Thursday, January 24, 2013

2013 SENIOR INDIGENOUS FELLOW POSITION

OHCHR: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND MINORITIES SECTION

TERMS OF REFERENCE

2013 SENIOR INDIGENOUS FELLOW POSITION

1 May – 30 August 2013
Indigenous Peoples and Minority Section – Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva

The Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section (IPMS) of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is seeking an indigenous person to fill the position of “Senior Fellow” for a duration of four months (1 May - 30 August 2013).

The Senior Indigenous Fellowship aims at giving the selected indigenous person an in-depth understanding of the international human rights system and mechanisms, especially those dealing with indigenous issues. Through this experience, the Senior Fellow will gain practical knowledge and working level experience by directly contributing to the programmes and activities of the IPMS. Such exposure will also allow him/her to
develop an extensive contact network with OHCHR staff in general, as well as other UN departments or agencies and human rights NGOs in Geneva.

The Senior Fellow is expected to return to his/her home country with an enhanced set of skills and expertise to contribute towards the promotion and protection of human rights of indigenous peoples at the national, regional or international level.

The Senior Indigenous Fellow will be working in the Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section of OHCHR under the guidance and supervision of the Chief of Section and the Coordinator of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme and will be requested to:

- Contribute to the activities of the Section by undertaking research and analysis, drafting official reports and speeches, participating in the organization and implementation of training activities, workshops or international meetings organized by OHCHR, such as the Indigenous Fellowship Programme and the Expert
Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Perform any other tasks to support the work of the Section, including administrative or logistic tasks.

The candidate must be indigenous. He/she should have:

A university degree preferably in law, political sciences, international relations or any other disciplines related to human rights.
• Minimum of four years of working experience in the field of indigenous peoples’ rights.
• He/she should be fluent in English. Other language skills including Spanish, French or Russian are highly desirable.

The candidate selected will not receive a salary but will be entitled to a monthly stipend that will cover basic living expenses in Geneva, as well as return ticket and basic health insurance. Please note that this is not a regular employment position within OHCHR and it does not lead to employment rights and entitlements beyond the terms of the fellowship.

Interested candidates should submit their applications by fax (+41 22 917 90 08) with a cover letter indicating “Application to the 2013 Senior Indigenous Fellowship Position” or by post at:

Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Although we do not encourage you to send your application by email, scanned
applications can also be received at the following address: fellowship@ohchr.org

The application should include the following documents:

1) A Curriculum Vitae.
2) A letter of motivation (maximum 3 pages), in which the candidate will introduce himself/herself - mentioning the indigenous community he/she belongs to - explain his/her expectations, what he/she hopes to achieve through this fellowship and what he/she expects to do upon return to promote indigenous rights.
3) A letter of recommendation from the organization / entity they are affiliated with.

The deadline to receive applications is: 15 February 2013. Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

Source: OHCHR