Org. Setting and Reporting

This post is located at the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on the prevention of Genocide at the UN Headquarters in New York. The Political Affairs Officer will report to the Senior Political Affairs Officer.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Gathers, selects, and analyses information on massive and serious violations of human rights/international humanitarian law of ethnic, racial, religious, national origin and related political developments and conduct monitoring of worldwide and country analysis to assist OSAPG in identifying situations of concern.
• Make recommendations for possible action by the United Nations, including the Special Adviser to prevent genocide and related crimes.
• Support policy development and implementation in key areas related to the prevention of genocide and related crimes including implementation of existing OSAPG policies.
• Support the development of the Offices budget and the preparation of relevant regular budget and extrabudgetary proposal and reporting documents as required.
• Support the development and implementation of programmatic activities, including training, capacity building and technical assistance upon request, to Member States and regional organizations in the form of capacity building and technical assistance at national and regional levels.
• Prepares analytical reports on risk of genocide and related crimes to the General Assembly, Security Council, Human Rights Council, or other bodies.
• Support the regional organisations to strengthen their genocide and related crimes prevention and early warning capacity, incluiding by leading in the development of regional Strategy and Action Plan on Genocide and other atrocity crimes prevention , guidance tools, capacity building and learning materials to be integrated in formal and non-formal education and in professional development and trainings programmes.
• Supports and coordinates with UN field presences, particularly UN Country Teams and peacekeeping missions on the implementation of the UN Strategy on Hate Speech as well as the overall prevention of genocide and atrocity crimes activities.
• Drafts notes, background papers, talking points, speeches, and other correspondence for the Special Adviser.
• Provides analysis on hate speech and genocide and related crimes.
• Organize and participate in fact-finding missions as may be required.
• Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations, regional organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters related to the prevention of genocide and related crimes.
• Briefs representatives and provides, as appropriate suggestions and recommendations. Participates in and organizes conferences, seminars and academic fora related to prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes. Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments in world affairs, on genocide and related crimes and their prevention.
• Manage as required extra-budgetary resources.
• Performs other related duties as required. Competencies Professionalism: Ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on human rights and political issues and propose solutions to political problems in specific areas or countries with the aim of advancing atrocity prevention. Ability to relate various issues and perspectives to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes in affected countries and areas. 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 the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 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. Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates 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. Education An advanced university degree (Masters or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job – Specific Qualification Not available. Work Experience A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required Experience working in the United Nations, or another similar international multi-lateral organization is required. Experience in monitoring, analysis and prevention of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity is required. Experience in engaging with regional organizations is required. Experience in supporting budget development, implementation and monitoring is required. Understanding of strategic communication, statistics or data analytics applied to the prevention of genocide and related crimes is required. Experience working with programme or project management is desirable. Experience working in the field is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is 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 Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking English UN Level III UN Level III UN Level III UN Level III Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice
• This position is temporarily available for an initial period of 364 days. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• This temporary job opening may be limited to internal candidates, who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will…