HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, P3

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located within the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH). Pursuant to Security Council resolution 2793 (2025), UNSOH has been mandated to provide support; primarily to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), the Haitian National Police (HNP), and the Haitian Armed Forces in the context of any joint operations with the GSF. Additionally, UNSOH is tasked with delivering technical assistance to the Organization of American States (OAS). The Human Rights Officer supports coordination in the implementation of the Human Rights Due-Diligence Policy on UN support to non-UN forces, including by contributing risk assessments and conducting relevant human rights monitoring to gather relevant information and advice on follow-up initiatives to implement the HRDDP Policy. He/She supports integration of human rights in UNSOH HRDDP framework through briefings, exchange analysis, and coordinate responses to human rights concerns, including and provide advice to non-United Nations security forces as recipients of United Nations support during the conduct of their operations. He/she advises internal teams on the human rights implications of operational decisions and contributes to identifying courses of action to prevent escalation or address tensions. He/she formulates recommendations and suggests strategies to better promote and protect human rights in the mission area especially ensuring compliance with HRDDP; The Human Rights Officer also establishes external relationships with government officials, civil society organizations, community representatives, parties to conflict, academia, media outlets, and the diplomatic community to coordinate joint activities, gather detailed information on alleged violations, advocate for protective measures, and promote understanding of human rights. He/she organizes and implements capacity-building activities and designs targeted support measures in collaboration with external partners. He/she leads coordination at the working level and serves as a recognized technical resource within the office. The position is located in Port-au-Prince and the incumbent will report to the section chief of designate official.

Responsibilities

Within limits of delegated authority, the Human Rights Officer, P-3 will be responsible for the following duties:

• Conduct substantive monitoring of the implementation of human rights and international humanitarian law and follow up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, the UPR and special procedures, as well as investigative findings, to ensure compliance with human rights and advance accountability.
• Collect, document and analyse evidence-based information on civil, cultural, economic, social and/or political rights, including the right to development, to enable analysis, early warning and response, accountability and informed decision-making, identifying gaps and contribute to ensuring human rights data is discoverable, interoperable and appropriately shared, including from gender and leave no one behind perspectives.
• Conduct human rights monitoring and field verification missions, including assessments and early-warning exercises, in accordance with UN methodology, gender indicators and victim/witness protection standards, and draft comprehensive reports on findings and recommendations.
• Conduct fact-finding or investigative missions to document violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, ensuring adherence to victim and witness protection standards and facilitating cross-component collaboration as necessary.
• Draft, review and disseminate human rights reports, briefings and other communications, with legal analysis as appropriate, and prepare analytical papers to inform strategies, policies, programmes, crisis management, guidance and decision-making processes, with attention to gender integration and leave-no-one-behind perspectives.
• Collect, verify and analyse multi-source information relevant to the human rights thematic and/or country-specific situation, ensuring data quality and methodological compliance, including from a gender perspective and leaving no one behind.
• Undertake analysis and prepare analytical papers, including on lessons learned, to inform human rights strategies, crisis management, prevention and response policies, programmes and other decision-making processes.
• Advise or support national counterparts to draft technical inputs for constitutions, legislation and security-sector reforms that meet international human rights norms and standards.
• Provide human-rights-based technical assistance on administration of justice and security-sector issues, including trial and detention monitoring, transitional justice support and/or vetting of security actors as relevant.
• Provide substantive advisory support to civil society on the integration of human rights into protection, rule of law, the human rights economy, transitional justice and accountability exercising professional judgment under the guidance of senior staff.
• Participate in advising UN partners on the implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations Support to non-United Nations Security Forces (HRDDP).
• Contribute substantively to the development of strategies on protection of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and child protection, translating early warning into coordinated responses.
• Promote transitional justice processes, including truth‑seeking, prosecutions and reparations, through substantive advocacy, analysis and engagement aimed at supporting efforts to address impunity, under the guidance of senior staff.
• Engage in the promotion of Human Rights through advocacy and impactful outreach activities.
• Engage substantively in the Office’s partnership‑building activities, including supporting the identification, development and maintenance of partnerships, under the guidance of senior staff.
• Implement effective communication activities to amplify human rights messaging and outreach contributing substantive content, coordination and outreach under the guidance of senior staff.
• Maintain confidentiality and integrity and handle sensitive information with discretion, ensuring compliance with the UN data privacy, security requirements, and standards.
• Deliver training programmes and workshops using various platforms for different audiences to enhance the capacity of UN staff and partners.
• Prepare and contribute to the review of training materials for practitioners in collaboration and consultation with relevant UN Agencies and other partners.
• Provide guidance to team members to promote professional development and a positive team culture.

Competencies

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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.

Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Education

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

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in the human rights or closely related field, of which at least half in the area of human rights are required

A minimum of two year’s experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) – or similar international organisation or non-governmental organisation – in a conflict setting is required.

A minimum experience of two years of in implementing the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy in peacekeeping operations is required, including support to drafting risk assessment, implementation of mitigation measures and engagement with non-United Nations security forces

A minimum experience of two years in human rights protection work, including through engaging with military and police for the protection of civilians is required.

Experience in building and maintaining partnerships is required

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and French are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This is a position-specific Job Opening, for which the full recruitment and selection process will be undertaken in accordance with the applicable United Nations staff selection procedures. The process will include the review and screening of applications against the established eligibility and evaluation criteria, assessment of qualified candidates, and selection based on the requirements of the position. Any appointment or assignment resulting from this recruitment process, including any subsequent extension or renewal, will be subject to the continued availability of the position and the necessary funding, as well as the relevant budgetary approvals and/or extension of the Mission's mandate, as applicable. Qualified women that meet the requirements of this job opening are particularly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration in accordance with the United Nations efforts to increase women participation in its workforce. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.

The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship.