Consultant – Justice Defenders Program

Background

The ABA Center for Human Rights’ (the Center) Justice Defenders Program is seeking a contracting organization based or with expertise in one of the following countries in Southwest Asia & North Africa (SWANA): Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Iraq. The contracting organization should also have expertise in issues related to one or more of the following: support for Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) such as lawyers under threat, women’s rights defenders, environmental defenders, labor rights defenders, and journalists; judicial independence; freedom of expression and assembly; supporting marginalized and most vulnerable groups; and independence of the legal profession. Particularly, the Center is looking for organizations with experience in mobilizing the legal and human rights defense community to enable and protect at-risk HRDs. The Center, in collaboration with the selected organization, seeks to provide technical legal assistance to HRDs as well as to protect the rights of HRDs. The organization should have experience understanding these issues both under international and domestic law in a SWANA country.

The Center aims to incorporate innovative strategies to engage the legal sector, development agencies, and/or business sector to defend human rights defenders and civil society space, to promote labor rights and improve labor conditions, and to end impunity for rights violators. Proposals must include a methodology that identifies how (1) support will be provided to HRDs at risk in SWANA to end, mitigate, or prevent reprisals against them for exercising their professional duties and (2) advocating for laws, policies, and practices that provide or reinforce effective protections for the independent functioning and safety of HRDs in SWANA in accordance with internationally recognized laws and standards.

This is an approximately five-month consultancy (February 2024 to June 2024) with the possibility of extension subject to funding. The selected organization will select cases, conduct research, and produce a report on various forms of state retaliation against HRDs and civil society actors working in one or more of the above-listed SWANA countries. The organization will also identify potential advocacy routes to engage domestic and international actors.

Responsibilities

• Identifying potential cases to engage with for the Center under the Justice Defenders Program
  • Monitoring human rights situation and keeping the Center informed on any and all developments
  • Identifying potential HRDs cases and preparing short case memorandum summarizing facts, legal issues, and why potential intervention of the Center under Justice Defenders is not redundant
  • Identifying gaps in assistance as provided by others and ensuring there will be access with selected HRDs, local partners and other relevant parties
  • Gathering information and conducting research relevant to the selected cases
  • Implementing administrative processes to sustain connections with relevant parties in identified cases
• Conducting advocacy
  • Identify and execute advocacy strategies for the HRDs’ cases with stakeholders including, but not limited to: UN human rights protection mechanisms, regional human rights bodies, private sector, and governments
  • Organizing advocacy events on the cases, if needed, in collaboration with the Center such as roundtables or strategic litigation workshops/trainings
  • Participating in/organizing meetings with representatives from various local or regional non-profits, inter-governmental and governmental bodies, international organizations, etc. to advocate and push forth the Center’s recommendations on various calls to action
• Monitoring and Observing Trials
  • Monitoring previously approved trials in accordance with international standards
  • Finding and working with appropriate independent/objective monitors and training them if required
  • Submitting notes on the trial in a timely fashion in addition to writing and drafting a final report to be reviewed and approved by the Center
• Research and Produce Reports and/or Papers
  • Prepare, draft, and submit reports to the Center on one or more of the following topics: support for HRDs; freedom of expression and assembly; supporting marginalized and most vulnerable groups; the Rule of Law; and independence of the legal profession
  • Facilitate translations of work into Arabic, which will be covered by the Center upon prior approval
  • In coordination with the Center, prepare a distribution strategy for each report and conduct follow up advocacy for these reports with specific next steps that could include but are not limited to:
    • Advocacy activities targeting specific bodies, e.g. EU bodies, OSCE departments, UN bodies (UN Special Rapporteurs)
    • Distributing the report(s) to engender dialogues with the relevant regional or international bodies and/or organizations working on similar issues/matters
    • Organizing public events presenting the findings in the reports that the Center publishes
    • Working to ensure media coverage/buy-in of the published report(s) via blogs, social media, articles, and other relevant activities

Qualifications

• Based in one of the listed Southwest Asia & North Africa (SWANA) countries: Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Iraq; or possess a strong and demonstrated professional network in the region, including on-the-ground activists dedicated to defending human rights/HRDs
• Demonstrated experience supporting HRDs, freedom of expression and assembly, marginalized and vulnerable groups, the Rule of Law, and/or the independence of the legal profession, particularly in SWANA
• Excellent knowledge of UN, OSCE, and relevant regional human rights standards
• In-depth knowledge of human rights monitoring and reporting methodology and practice
• Experience in designing and implementing projects, tools, or instruments to enhance the protection of HRDs is preferred
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities
• Ability to independently draft a report according to ABA standards
• Ability to communicate in Arabic is preferred