ASSOCIATE CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER (TJO)

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Dakar, West Africa Regional Office (WARO), in Senegal. The incumbent is under the functional supervision of the Coordinator of the Child and Youth Rights Unit in Geneva and under the overall supervision of the OHCHR WARO Regional Representative or designee and will work on the implementation of the child and youth project in Senegal. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the National Child and Youth Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Supports/Assists in the implementation of child and youth project activities in the West Africa region, in coordination with the child and youth Unit in Geneva, ensuring synergies with colleagues working on related projects. • Works with young people, student organizations and platforms, and national youth councils (national/regional) on youth rights issues, and actively engages in promoting their human rights work in different areas (political participation, justice, sexual and reproductive rights, human rights education and capacity building, and violence prevention). • Contributes to building the capacity of regional youth platforms and national youth councils through human rights education and training. • Liaises with youth-relevant stakeholders to ensure the integration of a human rights-based approach in the development and/or implementation of youth policies. • Researches and collects information pertaining to human rights matters, including their gender dimensions, from a variety of data sources (e.g. communications, publications, the press) to keep abreast of issues/events and provide up-to-date information; assists in the analysis of information, including the impact on the countries and thematic mandates on the human rights situation in the assigned area. • Drafts a variety of reports and correspondence relating to human rights matters. • Participates in human rights training programmes for national law enforcement officials and other state actors, representatives of the civil society, and human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to improve national capacities to adopt a human rights-based approach to support the protection of child and Youth victims of violation of their rights. • Reviews human rights issues, including their gender dimensions, and participates in discussions with other Human Rights Officers (HROs) on the integration of these issues into political, humanitarian, and economic efforts and programmes. • Raises awareness and provides technical support to national authorities and regional bodies, including relevant ministries and the national assembly, in order to strengthen the protection of children and youth rights, including gender equality policies, through a human rights-based approach. • Assists in promoting efforts for community mobilization and those that focus on the exercise of the rights of the population, including through meetings with local communities, national authorities, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders, and raising awareness to ensure the meaningful, effective, and informed participation of all people, especially youth in decision making process. • Participates with other HROs in discussions with relevant authorities and other influential actors with the aim of stopping or preventing human rights violations or seeks other remedial action by the authorities to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future. • Liaises with government, NGOs, Civil Society organizations, UN agencies, and other partners to create baseline data on the human rights situation, with special attention to child and youth and other vulnerable groups. • Designs and maintains a database to track project progress. • Performs other related duties as required. Competencies• Professionalism: Knowledge of human rights issues and ability to identify related problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender equality and socio-economic dimensions. Knowledge of institutional mandates of human rights organizations, prevailing policies and procedures. Research and analytical skills, including ability to identify and participate in the resolution of human rights issues. Ability to identify sources for data collection, analyze information and draft human rights reports. Knowledge of international, regional and national instruments and mechanisms for promoting and protecting human rights, particularly human rights violations in the context of protection of children victims of violation of their rights. Knowledge of project management, monitoring and evaluation. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • 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. • Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates an appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. EducationAdvanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, social sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, political affairs, international relations, law or related area is required. Experience working on human rights protection in the context of child and youth in West Africa, or similar setting is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, French is required. There are no additional desirable languages specified. 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).