Human Rights Officer – Syria Office, Damascus

About the role

The Human Rights Officer is based in the Syria Office of the OHCHR in Damascus and reports to the Representative of OHCHR Syria Country Office or designee. The post covers monitoring, evidence collection, reporting, policy advice and capacity building on human rights and international humanitarian law.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor the implementation of human rights and international humanitarian law, follow up recommendations from human rights mechanisms, observe trials, analyse laws and policies and support transitional justice institutions.
• Collect, document and analyse evidence-based information on civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights, including the right to development, and make data discoverable, interoperable and shared.
• Draft, review and disseminate human rights reports, briefings and communications, and prepare analytical papers on strategies, policies, programmes, crisis management and lessons learned.
• Advise national counterparts on constitutional, legislative and security-sector reform inputs that meet international human rights norms, and mainstream human rights standards in UN transitional justice work.
• Support strengthening of national and regional human rights frameworks, including complaints mechanisms, victim and witness support and engagement with human rights mechanisms.
• Design and deliver human rights capacity-building programmes and training for State institutions, security forces, NHRIs, civil society and UN staff and partners.
• Implement, monitor and report on the joint human rights strategy for the country and contribute to other protection strategies.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in human rights, law, political science, international relations, social sciences, economics, public policy, sustainable development, humanitarian affairs or a related field; a first-level degree plus two years of qualifying experience may be accepted.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in human rights law or a related legal field.
• Knowledge of international human rights law, norms and standards, and ability to conduct legal analysis.
• English and Arabic at UN Level II reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Required skills

• Policy development in an international or multilateral setting.
• Designing, delivering and evaluating capacity-building and training programmes.
• Communicating complex and technical matters to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of international criminal law and its application is desirable.