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 ABA Center for Human Rights (the Center) works to promote and protect human rights worldwide by mobilizing lawyers to help threatened advocates and vulnerable communities; rallying leading experts on vital issues; and holding abusive governments accountable under law.
The ABA CHR Justice Defenders Program is seeking a paid, remote, part-time consultant with expertise in international labor rights norms, and more specifically the International Labor Organization (ILO) supervisory system, to advise on cases of labor rights violations and labor trafficking in the Western Balkans. This is an 8-month consultancy beginning in early November 2021 through June 2022 with a possibility of extension. The Program will also accept applications for pro bono work.
1) Background
The Justice Defenders Program provides pro bono legal assistance to human rights advocates working in difficult environments and vulnerable circumstances. The Justice Defenders Program’s global reach enables it to help human rights defenders in virtually any country. The Program is sensitive to varied political and factual circumstances and its assistance is tailored to realities “on the ground.”
The Justice Defenders Program has recently launched its Labor portfolio, which provides assistance to labor rights defenders and aims to advance labor rights and improve working conditions.
2) Responsibilities
The consultant will report to ABA Justice Defenders Legal Advisor for Labor Rights and Corporate Accountability. In collaboration with local partner organizations, the consultant will:
- Research and provide legal analysis of local laws and practices in target countries (countries of origin and destination) for their consistency with international norms regarding labor rights
- Draft and review reports and submissions to the ILO supervisory system and any other applicable international monitoring mechanisms
- Undertake outreach and advocacy activities targeting relevant regional and international actors
- Perform other tasks as necessary and as agreed upon between the contractor and the ABA
How to apply:
- Please send the following documents in a single PDF to April Artrip at april.artrip@americanbar.org:
- Statement of interest detailing your experience working with the ILO supervisory system (and any other international monitoring mechanisms), as well as any experience working in the Western Balkans, including knowledge of Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian language. Maximum 1 page.
- Resume or CV
- Hourly and/or daily rate
- Application deadline: November 10, 2021. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.