International Advocacy Officer – Geneva Office

  • Organization: Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
  • Location: Geneva, Switzerland
  • Position: International Advocacy Officer (IAO)
  • Unit: Arab Regional Advocacy Program (ARAP)
  • Starting Date: As soon as possible
  • Job Type: Full-time
  • Contract: Open-ended
  • Salary: Salaries are determined based on the employee’s position on the wage scale.

Who we are:

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is a unique non-governmental organization that has demonstrated its credibility in the field of human rights since its inception in 1993. It advocates for human rights, democracy, and accountability across the Arab region.

As a regional organization deeply embedded within the human rights movement in the Arab region, CIHRS fosters strong connections with civil society organizations on the ground while effectively engaging with major players in the international community. Through decades of activism, engagement, and monitoring of national, regional and global politics, CIHRS has gradually increased its institutional capacity and its international reach, while reinforcing its distinctive ability to connect local human rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to global security and stability concerns. The organization operates mainly through its offices in Tunis, Brussels, and Geneva. It combines international advocacy, research, capacity building, and human rights dissemination and media campaigns to elevate the voices of local human rights actors and defenders, and in doing so contributes to the protection of public space within the Arab region.

CIHRS’ Arab Regional Advocacy Program (ARAP) is designed to identify, protect and empower Arab human rights actors, with a particular focus on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association. The Program aims to increase these actors’ ability to achieve positive change by enhancing their campaigning tactics and creating synergies between national, regional and international advocacy activities and influence. This is achieved through a partner-based process that involves network creation and joint advocacy initiatives.

Position purpose and description:

As the International Advocacy Officer (IAO) for the ARAP, you will become an advocate on the United Nations and other international advocacy platforms for human rights defenders throughout the Arab region and engage at the UN and other international advocacy targets to further the human rights goals of CIHRS and its partners. This will require you to help build the capacities and assist partner organizations and human rights defenders from throughout the Arab region to effectively influence and attain outcomes from international advocacy targets.

The full-time International Advocacy Officer performs advocacy and outreach duties in the context of the United Nations and other advocacy targets, as well as other tasks, according to the needs of the organization and its partners. As the International Advocacy Officer, you will be working with a small team of co-workers within the Geneva Office of CIHRS, as well as with a larger team of program and CIHRS staff located in multiple countries. Finally, you will also be working with partner organizations and human rights activists from the Arab region and around the world to carry out national, regional and global human rights advocacy campaigns and initiatives.

Duties and responsibilities:

The IAO reports directly to the Director of the Geneva Office, under the overall supervision of the Senior Director for Advocacy. Tasks and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Follow and monitor human rights and institutional developments at the Human Rights Council, OHCHR, Treaty Bodies, and other relevant institutions and mechanisms in Geneva;
  • Pursue advocacy goals of CIHRS and its partners at the United Nations and other international advocacy targets (state capitals, EU, etc.);
  • Produce research and analysis on UN and international human rights policy and developments when required;
  • Provide training, support and assistance to partner organizations in the Arab region in their work and relations with international mechanisms and officials throughout the year;
  • Represent CIHRS in high-level international meetings, strategy sessions, events, trainings etc.;
  • Advocate and inform government delegations to the UN, governmental ministries, officials of intergovernmental bodies, international, regional and local NGOs and international media personnel year-round on important human rights priorities for the Arab region, with a specific focus on priority countries in the Arab region as decided on by CIHRS;
  • Articulate clear and measurable advocacy objectives, and establish coherent strategies, plans and activities to achieve them, in coordination with the ARAP team and other programs at CIHRS;
  • Participate in CIHRS organizational and program meetings to assist in the formulation and creation of organizational and program specific goals, plans and strategies;
  • Perform media outreach, including the regular use of platforms such as Twitter, the production of press releases, the building of working relations with media outlets and individuals at the United Nations and elsewhere, in coordination with the media team;
  • Responsible for aiding in the production, editing, formatting, and submission of CIHRS and partner communications to the various international human rights mechanisms;
  • Coordinate with the administrative team to ensure logistics associated with the Geneva-based advocacy activities;
  • Work with the Director of the Geneva Office to ensure activity reporting and other donor obligations are satisfied.

Qualifications:

The following qualifications are required:

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic;
  • Demonstrated commitment to universal human rights.

In addition, the selection panel will be seeking applicants displaying outstanding or promising combinations of the following qualifications:

  • An advanced university degree in a relevant field (such as International Human Rights Law, Political Science, International Relations, etc.);
  • Previous professional experience in the human rights field;
  • Direct experience with the Arab region;
  • Previous experience working within civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations;
  • Hands-on experience with advocacy or campaigning; especially with advocacy campaigns directed at the United Nations and/or capitals;
  • Strong understanding of United Nations processes and international human rights mechanisms;
  • Excellent analytical skills and a strong understanding of the political and social context in the Arab region and the human rights field;
  • Ability to formulate and carry out successful human rights advocacy campaigns;
  • Strong public speaking and presentation skills;
  • Willingness to take on new and challenging tasks and goals;
  • Ability to work both as part of a team and to be individually motivated and organized;
  • Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Finally, oral and written communication skills in French are an asset.

Commitment to equality:

CIHRS is committed to ensuring equality and non-discrimination on grounds of sex, race, religion or belief in its hiring process. CIHRS is a multicultural environment that celebrates diversity. All employees are expected to promote and act in a manner that ensures a non-discriminatory, open and sensitive approach to others from different backgrounds and cultures.

How to apply:

All applicants must submit:

  • Updated CV or resume (including details of language skills);
  • Cover letter.

Please submit your full application to recruitments@cihrs.org and indicate “Application – International Advocacy Officer” in the subject line of the email.

All applications must be submitted by 15 January 2023.

Two references will be requested at a later stage of the recruitment process.

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