Associate Human Rights Officer (JPO, P2)

The mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is to ensure the universal enjoyment of all human rights by giving practical effect to the will and resolve of the world community as expressed by the United Nations.

The Special Procedures Branch within OHCHR coordinates thematic, policy and legal expertise, research and analysis, as well as administrative and logistical assistance to individual thematic Special Procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council (Special Rapporteurs, Special Representatives, Independent experts and working groups). It also facilitates coordination among mandate holders and the collaboration of special procedures with the Human Rights Council, other human rights mechanisms, NGOs and other stakeholders.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders was first established by the Human Rights Commission in 2000. 

The Special Rapporteur is mandated to:

• Promote the effective implementation of the UN Declaration on human rights defenders in cooperation and constructive dialogue with governments and other actors;
• Study trends, developments and challenges on the right to promote and protect human rights;
• Recommend effective strategies to better protect human rights defenders and follow up on these recommendations;
• Seek, receive, examine and respond to information on the situation of human rights defenders;
• Integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of the mandate, with particular focus on women human rights defenders;
• Coordinate with other relevant UN entities, both at headquarters and at the country level, in particular with other special procedures;
• Report annually to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

As Associate Human Rights Officer you support the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in Geneva by the following:

• servicing primarily the thematic special procedures mandate on human rights defenders of the Human Rights Council;
• participating in the collection, sorting and analysis of information relative to human rights, in particular on the situation of human rights defenders, including from a legal point of view, falling within the mandate;
• participating in the drafting of reports and other documents, notably correspondence with Governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations or individuals, in relation to the mandate;
• participating in the preparation and when relevant undertaking of field visits;
• participating in regional and international meetings with the Special Rapporteur when relevant;
• participating in other tasks as required by her/his supervisors in order to meet the workload of the Unit and the working requirements carried out by the Branch.

Part of the Swiss JPO Programme, this position is sponsored by the Peace and Human Right Division PHRD of the FDFA.

Please find the full job description here: