Programme Support Associate: Human Rights

Update

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) is based in Pretoria, South Africa, and covers Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles and South Africa, In addition to the staff in Pretoria, OHCHR has Senior Human Rights Advisors in Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe and a country office in Mozambique. The Regional Office provides technical support and guidance to Resident Coordinators (RCs), UN Country Teams (UNCTs), States, national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders on early warning and prevention, enhancing participation and protecting civic space, strengthening rule of law, accountability and national human rights institutions, advancing equality and non-discrimination, addressing gender-based violence, integrating human rights in sustainable development and supporting States and other stakeholders to engage with and follow up to recommendations of human rights mechanisms. The work of the Regional Office includes identifying, collecting, processing and sharing data, information and analysis of human rights trends in the region, ensuring support to RCs/UNCTs as well as other OHCHR presences in the region.

The assignment also provides exposure to the work of the United Nations Country Team in South Africa. This includes structured mentoring and workplace learning, the UN Volunteer will strengthen competencies in programme support, coordination, partnerships, communication and organizational management while contributing to strengthened collaboration across the UN system.

Under the direct supervision of the designated OHCHR Supervisor, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Support OHCHR engagement in UN coordination mechanisms
● Support OHCHR's role as co-chair of the Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation (PRM) Group by assisting with the planning and coordination of meetings and related activities.
● Support OHCHR's participation in Results Groups with a focus on promoting good governance, accountability and addressing safety deficits.
● Prepare meeting documentation, including but not limited to agendas, briefing materials, presentations, minutes and action tracking.
● Follow up on agreed actions in annual workplans and prepare draft inputs for annual reports.
● Contribute to information-sharing and coordination among UN entities to strengthen collaboration, joint programme development and implementation, partnerships and joint resource mobilisation efforts in support of the Cooperation Framework.

2. Support research, reporting and knowledge management
● Conduct desk research and compile information on human rights, governance, equality, inclusion and related development issues to support programme implementation and evidence-informed decision-making.
● Monitor the human rights situation and support partnership building.
● Assist in the preparation of briefing notes, concept notes, meeting minutes and presentations.

3. Support stakeholder engagement and communications
● Assist in coordinating engagement with government institutions, UN entities, civil society organizations, academia, development partners and other stakeholders.
● Support the organization of workshops, consultations, meetings and partnership events.
● Contribute to the preparation of communication and visibility materials, including updates, presentations and event summaries.

4. Provide general administrative support
● Provide administrative support for programme operations, including meeting logistics, travel arrangements, procurement documentation, records management, filing systems and correspondence.
● Assist with maintaining financial and administrative documentation in accordance with OHCHR policies and procedures.
● Perform other programme support and administrative duties as assigned by the supervisor.