Officer, Equality and Rights for All, Uzbekistan

Tashkent

Organization: UNAIDS - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
Location: Tashkent
Grade: Junior level - NO-B, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Women's Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
Closing Date: Closed

UNAIDS is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
UNAIDS' Cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. Visit the UNAIDS Web site at

Vacancy No.: UNAIDS/23/FT53

Title: Officer, Equality and Rights for All, Uzbekistan

Grade: NO-B

Contract type: Fixed-term Appointment

Duration of contract: 2 years

Date: 18 May 2023

Application Deadline: 15 June 2023
(28 day(s) until closing deadline)
Currently accepting applications

Organization unit: AI UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (AI)
Regional Support Team, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Duty station: Tashkent Uzbekistan

About UNAIDS:
Serving Communities and Countries to End Inequalities and AIDS.

We, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, lead the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. By placing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to reduction of inequalities at the heart of our work, we lead the global response to AIDS by: (i) maximizing equitable and equal access to HIV services, (ii) breaking down barriers to achieving HIV outcomes, and (iii) integrating efficient HIV responses into wider health and protection systems.

We are committed to creating an equal, safe and empowering workplace culture where all people in all their diversity thrive. We live our values of Commitment to the AIDS Response, Integrity and Respect for Diversity. You can access the full UNAIDS Competency Framework at www.unaids.org

MANDATE OF THE DEPARTMENT:
The UNAIDS Country Office (UCO) provides leadership and coordinates the expanded UN system response in Uzbekistan towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Using an equity and equality lens as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Uzbekistan Country Office scales up HIV services focused on key populations, and other groups living with or at risk of HIV (i.e. women and girls in all their diversity, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples) and in locations most at risk.
UNAIDS Country Office promotes effective use of strategic information to better understand and track the epidemic and its trends, and to measure progress and sustainable impact of the response in Uzbekistan. It supports efforts to strengthen the capacities of communities and their meaningful engagement in health, social protection, human rights and social justice mechanisms, and gender transformative approaches, and provides intellectual support and technical guidance as necessary to partners, communities, civil society organizations and policymakers.

The Equality and Rights for All (ERA) Practice team delivers on the UNAIDS Secretariat's goals of reducing inequalities. This specifically refers to ensuring that the HIV response is gender-transformative, rights-based and people-focused in a manner that is community-led, people centered, inclusive and progresses societal enablers. The team also delivers on the organizational agenda to remove human rights barriers and intersecting gender inequalities.It does that by developing and sharing policies, guidance, research and tools that support legal, policy and social norm change; by advocating for a greater political commitment; convening communities of practice and leveraging existing and new partnerships to continuously identify and respond to the inequalities driving the HIV epidemic.

Main tasks and Responsibilities of the Position:
The Officer, Equality and Rights for All is responsible for contributing to the practice area objectives in the office and with UNAIDS partners and counterparts, coordinating specialist expertise and contributing to the overall coordination of the UNAIDS response in the functional areas described below. The Officer will contribute to the overall thought leadership of the practice with practical and innovative solutions, especially within the region.

Within the matrix management reporting structure of UCO in Uzbekistan and the Regional Office, and as part of the global Equality and Rights for all Practice, the Officer, Equality and Rights for All focuses on a set of deliverables that are aligned with the UNAIDS equality and rights for all vision, the epidemic trajectory, the social norms and the needs in the country.

He /she has the following key responsibilities:

1) Coordination and technical advice
- Provides support to and coordinates with partners and civil society organizations to ensure that:
a) key considerations and analysis on how advances in gender equality, human rights, community and youth engagement and leadership affect the HIV response;
b) barriers to HIV services are incrementally removed through active promotion and protection of human rights, gender equality, youth empowerment and social justice, particularly for key and vulnerable population groups community priorities are integrated into relevant AIDS response and broader plans, programmes, initiatives and budgets.
- Provides technical support, shares information, guidance tools and resources to partners and civil society organizations. Supports demand creation for the inclusion in national AIDS plans of programmatic interventions addressing the integration of key populations, communities, gender equality, human rights and youth responses as they impact on prevention, treatment, care and support, with emphasis on reduction of discrimination, including in the health sectors, stigma and punitive approaches to HIV, driving social norm change, and achieving scale and efficiency.
- Works towards maximizing the potential of grant opportunities and bilateral aid available to broker aligned, harmonized resources to address priorities for communities, key populations, women and girls in all their diversity, gender, and youth, including for human rights based and gender transformative community systems strengthening.
- Works on the positioning of gender equality at the centre of UNAIDS efforts to implement the global AIDS strategy in the country, emphasizing gender transformative, women / key populations / people living with HIV-led interventions at scale.
- Supports the conduct of the gender transformative assessments and monitor trends and opportunities across regions to advocate, build political commitment and mobilize allies and resources.

2) Partnerships and collaboration
- Builds, fosters and expands strategic alliances with communities, key and vulnerable populations, youth (including AGYW) to support tracking and monitoring government accountability for attainment of HIV strategic objectives as articulated in the Political Declaration and the 2030 Agenda, including resources made available to different stakeholder groups (governmental and non-governmental), including for community led responses.
- Supports and strengthens alliances between PLHIV networks, youth and women led organisations and key populations-related civil society organisations, and social justice movements, including those relating to human rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's rights, access to justice, youth engagement, among others.
- Provides support to cosponsors and other partners to ensure that: key considerations on how advances in gender equality, human rights, community and youth engagement affect the HIV response and community priorities are integrated into relevant AIDS response and broader plans, programmes, budgets, and initiatives.

