Background

The Spotlight Initiative is a global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. It was launched in September 2017 by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General and the European Union (EU) High Representative and Vice President (HRVP). It is a visible political and financial investment from the EU in the multilateral relationship with the UN and in gender equality. The Spotlight Initiative in Africa will be implemented in 8 countries (Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe).  The focus for the African initiative is GBV, SRHR and Harmful Practices (HP). Six UN agencies namely, ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women are participating in the Spotlight Initiative.

Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationships: This position is located in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Liberia. Incumbents report administratively to the Deputy Chief who is the supervisor.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities:  Within delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer will be responsible for the following duties:  

• Monitoring, analysis and reportingUsing the human rights based approach, identifies, designs and delivers a range of training and awareness raising activities to build understanding of human rights, empower interlocutors, and improve respect for human rights in practice.
• Based on consultations, and analysis of monitoring information, design appropriate, relevant training and awareness raising projects for a variety of audiences, Conducts, alone or in collaboration with others, training and awareness raising projects and programmes and human rights to targeted groups.
• Working with appropriate partners including the Office of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, Government, and civil society, research, monitoring and analysis of the human rights situation in the geographic area of operation to create baseline data for effective interventions, and evaluative data to ensure that interventions including capacity building are having a positive impact.
• By continually assessing the social, political and legal context, and through extensive contacts with a wide range of interlocutors, identify critical human rights issues and civil society groups in the area of responsibility.
• Develop close and professional working relationship with county duty bearers in order to advocate for better protection of human rights, correct current violations and strengthen compliance with human rights standards to empower state/ county and civil society actors to take responsibility to in ending violence against women and girls.
• Through ongoing monitoring and analysis, assess whether the interventions conducted including capacity building and awareness rising have had a positive impact on respect of human rights in the area of ensuring prevention and accountability for SGBV crimes, abuses and human rights violations.
• Write clear and objective regular and analytical reports with recommendations (daily, weekly, notes to file, project reports) relating to ending violence against women and girls.
• Provide independent status reports on the status of implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan, once finalized, as relevant to the geographic area of responsibilities
• As required, write analytical reports on key issues in the area of operation, and contribute to section public reports and conducts specific tasks on instruction of the Country Representative or Deputy Representative relating to Monrovia- based institutions including Ministries and Independent National Commission on Human Rights
• Produce accurate, timely notes for the file to ensure a proper institutional record of contacts with interlocutors among local Government, civil society, and UN and other international partners.
• Contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of the programme approved Spotlight work plan.
• Produce an individual work plan based on agreed Section priorities which also takes into account priorities in the area of operation. Contribute with other UN colleagues, to the development of a coordinated field office work plan which ensures the use of human rights based approach and gender and human rights mainstreaming.
• Perform other responsibilities as required.

  II. Programming

• Assist in developing operational approaches to mainstream human rights and implement a human rights-based approach to programming;

• Designs and maintains database to track project progress;
• Support knowledge building and the dissemination of lessons learned on human rights and protection.
• Support national authorities in their implementation of Spotlight interventions in line with human rights standards and relevant recommendations from UN Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures and other mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council.               IV.  Capacity and institution building
• Identify target groups in need of capacity development in human rights and the rule of law, including national police and other law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations, among others, to strengthen national capacity in the area of human rights;
• Design training programmes and tools for civil society organizations, national officials and other national stakeholders which should include a component on monitoring and evaluation of the results of these programmes;
• Provide technical and operational support in implementing the Office workshops, outreach programmes, and other related activities;
• Advise and mentor national counterparts at the county level on taking ownership to promote and protect human rights.
• Engage with civil society councils and protection-related taskforces and working groups on human rights; including SGBV.     
• Identify priority human rights and protection areas of intervention for the Office’s activities through consultations with stakeholders, including civil society organizations and communities.
• Undertake any other activities in the Office as designated by the Deputy or the Chief;                                                                          V. Impact of Results                                                                                                                                                                             The Human Rights  Officer under the leadership, guidance and decision-making authority of the Deputy Representative provides inputs in a timely manner to inform results reporting and overseeing implementation schedules, deliverable and budgets as articulated in the programme document under Pillar one.

Competencies

1. Sound knowledge of fundamental human rights principles and international mechanisms system; 
2. Basic knowledge of institutional mandates. related to the position and of UN human rights methodologies;
3. Capacity to monitor human rights-related matters and to propose possible means for their resolution, including assisting in advocacy efforts; 
4. Ability to identify information relevant to human rights, synthesize significant amounts of information and to produce human rights analysis drawing on all available sources of information, including open sources;

Minimum understanding of the relevance of information and data management and its applicability to human rights work

Required Skills and Experience