UN Office on Drugs and Crime Job Vacancy for National Project Officer (Terrorism Prevention)Cairo, Egypt

In response to its enhanced mandates in the area of technical assistance related to international cooperation against terrorism, UNODC continues to deliver counter-terrorism technical assistance to requesting States. The assistance supports States in strengthening criminal justice system capacity to implement the international counter-terrorism conventions and protocols in compliance with the rule of law including incorporating them into national legislation and achieving global ratification of all these instruments. The international legal regime currently consists of sixteen international conventions and protocols as well as several Security Council resolutions.

The technical assistance activities are undertaken under the broad framework of a global project on “strengthening the legal regime against terrorism. The project contains the following key elements: (a) facilitation and / or provision of legislative assistance; (b) facilitation and / or provision of capacity-building assistance; (c) specialized training of criminal justice officials in counter-terrorism legal issues; (d) identification and dissemination of best practices; and (d) elaboration of specialized technical guides and publications.”

During the initial phase of the project, assistance delivery was mainly focused on ratification and legislative incorporation. Progressively, the project extended assistance to capacity development of criminal justice systems to apply the international legal instruments against terrorism in conformity with rule of law. A steady high level of activity with numerous direct technical assistance to countries as well as national and regional/sub-regional workshops characterize the project. Specialized training courses for the criminal justice officials for enhanced and focused learning have proven to be one of the successful assistance activities which regularly receive positive feedback.

The incumbent will perform his/her functions through the overall supervision of UNODC Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa, the direct supervision of the Regional Adviser (Terrorism Prevention) and the overall substantive guidance of the Chief of the Implementation Support Section III of the UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch.

The incumbent will work within the framework of and will be supported by the Programme Coordination and Analysis Unit (PACU) at ROMENA.

[1] Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft (1963); Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (1970); Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (1971); Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, Including Diplomatic Agents (1973); International Convention against the Taking of Hostages (1979); Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1979); Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation (1988), Supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation; Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (1988); Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (1988); Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Identification (1991); International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (1997); International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999); International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005); Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (2005); Protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation; Protocol of 2005 to the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (1988).

III. Purpose of the assignment

1. Summary of the key functions:

The incumbent is to provide specific national and sub-regional level legal expertise in assisting the Branch undertake its technical assistance activities. The incumbent will carry-out the following activities:

· Contribute to the implementation of UNODC technical assistance activities in Egypt and other MENA countries, as required, in the area of terrorism prevention, by planning, preparing and participating in, technical assistance activities, undertaking follow-up activities and other assigned tasks, etc.; and

· Provide substantive input as requested by UNODC for liaison with, and for relevant meetings and initiatives of regional organizations and intergovernmental processes.

2. Specific tasks to be performed by the National Project Officer (Terrorism Prevention):

· Support TPB and ROMENA in maintaining liaison with, and mobilizing, the relevant authorities of Egypt and the MENA countries, as well as with the relevant representatives of the international community in Egypt and the MENA countries;

· Contribute to the planning, implementation, management and delivery of technical assistance activities at the national and regional level, in accordance with overall strategy and priorities, including in concert with national counterparts as needed;

· Ensure quality and relevance of substantive, technical and programming input for the formulation, implementation and assessment of technical assistance activities.

· Analyze national legislation, compare their provisions with international norms, and draft proposals for relevant national authorities to develop new legislation or amend existing ones.

· Enhance understanding and promote the implementation of the universal legal regime on counter-terrorism, notably by supporting the legislative process of amending counter-terrorism and related law in Egypt and the MENA countries, as needed, through providing legal advice to relevant government officials;

· Provide administrative, financial and substantive support to national and (sub-) regional workshops in order to improve terrorism-prevention capacity in Egypt and other MENA countries.

