Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (Firearms Control Expert), P-3

Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (Firearms Control Expert), P-3

UNODC – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Vienna, Austria

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Firearms Trafficking Section (FTS), Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch (OCB), Division for Treaty Affairs (DTA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision and technical guidance of the designated Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer and the overall supervision of the Chief of Section.

Responsibilities

Within assigned authority the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (Firearms Control Expert) will provide input and support to the Global Firearms Programme (GFP) and its activities and processes aimed at promoting the ratification and implementation of the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components, and Ammunition (Firearms Protocol) supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (Organized Crime Convention), with a specific focus on the Section´s normative and legislative work. The incumbent will perform the following specific tasks:

• Review, monitor and analyze social, economic and political developments and trends in the assigned areas at the national, regional and/or global levels, on an ongoing basis; Collect and analyse national legislation on firearms and organized crime, keep abreast of legislative and technological developments in this field;
• Contribute to the Section’s participation in intergovernmental and normative processes, by providing administrative and substantive support, preparing technical and programmatic reports, annotated agendas, background documents and other parliamentary documents, briefing materials and outcome-documents, and servicing to the Conference of Parties to the Organized Crime Convention and its Working Group on Firearms, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), General Assembly (GA), Security Council (SC) and other legislative and technical bodies as well as their subsidiary bodies, and support related reporting obligations;
• Promote accession to the Firearms Protocol: Provide substantive inputs on matters related to the ratification and implementation of the Firearms Protocol, provide pre-ratification support and advice; monitor and promote governments’ accession to, implementation of and compliance with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Firearms Protocol, including reviewing national legislation and identifying gaps between national firearms legislations and international norms and standards; Compile background information and documentation on the accession and implementation of UNTOC and the Firearms Protocol and related international treaties and conventions and related resolutions;
• Provide substantive support to the UNTOC Review mechanism: Carry out research and studies on legal matters pertaining to the implementation of the Firearms Protocol; Study and analyse the responses to the self-assessment questionnaires of UNTOC and the Fire-arms Protocol and relevant legislation; closely follow and assist States parties, upon re-quest, in the information gathering process through the self-assessment questionnaires and in the conduct of the review process for UNTOC and the Firearms Protocol, for example, preparing a general report on trends and patterns of the implementation of UNTOC and its Firearms Protocol, to be submitted to each session of the Conference of the Parties based on the responses by the self-assessment questionnaires, training of national focal points, experts and relevant authorities on the implementation of the review process, how to fill out the self-assessment questionnaires, legislative requirements of the process, etc.); reviews primary sources such as national laws and regulations and other documents, and interacts with national focal points and practitioners, in particular from French and Spanish speaking State parties; Organize and prepare written outputs of country review, i.e., lists of observations and summaries to be considered in the framework of the Working Group on Firearms of the Conference;
• Support the legislative assistance work of the section, ensuring consistent and standardized approaches and the required quality control: Review relevant national legislations, as well as other relevant legal documents, instruments or material, identify important issues, similarities and inconsistencies between national firearms legislations and international norms and standards, and provide legal advice on related legal matters; prepare legislative assessment and gap analysis reports and support the delivery of legislative advisory services and legal drafting support to countries; assist in the organization and/or delivery of a variety of other specialized services for governments to support the formulation of national strategies and action plans, relevant laws and regulations and standard operating procedures to ensure full compliance with provisions of the UNTOC and its Firearms Protocol;
• Promote and support, through the GFP “Community of Practitioners”, effective cooperation and sharing of information and good practices among communities of firearms and organized crime officials, providing regular maintenance and running of its online platform and newsletters, updating the webpage, and coordinating and contributing to and participating in webinars, meetings and other practical initiatives. Support the finalization and launch of the UNODC Digest of Illustrative Firearms Cases, and related follow-up actions such as ongoing case collection and analysis and periodic updating of the Digest;
• Contribute and support the collection and analysis of data as well as identification of trends or patterns, and provide draft insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Contribute and provide support to the Section’s reporting obligations, in particular, those related to policy and interagency work, and to the coordination and preparation of a variety of written outputs, such as background papers, correspondence with governments, working papers, reports, technical analysis, briefings, presentations, policy and project proposals and documents, , studies, technical manuals, guides, etc.;
• Participate in the formulation, development, implementation, coordination, backstopping and evaluation of assigned technical cooperation programmes/projects and activities; monitor and analyze programme/project development and implementation; review, prepare and/or ensure timely preparation and submission of relevant documents and reports; identify problems and issues and propose corrective actions; liaise with relevant parties, counter-parts and stakeholders; identify and track follow-up actions;
