Legal Consultant (Counter Human Trafficking) (Five-month Consultancy Contract)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Closing date: 13 Nov 2009
Location: Timor-Leste - Dili
Background Information:
Human trafficking, the improper acquisition of people for the purposes of their exploitation, affects all regions of the world. As many as 800,000 people are trafficked across borders every year, with many more trafficked within the borders of their own countries. Trafficked persons experience serious violations of their human rights at the hands of their traffickers as those who exploit them, including physical, sexual, and psychological violence.
Timor-Leste is a destination country for trafficking of women and men for the purposes of labour and/or sexual exploitation from neighboring countries, and is also affected by internal rural-to-urban and district-to-district trafficking in Timorese women and children. As the leading international organization combating human trafficking, IOM works to assist the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL), national civil society, and service providers to prevent human trafficking, protect and assist trafficked persons, and investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses.
Project Description:
The project aims to assist the GoTL and concerned stakeholders to develop national capacities to prosecute trafficking offenders and to provide legal protections to victims of trafficking; to improve the quality and quantity of protection and assistance services available to trafficked persons; and to increase institutional capacity and coordination. These objectives will be reached through an expert legal review of the current legal framework, recommendations for improvement, and the initiation of an anti-trafficking legislative drafting process; through the establishment and operation of a shelter and an assistance fund for trafficked persons; and through targeted training of law enforcement and service provider personnel, as well as through support for networking and coordination fora.
General Functions:
The consultant will provide technical legal assistance to enable IOM to support the Government of Timor-Leste in developing a comprehensive anti-trafficking legal framework In line with international standards. In particular, he/she will:
- Review current anti-human trafficking legal framework in Timor-Leste.
- Draft set of recommendations for comprehensive legislation.
- In coordination with the Inter-Agency Trafficking Working Group, establish legal working group inclusive of key government and civil society actors.
- Develop curriculum for legal working group with a focus on international standards and a comparative assessment of national anti-trafficking legislation from other countries, with a focus on
- With support of project staff, undertake planning and logistical preparations for sensitization workshop for legal working group and conduct sensitization workshop.
- Conduct not less than four periodic legal working group drafting and advocacy sessions.
- Together with legal working group, develop outreach activities targeting government, civil society, and community leaders to sensitize them on the need for anti-trafficking legislation.
- In coordination with legal working group, conduct not less than three sensitization sessions.
Deliverables:
- Report assessing current legal framework in Timor-Leste, including recommendations for its improvement in light of international standards for protection of trafficked persons and prosecution of traffickers (+30 days).
- Document containing names and contact details of individuals who will comprise legal working group, supported by letters of appointment provided by each individual’s Ministry or agency (+60 days).
- Agenda and curriculum for sensitization of legal working group members, including materials on international standards in anti-trafficking legislation and a comparative assessment of national anti-trafficking legislation (+75 days).
- Report on sensitization workshop for legal working group, including names and contact details of participants, and outcomes of the workshop (i.e., knowledge assessments, recommendations, programmes of action, etc.). (+90 days)
- Periodic reports detailing results of each legal working group drafting and advocacy session (within 7 days of each session)
- Following the conclusion of legal working group drafting and advocacy sessions, draft anti-trafficking legislation for Timor-Leste (+120 days).
- Document detailing outreach strategy for sensitizing government, civil society, and community leaders on the need for anti-trafficking legislation (+100 days).
- Periodic reports detailing results of sensitization activities (within 7 days of each session).
- Monthly reports detailing consultant’s activities for the period, including details on meetings held and meeting outputs, identification of key cooperants and counterparts, and identification of challenges and successes during the reporting period (+30, +60, +60, +120, and +150 days).
Desirable Qualifications
Education and Experience
a) Advanced university degree in law with demonstrated expertise in international, civil law, and international human rights law;
b) five years progressively responsible experience in providing legal advice to government and civil society stakeholders;
c) previous experience in post-conflict and/or South East Asian countries will be considered an advantage;
d) familiarity with, and previous experience working on, human rights issues;
e) experience working on counter- trafficking issues will be considered an advantage;
f) familiarity with international law and legislation, specifically the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Comptencies
a) Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
b) proven ability to review and draft legislation;
c) ability to work at strategic and policy levels, including in politically sensitive environments;
d) demonstrated ability to identify, approach, and coordinate with stakeholders of diverse backgrounds and levels of expertise;
e) ability to work under time and political pressure and meet deadlines;
f) ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.
Languages:
Excellent command of spoken and written English and Portuguese.
Familiarity with Tetum desirable.
How to apply
To apply please send a covering letter and CV to Poonam Khetwani at pkhetwani@iom.int by 13th November 2009.
Reference Code: RW_7WT6GK-51
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