rights and gender considerations are integrated in all Cyber and New Technologies reports and communication materials.