• Monitor financial resources, budgets, the expenditures and utilization of funds in the as-signed areas of responsibility, including programme/project segments; draft parts of or con-tribute to the preparation of the necessary programme, project and budget documents and reports, such as progress reports, work plans, programme budget, programme performance reports, etc., ensuring compliance with UN financial rules and regulations and reporting requirements;
• Contribute to fund-raising in relation to assigned projects and programmes by preparing materials and supporting the organization of donor meetings and fund-raising missions;
• Support Section’s efforts in conceptualizing and mainstreaming human rights considerations in the context of firearms acting as its focal point and support the mainstreaming of the gender component of the Global Firearms Programme activities;
• Undertake advocacy and outreach activities; participate and assist in the development, organization, coordination and preparation of awareness raising activities, workshops, seminars, training courses and special events; participate in and make presentations on assigned topics/activities. Contribute to the development of relevant legal, technical and training materials, tools and capacity building packages. Explain and clarify UNODC’s work on firearms to governments, civil society organizations, academia, UN agencies, their officials and representatives as well as to the public in general;
• Guide, mentor and support the work of the national programme officer(s), expert(s) and consultant(s), as well as junior staff members, UNVs and interns as requested; liaise, as ap-propriate, with other field offices and relevant units at UNODC headquarters, relevant international and regional actors, national and non-governmental actors in order to facilitate project implementation and create synergies;
• Collect and analyze data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting;
• Perform other work-related duties as may be required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Has knowledge of intergovernmental bodies, policies and practices in international crime prevention, as well as the mandates of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in particular, has substantive knowledge of UNTOC, the Firearms Protocol and related con-ventional arms control instruments and frameworks. Has knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches particularly relevant to firearms control, crime preven-tion and combating transnational organized crime. Has solid understanding of cross-cutting themes related to illicit firearms trafficking and misuse, such as human rights, peace and development, youth and gender inter alia. Has proven knowledge of the areas on the prevention and combat of illicit firearms trafficking and its links to transnational organized crime, terrorism and related forms of crime, disarmament and related fields. Is aware of cross-cutting themes such as human rights, peace and development, and gender inter alia. Has proven legal research and analytical skills. Has a very good understanding of the problems related to firearms trafficking and its links to transnational organized crime and terrorism, inter alia, including new trends and modalities in this field, and of re-lated criminal justice responses. Has a solid knowledge of criminal justice systems and the criminal procedures in different countries and regions. Is aware of new and emerging crime modalities related to firearms trafficking and related criminal justice responses. Has knowledge of various research methodologies and sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Is able to interpret, develop and present results and formulate conclusions, recommendations and opinions clearly and concisely. Is able to evaluate, identify and contribute to the solution of problems/issues. Is able to apply judgment in the context of the assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Has ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management; Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is moti-vated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and for-mat to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed;
• Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates ap-propriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, is required;
• A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience, in the field of crime prevention, criminal justice, prosecution, law enforcement, or legal affairs is required;
• At least three years of experience at the international level, including experience in the servicing of intergovernmental meetings dealing with crime prevention and criminal justice matters, drafting of parliamentary reports and documents, and supporting intergovernmental processes are required;
• Practical experience as a criminal justice practitioner, such as prosecutor, investigator, legal counsel or magistrate is required;
• Experience in conducting legal research and analysis, and in the delivery of legislative assistance and advisory services, including where possible, legal drafting experience in the field of arms control and related criminal justice matters, and support in the ratification or accession to and transposition of international or regional legal arms control instruments into domestic Laws, Criminal and Procedural Codes, Firearms Acts or related pieces of legislation, is required;
• Work experience in conducting field-based assessments of firearms and ammunition control regimes with a focus on preventive firearms control measures as well as criminal justice responses, and in supporting the development of national or regional action plans in this field is desirable;
• Experience in conceptualizing, implementing or contributing to the development and maintenance of digital knowledge management portals is desirable;
• Experience in mainstreaming human rights and gender considerations into intergovernmental and technical assistance work of the United Nations, preferably in the field of organized crime and firearms control, is desirable;
• Experience in supporting the participation of States Parties in the implementation treaty review processes, such as the UNTOC review process or similar peer-to-peer reviews is desirable;
• Experience in project development and implementation is desirable;
• Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language (preferably French or Spanish) is desirable.

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