UNDP Jobs - 50846- Expert on Forensic Science (on Prosecution of Tort

Expert on Forensic Science (on Prosecution of Torture Cases and other Abuses of Human Rights)

Location :

Manama, BAHRAIN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

29-Oct-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

4-weeks

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Following the events of February 2011, the King of Bahrain issued a decree establishing the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), tasked with investigating and reporting on the events and its related allegations. In November 2011, the BICI submitted its findings and recommendations in a report that has made published at the same time of its submission to the King.
The Government has immediately and fully accepted the BICI report and pledged to realize the recommendations included within the report.

The report has mainly focused on the capacity and structure of the State institutions to address and prosecute the human rights allegations following the national and international standards, including:

Transferred jurisdiction of all investigations into death, torture, abuse and mistreatment from the Ministry of Interior to the Public Prosecution;
Established a new Special Investigative Unit (from now on, SIU) to hold people responsible, with a senior Public Prosecutor, independent criminal investigators and newly established senior independent investigation counsellors;
Created a special investigatory unit at Ministry of Interior to determine the accountability of Government personnel who committed unlawful and negligent acts.

Thus, the Government and following the recommendations of the BICI report has transferred the jurisdiction of investigating and trying the human rights allegations from the MOI to the Public Prosecution office and has established a Special Investigation Unit with in the Public Prosecution office to look into cases of major human rights allegations.
As part of the Government’s efforts to address these challenges, it has approached a number of UN agencies to support with the implementation of the BICI recommendations. In particular, the Government has approached UNDP as the primary resident agency with relevant comparative advantage to provide relevant capacity-building technical assistance.

Following the Government’s request for UNDP support, an expert was deployed by UNDP to support the capacity building of the newly established Special Investigation Unit. The UNDP consultant organized workshops for 25 Public Officers including all the members of the SIU, and some Judges from the Ministry of Justice. These workshops consisted of fundamental concepts of International Criminal Law, the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. Moreover, discussions at the workshops covered the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Additional trainings were organized covering analysis of the Istanbul Protocol for the application of the 1984 UN Convention Against Torture and the guaranties of the due process using the international standards of the fair trial. Upon the success of these workshops demonstrated by the positive feedback from the Public Prosecution office, UNDP expert was deployed for a second time for capacity building purposes and also to engage in technical consultations with the Government on broader capacity building strategy aiming to develop the capacity of the Public Prosecution office.

The capacity building trainings and consultations with the Expert were regarded as preliminary steps undertaken to build the capacity of the Special Investigation Unit in specific. Following the consultations with the Expert, the Government has expressed the need for a continued collaboration with UNDP in order to undertake technical support and other capacity building activities in an integrated manner.
Among these other activities, UNDP is seeking a Specialist in Forensic Sciences (specially oriented on Prosecution of Torture Cases and other abuses of Human Rights) .During the one-year implementation of the project expert to ensure effective implementation of the project and support in enhancing the technical and institutional capacities of the SIU at the Public Prosecution Office.
The current UNDP project was formulated with the aim to enhance capacity of the Special Investigation Unit to perform its role and assume its responsibilities in an efficient manner and according to international standards. The technical trainings and development of knowledge product tools are to increase the capacity of the staff of the Special Investigation Unit and in order to ensure better quality service delivery based on international standards.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Resident Representative and the supervision of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative and the Senior Project Advisor, the Expert in Forensic Science is expected to evaluate in the first visit the existing forensic capacities of the Public Prosecution, specially regarding physical and psychical exams of alleged victims of torture and other mistreatments under custody, as well as the autopsies of persons dead allegedly as consequence of abusive use of force by authorities, and the processing of any other relevant tests or exams, laboratory blood or other samples analysis, assessing about the conformity of the practice carried on by the forensic services of the Kingdom of Bahrain with the guidelines of Istanbul Protocol and other relevant international standards and best practices, and assessing and recommending in a Report subsequent to the visit the improvements in forensic procedures and tools that may be needed. In the second visit, the Expert must supervise the implementation of the recommendations of the assessment, and present another Report with a final evaluation of the changes introduced in the procedures, as well as proposing or advising any additional improvements that may be needed.