3) Knowledge management and communication
- Identifies and promotes good practices, including in relation to knowledge development, sharing and management, to benefit the response in the country, in the region or globally, through appropriate representation of UNAIDS positions on gender equality, human rights, community engagement and youth leadership as central to the HIV response. This specifically includes the participation in communities of practices.
- Stays abreast of current issues and tensions and ensures a coordinated communication as regards to pertinent strategic information and analysis to support communities during crises.
- Organizes or participates in communities of practice on gender equality issues for joint coordination, information sharing, quality assurance, capacity building and mutual support.

4) Human rights
- Supports the engagement and/or engages with human rights mechanisms, governmental fora, missions, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and others as appropriate, particularly on decriminalization, stigma, discrimination, sexual and gender-based violence, rights of people living with HIV and key/populations, as well as women, adolescent girls and young women in all their diversity.
- As required, provides substantive technical advice, including on law reforms, human rights violations and tracking and facilitate the establishment of appropriate redress mechanisms and response to human right crisis.

5) Community Engagement
- Regularly meets with national and local networks of people living with HIV, and key population networks, including networks led by women and young people for two-way information sharing, to identify and support network priorities, and to assist in increased understanding and collaboration across PLHIV and KP networks.
- Convenes networks of PLHIV, key populations, and other affected populations with national decision makers and facilitates meaningful engagement of PHLIV, key population, and other affected community networks in decision making mechanisms, always working to ensure strengthened relationships and cooperation to craft national AIDS responses that monitor and respond to barriers to access to health care and other societal enablers and that center the needs and priorities of communities living with and affected by HIV.
- Supports the effective leadership of communities, particularly of networks of people living with HIV and key populations, including women and youth-led PLHIV and key population networks, within strategic planning, policy, community development programmes and service delivery, including through community systems strengthening.

6) Youth engagement and leadership
- Coordinates the country office's youth portfolio by leading, facilitating and promoting efforts to scale up and strengthen the HIV response by and for young people in all their diversity, particularly young key populations and adolescent girls and young women.
- Provides advice to and engages with the government, cosponsors, youth-led organizations and networks on issues related to
a) youth leadership and engagement;
b) capacity building and skills development;
c) investment in youth leadership and partnerships;
d) comprehensive sexuality education;
e) education and social protection policies and programmes for young people;
f) the overall expansion and diversification of youth-led responses.

Performs other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
Essential:
Advanced university degree at Master´s level or equivalent in Public Health, Human Rights, Gender or Women's Studies, International Development, Public Policy or Administration, Business Administration, Law or another field related to the responsibilities. For internal candidates, a first university degree and 4 years of professional experience will be considered as an equivalent.

Competencies:
UNAIDS Values:
1. Commitment to the AIDS response
2. Integrity
3. Respect for diversity

Core Competencies:
1. Working in teams
2. Communicating with impact
3. Applying expertise
4. Delivering results
5. Driving change and innovation
6. Being accountable

Managerial competencies:
- Leading teams
- Building relationships and networks
- Developing and empowering others
- Managing performance and resources
- Vision and strategic thinking
- Exercising sound judgment.

Experience:
Essential:
At least two years of experience in programming, project management and advocacy, including as related to HIV or health, in one or more of the following areas: gender equality, human rights, community engagement, and youth engagement/leadership at the national level.

Desirable:
Experience in programme- / project- / initiative-based collaboration with a variety of national and international public sector organizations and international civil society institutions.

Languages:
Essential:
Proficiency in the English, Russian and Uzbek languages.

Desirable:
Knowledge of additional UN official languages.

Additional Information:
Please note that for this vacancy, only nationals of Uzbekistan are eligible to apply. You are required to reside within reasonable commuting distance of the UNAIDS office located in Tashkent. A valid passport will be requested.
Furthermore, only online applications will be accepted.
Other similar positions at the same level may be filled from this vacancy notice.

Annual salary: (Net of tax)
34317 USD at single rate

Applicants will be required to take a test. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

Applications from people living with HIV are particularly welcome. Applications from women and from nationals of non- and under-represented member states are particularly encouraged.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to the Staff Regulations and Rules of the World Health Organization (WHO) adjusted, as necessary, to take into account the particular operational needs of UNAIDS, and any subsequent amendments.

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

Note: The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer or promotion of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. The medical criterion for recruitment is fitness to work in the particular post. The United Nations HIV/AIDS Personnel Policy clearly stipulates that no staff and/or potential candidates shall be discriminated against on the basis of real or perceived HIV status. HIV infection, in itself, does not constitute lack of fitness to work. There is no obligation to disclose HIV-related personal information.

UNAIDS is committed to providing a work environment that respects the inherent dignity of all persons. UNAIDS has a responsibility to take all appropriate steps to prevent and respond to discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment, including sexual harassment in the workplace or in connection with work. UNAIDS has zero tolerance towards abusive conduct.

Please visit UNAIDS's e-Recruitment website at: to review and apply to positions. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.

All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.

Currently accepting applications