Human Rights Officer (Economist)

About the role

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is seeking a Human Rights Officer with an economics background to support sustainable development initiatives. The incumbent will work in the Sustainable Development Section, reporting to the Section Chief.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct research and analysis on human rights issues linked to poverty, inequality and development financing.
• Review, monitor and evaluate implementation of international human rights instruments, focusing on sustainable development.
• Prepare human‑rights components of reports for the General Assembly, Human Rights Council and other UN bodies.
• Collaborate with UN staff, national officials, development officers and civil‑society partners to plan and review projects.
• Integrate gender‑sensitive human rights perspectives into UN and NGO programmes.
• Provide up‑to‑date substantive information and recommendations on human‑rights and sustainable‑development matters.
• Coordinate with other UN sectors, international organisations and governments on policy and coordination issues.
• Assist country teams in designing and delivering training on human rights and sustainable development.
• Lead team activities, manage staff planning and budget, and supervise junior staff.
• Collect and visualise data to identify trends and support evidence‑based decision‑making.

Required profile

• Strong knowledge of economic policy issues related to economic, social and cultural rights.
• Familiarity with the mandates of human‑rights and development organisations.
• Experience working with UN mechanisms, treaty bodies and the Human Rights Council.
• Ability to coordinate multi‑stakeholder projects and provide policy advice.

Required skills

• Research and policy analysis
• Data collection and visualization
• Report writing for UN bodies
• Project coordination and budgeting