Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
JOB DESCRIPTION
RAF-171-09-P067-01-V (July 2009)
General Information
Title: Associate Expert in OHCHR Field Office in Kampala, Uganda
Duration: 1 year (with possible extension for another year)
Date Required: 2009-2011
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Supervision
Direct supervision by: Mr./Ms (Katherine Liao)
Title of the supervisor: Deputy Head of Office (Kampala)
Content and methodology of the supervision: Regular informal performance evaluation will take place as needed. In addition, the incumbent will be requested to prepare a personal work plan under the United Nations Performance Appraisal System, the purpose of which is to encourage a higher level of involvement and staff participation in the planning, delivery and evaluation of work. The yearly PAS evaluation procedure encompasses a detailed work plan, as well as ongoing evaluation that include mid-year review and year-end review. An important function of the PAS is to promote communication between staff members and supervisors on the goals to be achieved, and the basis on which individual performance will be assessed, encouraging team work in progress. The PAS will reflect the overall goals and objectives of the OHCHR-Uganda strategic workplan.
Duties, responsibilities and output expectations
Under the general supervision of the Head of Office, the incumbent will, inter alia:
- Act as focal point for the liaison, coordination and follow-up of all human rights treaty reporting activities of OHCHR Uganda with the concerned Government authorities, national institutions, non-governmental organizations, UN agencies and programmes in Kampala and in the districts, especially those with a an OHCHR presence;
- Participate, as appropriate, on behalf of OHCHR Uganda, in various meetings, consultations and negotiations with all relevant partners in the country relating to the reporting obligations under the human rights treaty bodies system and to the implementation of treaty bodies’ concluding observations, including the issuance of monthly information on TB and SP new developments to partners;
- Assist in organizing training seminars and workshops for relevant partners, including Government authorities, UN agencies and programmes and NGOs relating to Uganda’s international human rights treaty obligations and follow-up to treaty body recommendations.
- Support of national partners in submission of individual cases and communications to special procedures.
- Assist to Special Procedure visits and their preparation.
- Act as OHCHR Uganda focal point for the mainstreaming of a human rights based approach in activities carried out by government sectors and national non-governmental organizations, with particular focus on the health, and education;
- Act as a focal point for fundamental freedoms, especially freedom of expression, meeting and association.
- Assist OHCHR Uganda thematic focal points by focusing on research, information gathering and dissemination of information, in particular on gender-specific issues and other vulnerable groups, and on related treaty bodies’ findings (concluding observations, general comments, decisions regarding individual cases);
- Ensure the integration of gender perspectives and attention to specific women/girl's rights issues within all human rights activities
- Undertake travels within the country, as required; and,
- Assist the Head of Office in other assignments, as required.
Qualifications and experience
Qualifications:
- Advanced university degree or equivalent preferably in law, political science, international relations or other disciplines related to human rights.
UN competencies:
- Professionalism: good knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues, good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines related to human rights;
- Communication: strong communication (spoken written and presentation) skills, including ability to produce a variety of written reports and documents in a clear concise style;
- Planning and organizing: ability to establish priorities and to plan work assignments, juggle competing demands and work under pressure of frequent and tight deadlines;
- Technological awareness: good computer skills, including proficiency in word processing and other commercial software packages;
- Team work: proven interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity, sound judgement and good team spirit, communication and teamwork; and,
- Commitment to continuous learning.
Work experience:
- At least 2 years of experience in field and/or headquarters locations at national and international levels in the human rights and/or international law field.
Languages:
- Fluency in English, with excellent communication skills and drafting ability.
Other Desirable Skills:
- Practical knowledge of the UN human rights system, in particular of the treaty bodies, and some knowledge of the situation of human rights in the country desirable.
Learning Elements
The JPO/Associate Expert will be expected to, inter alia:
- Deepen her or his knowledge of human rights issues, the relevant human rights mechanisms and the practical implementation and mainstreaming of human rights in the post-conflict situations;
- Learn to design, draft, implement, and evaluate projects with partners in government, other international organizations and with civil society actors;
- Prepare written communications with the governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations.
Background information
OHCHR’s Uganda country office was established in July 2005, initially to protect and empower populations in the conflict-affected areas of northern Uganda. By September 2007, OHCHR had six field offices (Gulu, Pader, Lira, Kitgum, Soroti, Moroto) in addition to its office in Kampala.
OHCHR Uganda responds to three distinct, yet historically interlinked, human rights problems in the country: the southern,western and central districts of Uganda, including the capital Kampala,which have registered considerable socio-economic progress and a growing economy over the last 20 years, but which still lag in the realization of economic and social rights and require the incorporation of human rights in development planning; the effects of the 21-year internal conflict in the north, where peace talks have made progress but the core issues of justice, impunity, security and livelihoods must still be addressed; and the widespread human rights violations that took place during government operations to disarm people in the northeastern Karamoja subregion, a centre of illegal arms trade and one of the most impoverished areas in the country.
