UNDP Jobs - 20138- Consultant

Consultant

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

03-Jan-2011

Application Deadline :

25-Nov-10 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

180 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year

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

Protecting and promoting the rights of people affected by HIV and marginalized populations is the cornerstone of effective AIDS, public health and development responses. UNDP supports countries to create an enabling human rights environment, promote gender equality, and address the HIV-related vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls. UNDP also works to respond to HIV among men who have sex with men and transgender populations, and supports legal frameworks including enabling trade and intellectual property legislation for improved access to affordable essential medicines and commodities.

Under the new Division of the Labour of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNDP is the sole convening agency on removing punitive, laws, policies and practices, stigma and discrimination that block effective responses to AIDS. This is also one of the 10 priority areas under the UNIADS Outcome Framework (Joint Action for Results: Outcome Framework 2009-2011). UNDP is also the co-convenor, with UNFPA, on two other areas requiring expertise and action on human rights and law, namely empowering men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender people to protect themselves from HIV infection and to fully access antiretroviral therapy; and meeting the needs of women and girls and stopping sexual and gender-based violence. As the convenor/co-convenor on these areas, UNDP supports countries to implement and strengthen rights-based approaches to HIV, understand the role of and take steps to create enabling legal environments including implementing programmes to reduce stigma and discrimination, increase access to justice and strengthen the capacity of parliamentary, judicial and law enforcement structures, as well as human rights bodies and civil society groups, particularly those representing people living with HIV and other key populations including men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, and people who use drugs. Although UNDP is already working on all of these areas, the new roles will require increased technical assistance from Headquarters to ensure that countries receive the support that they require and that the results articulated in the UNAIDS Business Cases for these priority areas are achieved.

UNDP’s HIV/AIDS Group is recruiting a consultant to provide support to the Cluster on HIV, Health, Governance and Human Rights, particularly in delivering the outcomes and results under the priority area of the UNAIDS Outcome Framework for which UNDP is the sole convening agency. The Consultant will also provide support to the Cluster Leader on legal and human rights-based aspects of the work on empowering men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender people to protect themselves from HIV infection and to fully access antiretroviral therapy.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Assignments:

Under the guidance of the Cluster Leader, provide support to the dissemination and implementation of the operational plan developed for the Business Case for the removal of punitive law, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination, and convene quarterly meetings of the priority area working group – including quarterly monitoring and reporting on progress;
Develop guidance for and provide support to country offices across at least 20 countries on implementing the Operational Plan for the removal of punitive laws, policies, practices, stigma and discrimination;
Develop guidance for the establishment of Multi-Sectoral Country Task Teams on addressing punitive laws, policies and practices blocking effective HIV responses;
Develop guidance on addressing human rights dimensions of HIV and TB;
Develop guidance for implementing Know Your Rights and Laws Campaigns for People Living with HIV and Other Key Populations;
Provide support and guidance to Asia Pacific Regional Support Centre on research into human rights aspects of the Global Fund to Fight /AIDS, TB and Malaria’s investments in key population HIV and TB programming the region;
Develop guidance document and journal article on HIV, human rights and the MDGs;
Support High Level Consultation on increasing focus on human rights in the policies, programmes and processes of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria;
Develop briefing notes and talking points from UNDP study into human rights aspects of programmes funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; and
Provide any other research and writing assistance on increasing access to justice for people living with HIV and other key populations as requested by the Cluster Leader.

Competencies

A clearly demonstrated knowledge of human rights and/or HIV;
An ability to manage concurrent tasks and competing interests;
Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills;
Project management skills; and
Excellent writing skills.

Required Skills and Experience

An advanced degree in international law or human rights;
A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in the area of human rights and HIV or health;
Experience of working in developing countries desirable;
Robust understanding of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS and its work on human rights and HIV;
An understanding of the mandate and role of UNDP at country level;
Fluency in English is required; and
Fluency in another UN language is desirable.