Location: remote
Consultancy period: 10 March 2023 – 30 June 2023
Deadline for applications: 10 March 2023, 6pm CET (please note that early applications are strongly encouraged, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis)
FIDH is currently recruiting a Consultant to support FIDH’s activities on Afghanistan and international justice. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in human rights in the Afghan context and a good understanding of accountability and justice issues in relation to Afghanistan. The Consultant should have strong legal, analytical and writing skills, and have experience in conducting research and drafting legal analysis and strategies. The Consultant will be expected to work independently, and under minimal supervision. A legal background is preferred, but candidates with a political sciences/international relations background will also be considered, provided they have a solid demonstrated grasp of international human rights law and international justice/accountability mechanisms.
Background
August 15, 2022 marked the one year anniversary of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Since the takeover the Taliban have resumed the cycle of violence and are committing a litany of human rights violations and violations of humanitarian law with full impunity, most of which have gone unreported and undocumented. These violations include: extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detentions and killings, attacks against the media, reprisals against human rights defenders (HRDs), women’s rights activists, women in high- profile roles, journalists, religious minorities, LGBTQI+ people and members and allies of the former government. There is systematic discrimination and violence against women and girls. The Afghan people are also facing devastating humanitarian and economic crises that severely impact their rights, with more than half of the population suffering extreme hunger. The situation in Afghanistan is critical.
In the absence of a strong robust and comprehensive accountability mechanism, it is fundamental to ensure that efforts are kept afloat to seek justice in the medium and long-term. FIDH’s action on Afghanistan is underpinned by an overarching long-term goal: securing accountability for gross human rights violations committed in Afghanistan. In order to maintain pressure on the international community, and to hold the de facto government to account, FIDH continues to play an active role in documenting human rights violations providing analysis of the violations, and using that data and analysis to advocate for a strong response by the international community, including robust accountability mechanisms.
Objective
FIDH and its member organization for Afghanistan, Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA, have a long history of working towards accountability and justice for crimes committed in Afghanistan, including through their advocacy work at the International Criminal Court and in support of stronger UN Human Rights Council actions. Despite some successes in ensuring that an ICC investigation carries on, and the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, the needs remain significant. The aim of this project is to investigate the ways forward with regards to accountability for crimes committed in Afghanistan, and in particular, the role that the Afghan Diaspora – including recently-exiled HRDs and civil society organizations – can play in securing justice and accountability.
Working in direct cooperation with the Asia desk, and in close cooperation with FIDH’s Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders programme and FIDH’s International Justice desk, the Consultant’s primary role will be to draft a policy note that identifies pathways forward for justice and accountability, and an internal strategy paper.
In particular, the Consultant will be in charge of the following tasks and deliverables:
1) Taking detailed notes and summarizing outcomes from 5-10 roundtable discussions organized by FIDH’s member organization Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA with Afghan stakeholders;
2) Organizing a roundtable/workshop on legal qualifications of crimes committed in Afghanistan;
3) Conducting desk research and analysis;
4) Drafting a 10-15 page policy note on pathways to justice for publication by FIDH;
5) Drafting an internal strategy note to guide FIDH’s actions on justice and accountability in Afghanistan; and
6) Assisting Asia desk colleagues in developing related social media and audio-visual outputs.
Experience and skills
Essential:
• Experience in the field of international justice and accountability for human rights violations (preferably for a national, regional and/or international NGO).
• Work experience related to Afghanistan.
• Solid understanding of the nature of human rights violations in Afghanistan.
• In-depth understanding of the human rights, political, social, and economic context in Afghanistan.
• Ability to work independently and under minimal supervision, and show flexibility.
• Ability to manage different tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Excellent English and Dari, written and spoken.
Desirable:
• Knowledge of Pashto
The Consultant will be working remotely, but occasional travel to FIDH offices in Paris or Brussels may be envisaged.
The consultancy is to take place from 10 March 2023 to 30 June 2023.
Applications comprising a resume/CV, cover letter and a technical proposal (indicating the consultant’s proposed workplan and daily rate, including taxes) with at least two references should be sent by email to consultancy@fidh.org with the reference CONSULT-AFG-2023 in the subject line of the email, before 6PM CET on 10 March 2023. Early applications are strongly encouraged as FIDH will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Interviews will be held remotely.
Candidates must have the appropriate legal status for undertaking consultancy work.