Background

The UNODC Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region (OGCCR) in Abu Dhabi was established in order to support the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the other GCC countries in their efforts in the fields of drug control, crime prevention and combating transnational organized crime. The establishment of OGCCR improves the cooperation and coordination of UNODC operational activities in the Gulf region in order to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the national agencies of the GCC Member States – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE – to prevent and combat cross-border illicit drug trafficking and organized crime. OGCCR serves as the UNODC hub coordinating the ‘Strategic Partnership with the GCC Countries’ and related programme framework, strategies and policies, securing funds and taking responsibility for the implementation of the drug- and crime-related programme portfolio in the Gulf. OGCCR seeks and promotes new opportunities for partnership with the Governments concerned, including resource mobilization and contribution to the overall strategic approach and outputs of the Regional Programme. It also seeks and promotes the enhanced participation of the GCC countries in UNODC global initiatives, programmes and relevant platforms and intergovernmental bodies.

Within the context of its crime-related portfolio, OGCCR works closely with relevant HQ- and field-based substantive teams in order to provide tailored assistance to the GCC countries in their efforts to fulfil their obligations as States Parties to the relevant UN conventions. Technical cooperation between UNODC and the GCC Member States is designed to strike a balance between strengthening both criminal justice responses and preventative capabilities, while continuously advocating compliance with human rights instruments as well as the standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice available to the international community.

One of the core objectives of the ‘Strategic Partnership with the GCC Countries’ is also to facilitate and support GCC Member States’ engagement with multilateral platforms of practice sharing and policy dialogue in UNODC’s areas of mandate, not only to maximize their responses to transnational security threats but also, and importantly, in a spirit of reinforcing South-South cooperation.

As an example, OGCCR is to support the contribution of the United Arab Emirates and the other GCC countries to the knowledge management portal known as SHERLOC (Sharing Electronic Resources and Laws On Crime). UNODC started, in 2010, the development of SHERLOC further to relevant mandates from the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (COP). Ever since, SHERLOC has become a practitioner’s tool for police investigators, prosecutors and judges; a monitoring tool for government policy-makers; an awareness-raising tool for the public and media; as well as an information tool for researchers, legal drafters and all those responding to transnational organized crime about the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto. SHERLOC currently hosts five databases: (1) the Case Law Database, (2) the Database of Legislation, (3) the Bibliographic Database, (4) the Directory of Competent National Authorities, and (5) the Strategies and Treaties Database (currently in the final stage of development). Additionally, it hosts the electronic version of the Legislative Guide whose purpose is to assist States seeking to ratify or implement the UNTOC. With these databases, SHERLOC aims at developing internationally agreed upon legal mechanisms against transnational organized crime, while improving the visibility of successful prosecutions and promoting awareness about the devastating realities of organized crime. The involvement of the United Arab Emirates and other GCC countries in the continuous development of SHERLOC.

Duties and Responsibilities

The purpose of this assignment is two-fold, as described below:

A. In support of the work of UNODC OGCCR for the implementation and expansion of the programme framework related to the ‘Strategic Partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries’, particularly in the areas of transnational organized crime, terrorism prevention, crime prevention and criminal justice, the specific tasks to be performed by the consultant are the following:

