IACHR

Competition for Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), a principal organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), is holding a competition for the position of Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (ESCER). The ESCER Special Rapporteur reports to the IACHR, works in coordination with the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission and works at the IACHR headquarters in Washington D.C.

TITLE:
Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (ESCER) (P5)

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT:
Series B Fixed term contract of 1 year (contract is renewable annually for two years depending on the availability of funds)

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT:
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)

DUTY STATION:
Washington, D.C.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS:
March 15, 2017 at 23:59pm (E.S.T.)

SELECTION DATE FOR THE FINALIST CANDIDATES: 
162nd Period of Sessions (May 22-26, 2017)

OPENING DATE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF MEMBER STATES AND CIVIL SOCIETY OBSERVATIONS:
May 30, 2017

DEADLINE OF THE MEMBER STATES AND CIVIL SOCIETY OBSERVATIONS: 
June 15, 2017

SELECTION DATE: 
163rd Period of Sessions (July 3-7, 2017)

WORK START DATE: 
August 15, 2017

BASIC SALARY:  
$84,721

POST ADJUSTMENT: 
$38,717


Duties and Responsibilities

The Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights shall be responsible for supporting the IACHR in the fulfillment of its mandate in the promotion and protection of economic, social, cultural and environmental rights in the Americas. In particular, the Special Rapporteur shall perform the following functions:

  • Prepare the work plan of the ESCER Special Rapporteurship, in accordance with the strategic plan of the IACHR.
  • Prepare reports about ESCER for the approval of and publication by the IACHR, including thematic reports about the general situation of human rights in Member States and portions of the Commission's annual report.
  • In accordance with the IACHR rules and in coordination with its Executive Secretariat, process petitions and individual cases about ESCER for the decision of the IACHR, as well as represent, by delegation, the Commission in litigation before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in cases related to ESCER.
  • Assist the IACHR in the promotion of international instruments related to ESCER, including the organization of and participation in promotional activities directed to authorities, civil society, social movements, trade unions, professionals, journalists and students about the IACHR's work in this field.
  • Make recommendations to the IACHR about urgent situations that could require the adoption of precautionary measures or the adoption of provisional measures before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, among other mechanisms.
  • Monitor the situation of the ESCER in the region and provide advice and assistance to the Member States of the OAS in the adoption of legal, judicial, administrative measures, among others, that may be needed in order to make economic, social, cultural and environmental rights effective in practice.
  • Advise and assist the other organs of the OAS in subjects related to ESCER in the Americas.
  • Develop necessary measures for the collection and management of cooperation funds and for the development of projects needed to accomplish the assigned mandate.
  • Accomplish other tasks related to the promotion and protection of the ESCER that will be delegated by the IACHR in accordance with the Rapporteurship's mandate.

Minimum Requirements

  •  Citizenship:  Applicants must be nationals of a Member State of the Organization.
  •  Education:  University degree in a relevant social sciences branch, such as law or economics, or in other disciplines related to ESCER, issued by an accredited academic institution. It is preferable to have an advanced degree or other specialized studies in the area of international law or human rights law.
  •  Experience:  At least 15 years of relevant professional experience at the national and international level involving, inter alia, interaction with senior government officials, intergovernmental or nongovernmental organizations. If the candidate has a master's degree, the minimum experience required is 10 years.
  •  Languages:  Proficiency in Spanish and English, and knowledge of French or Portuguese is desirable.

Other Requirements

  • High moral character and independence.
  • Thorough knowledge of and professional experience in the legal instruments, procedures and case-law of the IACHR and the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
  • Recognized competence and professional experience in issues relating to ESCER in the Americas.
  • Capacity to manage personnel and a large professional organization. Demonstrated experience in fundraising, management of resources and project management.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills. Excellent analytical and interpretive skills. Ability to give public presentations to senior government officials, experts and representatives of nongovernmental human rights organizations, and the general public.
  • A minimum of two professional references.

Selection Procedure and Timing

The process by which the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights will be appointed shall follow the procedures detailed in Article 15 of the Rules of Procedure of the IACHR. The application period will run until March 15, 2017. The names and backgrounds of candidates who are selected as finalists for the position will be published on the IACHR website, from May 30 until June 15, 2017, for the information and comments of the Member States and civil society. It is expected that the IACHR will conclude the selection process during its 163rd Period of Sessions (July 3-7, 2017). The new Special Rapporteur will begin work on August 15, 2017. Services will be provided in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., and will require frequent travel.

The person selected to fill the position of Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights will hold a P-5 position (Fixed term contract of 1 year-Series B). 

The application deadline is March 15, 2017 at 23:59PM (E.S.T.).

Documents can be uploaded in the following formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx and .zip. The files to be uploaded should first be saved in the following manner prior to uploading, and should not include any special characters in the name: First name, last name, name of required document. (Example: JohnSmithResume.doc).

The application system requires that the candidate create a user name and password to log in; the user name should not contain symbols, accents, apostrophes or blank spaces, as they are not accepted by the system.

If the system asks for a "Survey ID", please enter the code DESCA2017

Any questions can be directed to: CIDH_DESC@oas.org

Apply here»