For this purposes, the Expert in Forensic Science will:

Hold discussions with senior staff of Public Prosecution’s Office on strengthens and weaknesses of the Forensic Services of the Institution;
Visit the Forensic Services of the Public Prosecution, including the different laboratories and facilities;
Meet and interview the Director General and the Specialist Physicians and Psychiatrist who assist the PP and make the reports subsequently submitted to the Courts in the cases of the SIU;
Visit the hospitals or other facilities of the Ministry of Health where autopsies are conducted in cases assigned to the SIU of the PP of deaths allegedly caused by excessive use of force against demonstrators or mistreatment of detainees;
Interview the physicians or other specialists in charge of the autopsies, reviewing their procedures and practices, and eventually other authorities or responsible of the facilities depending of the Ministry of Health relevant to the purposes of the expertise.

The purpose of the discussions, meetings, visits and interviews will be to identify improvements that may be recommended to the purpose of increasing confidence in the transparency, functioning and effectiveness of the Public Prosecution and its Forensic Services. The Expert on Forensic Sciences would focus on technical assistance such as methodologies, concepts, internal structures and capacities, etc. All the technical assistance will be developed according to successful and best practices, offering to the Bahraini authorities the experience and example of similar cases addressed in other countries, using the international standards according to the relevant UN International Instruments, the Istanbul Protocol and best practices generally accepted.

Review work done by the Prosecutor General Office/Special Unit in regards to investigating and processing torture, deaths and mistreatment cases. Support in house training to the Public Prosecutors and the Forensic Specialists on handling violent death, torture and mistreatment cases. Provide advice on identified gaps in cases and evidence handling and management. Provide advice on global best practices and international norms and standards on forensic analysis and presentation of its results before the Courts as evidence in criminal cases. Develop a long term capacity development plan for the Forensic Services of the Prosecutor General Office.

Deliverables:

An assessment and analytical report on the Forensic Services of the Public Prosecution and the facilities of the Ministry of Health. It should include an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses identified, recommending the improvements in the procedures and services that are being provided, and the measures to be taken for the implementation of the changes needed;
Training to strengthen capacities and technical procedures to meet practices and standards in accordance with the international standards and relevant UN International Instruments, the Istanbul Protocol and best practices. Additional training would also be covered as per the assessment report.

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;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;
Positive, constructive attitude to work.

Functional competencies:

Understanding of the Arab Gulf, or OECD countries;
Ability to act professionally and flexibility to engage with government officials, development partner representatives, private sector
Excellent analytical skills;
Excellent ability to communicate in English both written and spoken, and to work in a team.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in Medicine;
Preferred also degrees in Forensic Science Criminology and Psychiatry.

Experience:

At least 10 years of experience in Forensic Medicine;
International experience in advising Courts, Prosecution Offices and Investigative Bodies, and high level Government officials would be important;
Proven experience in report writing and draftingand communities;
International experience in similar assignments, advising Courts, Prosecution Offices and Investigative Bodies, and high level Government officials would be important;
Experience in providing forensic evidence in prosecution of abuses of human rights, specially extrajudicial executions or other violent deaths, torture and other mistreatment cases would be important;
Knowledge of relevant human rights and international norms and standards, in particular Istanbul Protocol;
Experience working within the Arab Region would be a major asset.

Language:

Fluent written and spoken English. Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Proposal:

Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
Provide a brief methodology, outline and/or design of the work plan;
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects/assignments and at least 3 references.

Financial Proposal:

Lump sum contracts:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) as illustrated under the above Payment Modalities section;
In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of the lump sum amount (including travel, fees, and anticipated per diems).

Evaluation:

The proposals would undergo the cumulative analysis, as per the below given table, with 70% weightage to the technical criteria and 30% to the financial aspect.