UNDP Jobs - 32745- Consultant for HIV Law and Human Rights

Consultant for HIV Law and Human Rights

Location :

Home Based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Oct-2012

Application Deadline :

21-Sep-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

90 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 October to 6 May 2013

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 177 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.

The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) is UNDP’s policy Bureau and backbone of the global practices. BDP has a key role to play in helping country offices to accelerate human development through strengthening the practice areas within UNDP’s programmes. BDP supports the development and design of projects that are responsive, effective and contribute to the national-level policies and results. Driven by demand, BDP provides tools, analysis and capacities for country offices to make a real difference in UNDP’s practice areas.

BDP supports UNDP’s 2008-2013 Strategic Plan, focusing on 6 thematic areas: Poverty Reduction, Governance, Environment and Energy, HIV/AIDS, Capacity Development, and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

HIV, Health and Development Approach:

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals. For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment. UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV - also known as key populations - such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people. Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action on MDGs, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.

Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on MDG 6 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

Objective:

As the lead agency on human rights and law within the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNDP led a high-level Global Commission on HIV and the Law in June 2010 to interrogate the relationship between legal responses, human rights and HIV. The Commission, launched by UNDP Administrator, focused its work on some of the most challenging legal and human rights issues in the context of HIV, the goal being to develop implementable, evidence-informed and human rights-based recommendations for effective HIV responses that protect and promote the human rights of people living with and most vulnerable to HIV.

The Commission completed its work in July 2012, with the release of its final report ‘HIV and the Law: Risks, Rights & Health’ on 9 July 2012. The Commission’s final report is based on a thorough review of evidence gathered through the Commission process. The report emphasizes the need for a candid appraisal of the role played by the law in perpetuating prejudice, discrimination and inequality as part of the AIDS response for decades. It is hoped that the Commission’s messages and recommendations will form the basis of the next generation of HIV responses, where governments and citizens approach HIV as an issue of health, development and social justice.

UNDP served as the Secretariat of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law from June 2010 to July 2012. Commission follow-up activities, led by UNDP in collaboration with UN and civil society partners, at global, regional and country level are already underway and will continue through 2012/2013. This includes normative policy/tools development work and technical and policy/advisory support for legislative reviews, national dialogues and action planning for law reform, judicial and Parliamentary sensitization and access to justice programming. Consequently, UNDP’s HIV/AIDS Group is recruiting a consultant to support the Commission’s follow up work, with a focus on the range of issues addressed in the report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Advisor on Human Rights, Law & Treatment Access within the Human Rights & Governance Cluster, the Consultant will be responsible for:

Research and writing to support the development of guidance notes, fast facts, FAQs, briefing notes, country case studies and related presentation and policy materials on HIV and the law to support legislative reviews, national dialogues and action planning for law reform, judicial and Parliamentary sensitization and access to justice programming. These will cover the range of issues covered in the report of The Global Commission on HIV and the Law;
Provide technical and policy inputs to countries on HIV and the law, with a focus on legislative reviews, judicial and Parliamentary sensitization and access to justice programming;
Support requests for technical assistance received by Human Rights Governance Cluster on issues pertaining to HIV, human rights and the law;
In line with the recently approved HIV, Health and Development strategy note, produce a literature review on the role of law and regulations in addressing social determinants of health.
Any other tasks, including research and writing as requested by UNDP’s Governance and Human Rights Cluster Leader in the HIV/AIDS Group.

Specific Deliverables:

Development of guidance notes, fast facts, FAQs, briefing notes, country case studies and related presentation and policy materials on HIV and the law to support legislative reviews, national dialogues and action planning for law reform, judicial and Parliamentary sensitization and access to justice programming. These will cover the range of issues covered in the report of The Global Commission on HIV and the Law.
Development of relevant tools on human rights and law for strengthening Global Fund grant implementation, including support for UNDP’s work on mainstreaming human rights into key Global Fund processes and institutions.
Literature review on role of law and regulations in addressing social determinants of health.

Expected Outputs:

Guidance notes, fast facts, FAQs, briefing notes, country case studies and related presentation and policy materials on HIV and the law, based on the all the issues covered in the report of The Global Commission on HIV and the Law are developed and disseminated through UNDP and in collaboration with UN and civil society partners.
Accessible human rights tools for strengthening Global Fund HIV, TB and malaria grant implementation developed and disseminated.
Literature review on the role of law and regulations in addressing the social determinants of health developed.

Reporting: The consultant will regularly evaluate progress and targets with the Policy Advisor on Human Rights, Law & Access to Treatment.

Timeframe: The consultancy will be home based and is expected to last for 90 days commencing on 1 October and ending on 6 May 2013.

Evaluation: Applicants will be screened against qualifications and competencies specified below through a desk review or an interview process. Those selected for the next stage of the selection process will be reviewed based on: a cumulative analysis based on a combination of the Technical and Financial Scores.

Payment: The consultant will be remunerated following a time based payment (based on the number of working days to be paid at a consultancy daily fee rate).

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:

A strong knowledge of HIV, human rights and the law;
A working knowledge of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS as well as UNDP’s work on Human Rights, HIV and the Law would be advantageous;
An ability to manage concurrent tasks and competing interests;

Partnership building and team work:

Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills;

Communications and Advocacy:

Excellent writing and editorial skills would be a strong advantage;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced Degree, at least a Master’s Degree in law, public health or human rights

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of national/international professional experience in the practice of human rights, HIV, and the law;
Experience working at country level would be advantageous;
Good understanding of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and its work on human rights and HIV;
Excellent writing, research, analysis and presentation skills as evidenced by a publications record