Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The incumbent will represent the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and shall report to the Chief of the Americas, Europe and Central Asia Branch (AECAB) in coordination and consultation with the Chief of the Americas Section.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Human Rights Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Leads and coordinates the work of OHCHR-Honduras following its mandate of monitoring, advisory services, technical cooperation, protection and promotion of human rights. • Formulates human rights strategies, including from a gender equality perspective; develops a vision or direction for the work of the Honduras Office and creates the conditions for implementing that vision or direction. • Advises the Government of Honduras on human rights matters, the UN Resident coordinator and the UN Country Team on strategies to build and strengthen national capacities and institutions for the promotion and protections of human rights. • Exercises daily management of the office, including oversight of all logistics, financial and human resources in accordance with relevant UN Rules and Procedures. • Represents the High Commissioner on matters of human rights. • Negotiates directly, builds and maintains relationships with the Honduran authorities, Ambassadors, Heads of UN Agencies and other intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations on human rights issues and implementation of programmes. • Proposes policy directives and plan of action to appropriate United Nations bodies for immediate and long- range solutions to human rights problems in general and specific geographical areas. • Designs, develops and implements significant policy and program changes to address regional or global human rights issues, including their gender dimensions. • Formulates the programme of work, budget and medium-term plan of the unit and participates in the overall formulation and approval of the programme of work, and administrative matters. • Prepares human rights reports on key sectors or key regional developments. • Develops and maintains relations with officials at the highest levels of governments and advises them on human rights issues and policies. • Coordinates and oversees human rights research initiatives. • Manages, coordinates, organizes and supervises other human rights officers. • Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues including approaches and techniques to address and advise on highly sensitive and complex problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender and socio-economic dimensions. Knowledge of institutional mandates of human rights organizations, prevailing policies and procedures. Ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the human rights situation in the region or country of assignment, including the political environment and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights. Ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to human rights problems in specific societies and systems. Ability to relate and advise on human rights issues and perspectives, including their gender equality dimensions, to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes in affected countries and areas. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. 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 format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, social sciences or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification
Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, political affairs, international relations, law or related area is required Out of the ten years, at least two (2) years of field experience in human rights is desirable. At least two years of experience managing a large team (at least 10 people) is desirable. Experience in human rights monitoring and reporting on human rights situations is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English and Spanish, (both oral and written) are required.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Candidate Profile (CP) and cover note. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.