BACKGROUND
This position is in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) in Maputo, Mozambique. The National Human Rights Officer will report to the OHCHR Project Coordinator for Mozambique, with guidance from the OHCHR Regional Representative for Southern Africa and the Human Rights Adviser.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR or UN Human Rights) has been engaging with Mozambique for more than 17 years through its Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA), based in Pretoria. Activities over the years have included provision of technical advice to strengthen country engagement with the human rights mechanisms and building the capacity of the national human rights institution and civil society. Since 2016, UN Human Rights has tried to increase its presence in the country and initially deployed a Senior Human Rights Adviser (SHRA) within the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) for one year which was followed by regular missions from Geneva and ROSA. To help strengthen its presence and support to Mozambique, in 2018, OHCHR launched a multi-year project agreed with Government and partners entitled Supporting Mozambique in Advancing a Human Rights Agenda (2018-2021).
With the advent of Cyclones IDAI and Kenneth in 2019 and increasing insecurity in areas of central and northern Mozambique, OHCHR was called on as well to assist in humanitarian efforts and in work of the protection cluster, including in terms of providing legal advice and supporting assessments, mapping of referral pathways, engagement with justice system and house, land and property considerations. As such an additional scope of work to OHCHR presence in Mozambique was added to be incorporated into work of team moving forward.
Current programmatic focus areas for OHCHR in Mozambique include:
GOAL 1: Strengthen stakeholder engagement with human rights mechanisms and support implementation of recommendations GOAL 2: Strengthen national human rights protection and accountability mechanisms GOAL 3: Enhancing civil society participation and safeguarding civic space GOAL 4: Integrating human rights in development GOAL 5: Human Rights in Prevention and Humanitarian ActionStandard information on key Unit priorities/challenges from drop down centrally managed list of Unit TORs
Key priorities that govern or provide direction for the work of the position to demonstrate link between the Unit priorities and position priorities/expected outcomes of incumbent.Position Purpose
Support national human rights institutions, especially the Ministry of Justice, the National Commission for Human Rights in their protection and monitoring mandate to improve their internal performance vis-à-vis citizens and institutions regarding fundamental human rights contained in the Constitution of the Republic as well as those contained in the regional and international treaties that Mozambique has ratified. Support the Mozambican state in the process of monitoring, reporting, and improving access to justice in case of human rights violations.Key Duties and Accountabilities
Under the supervision of the OHCHR Project Coordinator in Mozambique, the National Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Works closely with government and national institutions, civil society actors and UN entities to promote international human rights standards and implementation of recommendations from human rights mechanisms. Supports the Government of Mozambique in establishing and strengthening a National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up to recommendations of human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, special procedures, and the Universal Periodic Review. Advises on the development and roll-out of national human rights policies or action plans for implementation of recommendations of human rights mechanisms. Develops and facilitates human rights capacity building initiatives, including the training of civil society, government officials and national institutions. Supports work focusing on non-discrimination in Mozambique, as related to gender equality, disability, older persons and youth, including through training and representing OHCHR in relevant fora. Prepares relevant reports and notes focusing on implementation of recommendations of human rights mechanisms in Mozambique and issues related to non-discrimination. Assists in preparing and conducting human rights training programmes for varied audiences on human rights mechanisms, and on non-discrimination issues. Produces and supports dissemination of relevant human rights materials in Portuguese and in local languages.Works closely with government and national institutions, civil society actors and UN entities to promote international human rights standards and implementation of recommendations from human rights mechanisms.
Dedicate 50 percent of the time on the INDHs and 50% percent on the OHCHR.
Support NHRIs in reporting processes to UN and AU treaty bodies. Grant all support and expertise in the activities of the NHRIs that encompass Human Rights mechanisms and non-discrimination.Supports the Government of Mozambique in establishing and strengthening a National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up to recommendations of human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, special procedures, and the Universal Periodic Review.
Design and participate in follow-up activities to the UPR recommendations. Organize and participate in follow-up consultations on recommendations, Support in the preparation of reports.Advises on the development and roll-out of national human rights policies or action plans for implementation of recommendations of human rights mechanisms.
Support the NIHRs in the design of the national follow-up plan of UPR recommendation.Develops and facilitates human rights capacity building initiatives, including the training of civil society, government officials and national institutions.
Supports the design of training packages in human rights Organizes, participates, and supports the training of public and private partners in human rights (internal, regional, and international mechanisms). Intermediates in the process of visits of special rapporteurs and other holders of bodies of national, regional and international human rights institutions.Supports work focusing on non-discrimination in Mozambique, as related to gender equality, disability, older persons and youth, including through training and representing OHCHR in relevant fora.
This vacancy is archived.