· Provide country-specific and sub-regional inputs to Headquarters in Vienna, as required;

· Establish and regularly maintain close contact with the local representation of donor countries with a view to keeping them informed of UNODC terrorism prevention activities and mobilizing locally available resources;

· Contribute to a visible and identifiable sustained UNODC/TPB and ROMENA counter-terrorism expertise in the country and the region, including representing UNODC/TPB and ROMENA at terrorism prevention related events, as needed;

· Provide input to the consultations for the Integrated Country Programme and liaise with national counterparts to contribute to the development and implementation of the Programme.

· Maintain and, if necessary, establish working relations and cooperation with relevant sub-regional organizations to maximize impact and promote coordination; and

· Translate relevant documents from English into Arabic and/or French, and from Arabic into English as necessary.

· Perform any other related tasks.

IV. Impact of results

  1. At the end of the contract/project, the incumbent would have:

(i) contributed to technical assistance delivery to Egypt and other MENA countries, including contributions to the organization and implementation of workshops for national criminal justice officials, as well as other relevant countries; (ii) provided substantive input for meetings and initiatives of, regional organizations and intergovernmental processes; (iii) provided substantive and administrative input to UNODC/TPB for the elaboration of technical assistance tools and specialized publications on counter-terrorism; (iv) provided substantive input to the consultations for the Integrated Country Programme and liaised with national counterparts to contribute to the development and implementation of the Programme, as required.

  1. The NPO will work from the ROMENA office in Cairo, Egypt and will be provided with office facilities. As required, UNODC will grant the NPO with access to the relevant substantive files and material. The NPO will undertake travel as requested and authorized by UNODC/TPB and ROMENA. Travel costs and related DSA are to be provided separately for each travel, as determined by UNODC/TPB and ROMENA, in accordance with relevant UN Regulations and Rules.
  2. The NPO will periodically submit implementation reports, as determined by UNODC/TPB and ROMENA, with respect to the services delivered and relevant products/inputs. The report will be provided in typed format in Word.
  3. Indicators to evaluate the NPO’s performance are as follows: (i) the quality, appropriateness, value and timeliness of contributions provided to UNDOC/TPB and ROMENA for increasing its collaboration with the Egyptian authorities and the international community in, and relevant to, Egypt and the MENA countries; (ii) the quality, appropriateness, value and timeliness of substantive expertise, advice and input provided with regard to its technical assistance activities; and (iii) the quality, appropriateness, value and timeliness of specialized expertise, advice and input for technical assistance tools.

V. Competencies and Critical Success Factors

Professionalism: Good knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to crime and terrorism prevention, especially criminal law and international law as well as international relations. Good knowledge of the mandates, priorities and operational modalities of UNODC’s counter-terrorism efforts. Good analytical and problem solving skills, including ability to identify and contribute to the solution of problems/issues; sound judgment and political sensibility.

Communication: Effective communication (spoken, written and presentational) skills. Ability to prepare, consolidate inputs and finalize programmatic reports, project documents and other relevant materials.

Teamwork: Good inter-personal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnership and working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender.

Planning, organizing and managing performance: Ability to plan own work, manage conflicting priorities and to use time efficiently. Ability to organize and implement activities and outputs. Ability to maintain focus and pay attention to necessary details.

VI. Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

· Masters in criminal or international law is required. Specialization in international aspects of crime and justice or international terrorism highly desirable.

Experience:

· At least five years of progressively responsible and directly relevant professional level experience in the criminal justice aspects of terrorism prevention or in crime prevention, criminal justice, rule of law or closely related fields, particularly in legislative, judiciary or prosecutorial matters. Work experience in policy and programme development, programme planning, reporting, implementation monitoring, coordination and management is an asset. Work experience both at the national and international levels highly desired.

Language Requirements:

· Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Fluency in French, highly desirable. Excellent drafting skills are required.

Other desirable Skills:

· Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages; experience in handling web-based management systems.

· Work experience with the Umoja management system is desirable.

How to apply:

Interested candidates should submit their duly filled P.11 form and a cover letter explaining why they think they are the best candidate for the position to by close of business Saturday, 12 August 2017, writing in the subject line the title of the position.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted