Country: the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Closing date: 29 Apr 2017
JOB SUMMARY:
ABA ROLI seeks a volunteer for development of template legislation to promote Internet freedom in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. This is a pro bono assignment with 30 days of expected work, including remote work and some field-based work in Macedonia. The tentative timeline for this assignment is May to July 2017.
BACKGROUND:
This proposal for a short term consultancy is intended to address the need for drafting template Internet Freedom legislation, to improve the legal frameworks which protect the human rights online in the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia.
The Internet is a key platform for information sharing, civic mobilization and promoting human rights. Yet, in many Eastern European countries governments are limiting Internet freedom by stifling dissent and restricting citizens’ use of Internet through censorship, legislation and the court system.
CURRENT STATUS:
ABA ROLI’s Internet Freedom Project in E&E was launched in July 2016. In October 2016, ABA ROLI conducted the first of two regional Internet freedom summits with a total of 81 participants, including lawyers, journalists, activists and technical experts. The participants had the opportunity to exchange knowledge among peer participants regarding protections and challenges impacting internet freedom, as well as strategic litigation and advocacy in defence of internet freedom. In order to give an introduction to the legal perspectives of Internet freedom, ABA ROLI engaged an international expert and additional seven regional experts from the countries concerned. One of the main objectives of the First Regional Internet Freedom Summit was to gather these stakeholders and to establish a regional informal network that will assist the seamless sharing of information and the start of the cooperation among the participants of the summit.
Subsequent to the Internet Freedom Summit, and as a first step of cooperation, ABA ROLI awarded small grants to its partner organizations in each of the countries involved in the project. The grantees will begin to implement their projects in March 2017; they are primarily focused on enhancing knowledge and raising public awareness about the importance of the digital rights, and generally expanding the outreach of digital rights activities to a larger audience.
REQUIREMENTS:
ABA ROLI’s program Work Plan includes engaging policy makers and other stakeholders on supporting Internet freedom, through the development and sharing of a) educational materials for lawmakers on Internet freedom principles, and b) template legislation that draws on best practices from the region and around the world.
ABA ROLI seeks a legal expert to work directly with the program’s pool of seven regional experts (or a selection of a few of them) to educate lawmakers who may be open to and interested in working on Internet freedom issues. As a primary task, the expert will develop (at least) eight template Internet freedom legislation acts that incorporate best practices on Internet freedom topics such as censorship, freedom of expression, cybersecurity, intellectual property, data protection, etc. The expert will 1) identify the areas of internet freedom in which it is feasible to develop template legislation, 2) compare current pieces of legislation in the target countries, 3) identify best practices and experiences and 4) draft harmonized template legislation, which local partners will be able to use as examples in advocacy efforts in country and regionally.
ABA ROLI envisions that one piece of template legislation would address one area of Internet freedom-related rights/topics; however, the selected consultant is encouraged to suggest an alternative way of organizing the template legislation.
The consultant will cooperate with the program-identified regional experts and guide them through the process of developing educational materials that will be used in one-on-one advocacy with local lawmakers interested in ensuring compliance with international treaty obligations and constitutional protections. The consultant should furthermore ensure that the educational materials are in line with the template legislation.
The template legislation and the educational materials will serve as a basis for the regional partners to more easily and efficiently advocate for changes of legislation in accordance with the most recent development in the area of Internet freedom, which safeguard human rights online.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Review the current state of affairs regarding Internet freedom in the targeted countries (to be shared with consultant at a later stage), using in part the State of Affairs reports developed within the framework of the program.
Examine all data relevant to the current legislative conditions and state-of-the-art legal trends in protection of Internet freedoms in the countries from the region.
Assist the regional experts/partners of ABA ROLI’s Internet Freedom program to develop educational materials (one-pagers, brochures, pamphlets, etc.). The educational materials should outline the importance of digital rights and the international legal principles on Internet freedom, and highlight positive aspects of Internet freedom ranging from social and political implications to economic considerations.
Develop at least eight examples of template legislation on Internet freedom matters/ human rights online, which can be later on presented to the national legislators and replicated in all/most of the countries.
DELIVERABLES:
Prepare a written report setting forth:
The background and focus of the consultancy;
The methodology used;
The developed educational materials; and
The developed template legislation.
How to apply:
To apply, please visit:https://www.devex.com/jobs/aba-roli-internet-freedom-legal-specialist-volunteer-479313. The preferred application deadline for this position is April 7, 2017.
*Due to the high volume of applications received, we are only able to follow up with candidates who are selected for interviews. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and this position may be filled prior to the close date.*
Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with the American Bar Association please call 312-988-5188.