Associate Human Rights Officer

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all human rights. The Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international human rights laws and treaties established those rights.
UN Human Rights was created by the General Assembly in 1993 through its resolution 48/141 which also details its mandate.
UN Human Rights is mandated:
• Promote and protect all human rights for all
• Recommend that bodies of the UN system improve the promotion and protection of all human rights
• Promote and protect the right to development
• Provide technical assistance to States for human rights activities
• Coordinate UN human rights education and public information programmes
• Work actively to remove obstacles to the realization of human rights and to prevent the continuation of human rights violations
• Engage in dialogue with Governments in order to secure respect for all human rights
• Enhance international cooperation for the promotion and protection of all human rights
• Coordinate human rights promotion and protection activities throughout the United Nations system
• Rationalize, adapt, strengthen and streamline the UN human rights machinery

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been engaging with Mozambique for several years through its Regional Office for Southern Africa and a Senior Human Rights Adviser deployed in country. The OHCHR Country Programme for Mozambique (2024-2027) focuses on three main programmatic goals: strengthen the rule of law and accountability for human rights violations; enhance participation and protect civic space; and advance sustainable development through human rights.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the OHCHR Mozambique Head of presence or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the Associate Human Rights Officer will be responsible for:

• Monitoring, analysis and reporting:
o Collecting information pertaining to human rights, including relevant political, security and legal developments, from a variety of data sources.
o Liaising with government, civil society actors, UN Agencies and other partners to create baseline data on the human rights situation, with special attention to vulnerable groups and including
gender-specific indicators.
o Conducting substantive research and analysis of human rights issues/events and assessing their impact on the human rights situation in one’s area of operations.
o Drafting a variety of internal reports, notes and inputs to documents, as appropriate.

• Programming:
o Contributing to the development of work plans for the implementation of activities and achievement of results under the Country Programme, including on human rights in humanitarian action.
o Assisting in developing operational approaches to mainstream human rights in the response to the crisis in Northern Mozambique.
o Regular monitoring and reporting on progress in programme implementation and supporting knowledge management and dissemination of lessons learned.

• Training and technical assistance:
o Identifying target groups in need of training in human rights, international humanitarian law and the rule of law, including law enforcement agents, civil society, etc., to strengthen national capacity
on human rights.
o Contributing to the design and implementation of training programmes and developing training tools for these groups.

• Any other related tasks, as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

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

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance 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 self-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 technically
possible.