Project Specialist RoLSHR - Office-Based

Background
  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
  UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
 

Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery and other thematic which it anchors for the whole of UNDP (e.g. Human rights).

Within the Crisis Bureau, the Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Team (RoLSHR) team is responsible for practice/policy development in the areas of rule of law, security, and human rights as they relate to crisis prevention and recovery in conflict and disaster settings as well as the implementation of the Global Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace and Fostering Development. The Global Programme is the main operational and financial instrument for UNDP globally to engage in justice, security and human rights in crisis-affected contexts and special development situations. It draws on some of UNDP’s most innovative rule of law programmes in these contexts, to assist UNDP Country Offices in developing multi-year, comprehensive rule of law programmes that respond rapidly and effectively to the needs on the ground. The Global Programme supports rule of law programmes in approximately 40 crisis-affected situations, with a total programming value of over USD 220 million. The RoLSHR team also leads UNDP’s engagement on the rule of law with the UN system through the Global Focal Point for Rule of Law, which was established in 2012 and has been increasingly operational in recent years.

The Justice Action Coalition (JAC) with a Secretariat co-hosted by UNDP and Pathfinders for Peace and Justice, is a multi-stakeholder, high-ambition coalition of countries and organizations championing equal access to justice for all. The guiding ambition of the Justice Action Coalition is to close the global justice gap and the goal is to achieve measurable progress in justice outcomes for people and communities. The coalition calls for bold action to transform justice systems. It urges countries to pivot to people-centred justice. As a co-host of the JAC Secretariat, UNDP is implementing a workstream focusing on supporting strategic and innovative people centred justice initiatives at country level. UNDP is anchoring this workstream based on its comparative advantage and niche of in-country presence and strong rule of law and access to justice programmes in different development settings. This workstream focuses on the management of Catalytic Funds to deliver quality country level programming which is co-designed and implemented with national stakeholders. UNDP provides technical expertise at both policy and programming levels to support quality programming. The Catalytic Fund is being implemented with an initial inception period of two years aimed at demonstrating results and lessons on focused interventions on people centred justice.

Scope of Work 

The Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Team () Project Specialist will be responsible for the overall project management of the Catalytic Fund people centered justice initiatives at country level and provision to expert technical support and advice on people centered justice. The project Specialist will be directing key activities which include support towards country selections for Catalytic Fund investments, coordination with key stakehold