OHCHR’s human rights monitoring, investigations and research enabled the Office to raise public awareness of, and advocate for an end to, human rights violations in the forgotten subregion of Karamoja.
OHCHR’s technical support to the Uganda Human Rights Commission and its Civil-Military Cooperation Centres resulted in a significantly strengthened national human rights protection capacity in the conflict-affected north, and allowed for the establishment of district-level human rights protection structures and capacities under the National Policy on Internally Displaced Persons.
During the ongoing peace talks, OHCHR conducted an extensive public survey to amplify the voices of victims on justice, accountability and reconciliation. The Office also provided technical expertise on these issues.
OHCHR’s cooperation with UNICEF has prompted the Government to develop a national action plan against the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. OHCHR also developed partnerships with legal aid organizations and paralegals operating in IDP camps in an effort to build a human rights monitoring and reporting network at the parish level.
Training sessions on implementing treaty body recommendations were offered to various stakeholders. A national Treaty Body Implementation Coordination Committee was established, consisting of representatives from the Government and civil society. OHCHR obtained a commitment from the Government and initiated preparations for the long-overdue State party report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Although the parties (GoU and LRA) to the Juba Peace Agreement have not signed to date the final peace deal, relative peace has returned to Northern Uganda which now faces a different set of Uganda faces a set of human rights challenges as it transitions from conflict to recovery. and related human rights challenges. The impasse of a final peace agreement has, however, heightened concerns that hostilities might resume since the LRA is still operating in the DRC and South Sudan. A joint military offensive, code named “Operation Lightning Thunder”, conducted from December 2008 until March 2009 by the armed forces of Uganda, DRC and South Sudan did not achieve its a aim to force LRA to surrender. The LRA hence remains a destabilizing factor in the region regarding its human rights situation.
In this context, ICC indictments against the most senior LRA leaders, the creation of a War Crimes Division of the High Court in Uganda, the amnesty process, victims’ demands for reparation and truth telling are important to be considered further in OHCHR’s involvement in the country. Given the significant improvement of the security situation in northern Uganda, a large scale movement of internally displaced population from the camps to their villages of origin or to transit sites has occurred. In February 2009 only 20% out of the 1, 7 million IDPs displaced at the start of 2006 remained in camps.
In Karamoja, North Eastern Uganda, the UPDF continues to implement the State’s Security Plan on Karamoja consisting in a forceful disarmament process to bring to a halt the armed cattle raiding that has ravaged this least developed region of the country over the last decades. The related human rights situation continues to be fragile and affects fundamental human rights. Even though responsibility for public security is supposed to be shifted gradually to the Uganda Police Force (UPF), the military character of the operation remains as a matter of serious human rights concern.
In this context, the Office will continue to monitor human rights violations but also intensify its efforts to strengthen national and local capacity to systematically monitor and respond to conflict-related human rights violations as well as those in the Karamoja region. In cooperation with other protection agencies, the Office will continue its human rights training programmes for the army, police, judiciary, lawyers, prison officials and paralegals. OHCHR will also train human rights civil society organizations in lobbying and advocacy.
The Associate Expert ill be based in Kampala. Kampala is the capital of Uganda. It is a family duty station with services available.
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OHCHR UGANDA (2010/11)
Kampala Office
(1 Head of Office L-5,
Deputy/Field Coordinator P-4,
2 HRO L-3 Programme Officers, 1 FSSLO L-3
1 Admin. Officer NOB, 1 Admin. Assistant ICS-5
1 Programme Assistant (ICS-5), 1 NOA, 1 Technology Officer P3, 1 IT Assistant ICS-6,
1 Secretary (ICS-4), 2 Drivers (ICS-2)
Gulu Regional Office (Northern Uganda) Moroto (Karamoja)
(1 HRO, District Officer, P-3, Gulu/Amuru/Pader (1 HRO District Officer, P-3
2 National Officers A (Gulu/Amuru, Pader) 1 National Officer A,
1 Programme Assistant, (ICS-5) 1 Programme Assistant ICS-5,
1 Office Assistant, (ICS-3) 1 Office Assistant ICS-3
2 Drivers (ISC-2) (Gulu/Amuru, Pader), 1 Cleaner ICS-1) 1 Driver (ICS-2)
2 Cleaner/gardener GS 2
Kitgum District (Northern Uganda) Kotido (Karamoja)
(1 HRO, District HR Officer, L-3 1HRO District Officer, P-3
1 National Officer A 1 National Officer A,
1 Programme Assistant ICS 5 1 Programme Assistant ICS-5
1 Driver ICS-2) 1Office Assistant ICS-3
1 Driver (ICS-2)
Lira Regional Office (Lango Teso)
(1 HRO, District HR Officer, P-3
2 NOA (Lango, Teso)
1 Programme Assistant
1 Office Assistant (ICS 3)
2 Drivers (Lango, Teso) ICS-2, 1Cleaner ICS-1)
2 Cleaner/gardener GS2
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