Vacancies

CONSULTANT VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT                  

                                                                                                                 Issued on: 12 April 2018

BACKGROUND

The Human Rights Mainstreaming Coordination Team is tasked with ensuring that human rights are considered, i.e. mainstreamed, in all of UN-Habitat’s projects and activities. This means that they provide inputs to colleagues that can be used in their work, review project documents and publications to ensure they take into account a human rights perspective, and conduct trainings and capacity building for colleagues to deepen their knowledge about human rights in cities relevant to the work that they are doing. In this way, the team works with all UN-Habitat’s branches and thematic areas. The consultant would join this team and coordinate efforts.

RESPONSIBILITES:

The Consultant will be located at the housing unit at UN-Habitat’s Housing and Slum Upgrading Branch (HSUB). The main focus of the Housing Unit relates to the Habitat Agenda goal “Adequate Housing for All”, and Focus Area 5: “Housing and Slum Upgrading” of Strategic and Institutional Plan, 2014-2019. The Unit works normatively as well as provides technical advice and operational support to improve access to housing for the world's poor and other groups in vulnerable situations, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition.

Under the direct supervision of Housing Unit Leader, the human rights expert will undertake the following tasks:

• Conduct Housing Rights and Human Rights Brief on all countries of engagements.
• Conduct reviews of concept notes and project document on a weekly basis for the Program Advisory Group meetings from a housing rights and human rights perspective, gender equality perspective and youth perspective.
• Carry out research with a view to drafting Briefing Notes on thematic areas of UN-Habitat engagement such as the Sustainable Development Goals, Housing Affordability and Financial Inclusion, the Universal Periodic Review Process, the Right to Adequate Housing etc.
• Carry out research with a view to publication on the following thematic areas: Homelessness, disabilities, the right to the city and asylum.
• Conduct human rights briefing sessions and follow-up sessions on substantive content areas of human rights as appropriate.
• Coordinate relevant human rights meetings and prepare background materials, notes, and act of follow-up activities, as required.
• Support collaboration with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) under the auspices of the joint UN Housing Rights Programme as well as UN-Habitat strengthened engagement with UN human rights monitoring mechanisms including the Universal Periodic Review.
• Carry out research, compile and support preparation of relevant background and briefing material for policy discussions on specific topics of relevance to human rights and development.
• Assist in the overall management, coordination and implementation of programme components. This includes: development of overall Programme Document and associated work plans/budget, contribute to strategic planning; preparation of progress reports; compiling relevant information; and identifying and synthesizing best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to Programme objectives.
• Assist in planning and preparing training events and training materials on human rights for UN-Habitat staff.
• Assist in partnership building efforts with other UN Agencies, bi-lateral and multilateral organizations, and civil society institutions involved in human rights and development.
• Support and organize events and consultations and prepare relevant background papers.
• As appropriate, contribute to broader Housing and Slum Upgrading Branch and inter-branch initiatives.

COMPETENCIES

• Good written and verbal communication skills and ability to articulate complex ideas in a clear and accurate manner including the ability to present the content of the thematic area in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to prioritise activities within a team to support a range of activities. This includes ability to use time efficiently in the context of competing deadlines.
• Good organisational skills to liaise with stakeholders of different capacities towards a common goal

EDUCATION

University degree in the following fields Law (with specific specialization on international Human Rights Law), Gender and Development, International relations, political science or similar.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Two years relevant working experience in the field of Human Rights, working experience in a developing country and working experience with the UN are assets

Proven research skills; the ability to draft a wide selection of written communication and to articulate ideas in a clear and concise manner

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Strong oral, written and editing skills in English. Knowledge of other UN Languages would be an asset

REMUNERATION

Remuneration will be defined per experience of the candidate