Human Rights Assistant

The position is located in the Human Rights Service of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Human Rights Assistants will be based in the UNAMA Human Rights Service in Herat, an “E” hardship and non-family duty station, and supervised by the Human Rights Officer/Team Leader.

Responsibilities

Assists in the planning of monitoring, fact-finding, awareness-raising, capacity building, and advocacy – including by suggesting most appropriate interlocutors – contributing to initial assessments, taking part in human rights promotional activities, assisting in the development of monitoring questionnaires and assessment surveys, amongst others. Assists, when required, in monitoring activities – including visits to detention facilities, prisons, hospitals, etc. as required – and thus ready to deploy as required.

• Receives and documents complaints on alleged human rights violations. Assists with the collection and analysis of data based on human rights monitoring, as well as the preparation of data presentations and reports, for information-sharing, responding to queries, knowledge-management, planning and decision-making. Assists in ensuring quality assurance of human rights cases in established databases, and contributes to team information-sharing systems.
• Assists in drafting incident, weekly and monthly reports, and contributes to the preparation of briefings and other communication materials as required. Assists with the visualisation and updating of information material, such as brochures and web pages. Attends a variety of meetings, including with local authorities, civil society, and human rights actors/defenders.
• Assists in the logistical organization of all types of human rights activities. Assists in the mapping of information for human-rights activities including, inter alia, mapping of local authorities, civil society organizations and their representatives, local human rights actors including defenders, as well as sources of human rights information, all of which shall serve for collecting and verifying human rights information, monitoring protection risks, and creating referral services for victims and witnesses of human rights violations. Makes suggestions for referral of cases to specialized services. Supports the development of contacts and networks with local authorities and civil society actors including NGOs.
• Monitors local and national media, including social media, and draws the attention of the Team Leader to information that may be relevant to the work of the human rights component. Supports the development and implementation of human rights awareness-raising and capacity building initiatives. Keeps abreast of UN-developed policies, including those related to human rights work. Provides language services, as required. Performs other related duties, as required.

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required. The first level university degree or higher in Human Rights, Gender, Law, Sharia Law, International Relations, Political Science, Behavioural Science, Anthropology, Journalism, Sociology, Religious Studies. Literature or relevant field is desirable.

Work Experience

• As per approved special measure for UNAMA, a minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, gender, social work, and as legal/paralegal or a field closely related to human rights, is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to 3 years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Experience in raising awareness, and building capacity, for the promotion and protection of human rights, is required. Experience in human rights monitoring, database case management and data analytics is desirable. Experience in developing, implementing and managing projects for communities at risk, or vulnerable populations, is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English, Dari and Pashto is required.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/234685?language=en