1. Assist in the conduct of legal and policy reviews in the GCC countries in areas related to UNODC’s mandate, by contributing to the collection and analysis of pieces of legislation and policy as well as the formulation of recommendations for interventions;
2. Assist in the development of training materials in Arabic and/or English, tailored for criminal justice practitioners (judges and public prosecutors), on the international legal frameworks applicable in relation to transnational organized crime, terrorism, corruption, as well as the international standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice;
3. Conduct research on national crime data observatories, related good practices, challenges and lessons learned; participate in the development of a tailored model of national crime data observatory to be implemented in the GCC countries;
4. Participate in partnership-building meetings and assist in the identification of opportunities for programme expansion in the fields of transnational organized crime, terrorism prevention, crime prevention and criminal justice;
5. Participate in the development of programme concept notes and detailed proposals for potential partners in the fields of transnational organized crime, terrorism prevention, crime prevention and criminal justice;
6. Inventory the UNODC publications, manuals and tools available at OGCCR on topics related to transnational organized crime, terrorism prevention, crime prevention and criminal justice; coordinate with relevant HQ- and field-based teams the shipment of publications, manuals and tools needed for the implementation of programme activities in the GCC region;
7. Assist with the organization of international- and national-level programme activities planned under the ‘Strategic Partnership with the GCC Countries’ such as conferences, meetings and training workshops, including preparation and dissemination of invites, support with logistics and preparation of relevant documentation; service such activities;
8. Provide written inputs to the preparation of various materials such as background information papers, briefing notes, talking points, PowerPoint presentations, meeting minutes, outcome documents, newsletters, etc. related to the implementation of the ‘Strategic Partnership with the GCC Countries’ and particularly in the areas of transnational organized crime, terrorism prevention, crime prevention and criminal justice;
9. Draft web stories and press releases on UNODC’s work in the GCC region in the areas of transnational organized crime, terrorism prevention, crime prevention and criminal justice;
10. Perform other duties as requested.

The consultant will perform the above tasks under the overall supervision of the UNODC Representative for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region and the direct supervision of the OGCCR Programme Management Officer, and in close coordination with the relevant teams.

B. In support of the work of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the consultant will assist in the development and expansion of the SHERLOC knowledge management portal in Arabic. In coordination with UNODC OCB/CSS and the SHERLOC Focal Point, the consultant will research, analyse and upload existing legislation, case law and strategies on organized crime in Arabic language with a focus on Arabic speaking countries in the GCC and MENA regions. The consultant will also upload in SHERLOC legislation and case-law in Arabic, already collected by OCB/CSS from Permanent Missions. In addition, and pursuant to COP resolution 8/4, the consultant will contribute to the process of establishing focal points for each Member State in the GCC and MENA regions. The specific tasks to be performed by the consultant are the following:

1. Perform legal research, analyse and upload onto SHERLOC legislation, case law and strategies in Arabic language related to transnational organized crime in its various forms and manifestations, as reflected under SHERLOC;
2. Review existing material on SHERLOC and ensure quality and relevance of the material uploaded; ensure that the most recent laws of those countries are reflected in SHERLOC;
3. Implement proposals for awareness-raising activities on SHERLOC in Arabic; this includes a SHERLOC newsletter in Arabic;
4. Develop and contribute to the process of having SHERLOC focal points nominated by Member States in the GCC and MENA regions, for the purpose of facilitating communication on SHERLOC related issues;
5. Provide trainings (if needed) to local contributors and/or interns.

The consultant will perform the above tasks under the overall supervision of the UNODC Representative for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region and the direct supervision of the SHERLOC Focal Point/ Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, CSS/OCB, Division for Treaty Affairs.

Competencies

Computer and electronic systems:

• - Computer literacy is necessary;
• - Previous experience working with knowledge management portals such as legal databases, is highly desirable;
• - Previous experience with Website content management systems is an asset.
• Excellent drafting skills;
• Demonstrated research and analytical capabilities;
• Professional experience in the areas of crime prevention and criminal justice and/or with focus on transnational organized crime or closely related issues;
• Ability to problem solving, work independently and meet deadlines;
• Good communication skills at all levels, particularly on the ground;
• Very good knowledge of the region and its legal culture;
• High proficiency, both written and spoken, in Arabic and English;
• Computer literacy.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

- A first-level university degree in law, international law and/or criminal law or related field.

Experience:

- A minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in analysis of legislation/ legal research, preferably in the areas of crime prevention and criminal justice and/or with a focus on transnational organized crime, terrorism or closely related issues;

- Previous work experience in international organizations is desirable.

Language:

- Fluency in Arabic and English (oral, reading and written) is required;

- Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

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

1. Proposal:

(i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work,

(ii) Providing a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable);

2. Financial proposal as per below;

3. P11 form with at least 3 references.