Part-time Consultant for Sub-Saharan Africa

The American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights is the ABA’s focal entity for critical human rights concerns in the United States and around the world. The Center is seeking a paid, remote, part-time consultant to assist with cases of human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk and threats to closing civic space in Sub-Saharan Africa (the region).

The ideal consultant will have significant experience working on human rights cases in the region through both legal and other advocacy channels; navigating United Nations and African Union reporting and advocacy mechanisms and engaging with UN and AU mandates; engaging with local partners in the region in advocacy efforts surrounding human rights, rule of law, and closing civic space; and conducting research and drafting in-depth reports analyzing legal threats against human rights defenders and thematic reports on topics related to closing civic space. The ideal consultant will also have proficiency in Portuguese and/or French.

Responsibilities will include:

• Monitor and update the ABA Center for Human Rights on developments in Sub-Saharan Africa that impact the rights of human rights defenders and the environment in which they operate
• Document cases against HRDs in the region: outreach to and communication with local partners, analysis of relevant information, development of strategies for intervention, execution of these strategies
• Identify systematic issues hindering the operation of HRDs in the region
• Research and legal analysis of identified systematic issues, legislation, and policy
• Draft and review reports, blogs, and issue briefs
• Report weekly to ABA Justice Defenders Staff Attorney to discuss interventions, expected deliverables, and timelines
• Other tasks as necessary and as agreed upon between the contractor and the ABA

Criteria

• Cost (hourly rate)
• Demonstrated capability of working with sensitive and confidential work product
• Expertise, including prior experience working with human rights defenders at risk in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Language skills - Portuguese and/or French
• Stature in the region, including ability to identify local partners for collaboration and trial observation

Proposal must include answer to the following questions

• Please briefly describe your (your organization’s) prior experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa on cases of human rights defenders at risk. Please include here any expertise or experience with African Union and/or United Nations human rights mechanisms.

• 2. How will you (your organization) identify cases of human rights defenders at risk in Sub-Saharan Africa to whom the Justice Defenders program may provide legal or advocacy support?

  1. Please briefly describe any experience working with local or regional human rights organizations on advocacy campaigns focused on human rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.

  2. Please describe your language skills, including any proficiencies in Portuguese or French.

  3. How do(es) you (your organization) handle confidential work product?

  4. Are you a certified Minority, Women or Disadvantaged Business?

How to apply:

Please submit a completed application package to Emma Watson at Emma.watson@americanbar.org by February 18 2021

In a single PDF include the following:

• Completed package
• Quote
• Answer to the questions above.