UN Entity: UNODC, Côte d’Ivoire

Assignment Context:

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated to assist Member States in their fight against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism and is a global leader in those areas.

Transnational organized crime manifests in many forms, including as trafficking in drugs, firearms, cultural property and even persons. At the same time, organized crime groups exploit human mobility to smuggle migrants, undermine financial systems through money laundering and use information and communication technology for criminal purposes. Organized crime yields high profits for its culprits and results in high risks for individuals who fall victim to it. From a sustainable development perspective, organized crime has devastating effects, it threatens peace and human security, violates human rights and undermines the economic, social, cultural, political and civil development of societies around the world.
The Organized Crime Convention (UNTOC) represents the principal legally binding instrument focused on preventing and combating transnational organized crime. It is a landmark treaty that is close to attaining universal adherence.
This UNV assignment is located in the Global Programme on Implementing the Organized Crime Convention in the Conference Support Section (CSS), Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch (OCB), Division for Treaty Affairs (DTA) of UNODC. The International UN Volunteer will be based within the Regional Hub against Transnational Organized Crime based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

UNODC’s Global Programme on Implementing the Organized Crime Convention aims to support States in implementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and especially the observations emanating from the Review Mechanism to UNTOC. To this end, the Global Programme pursues two interrelated outcomes. First, it supports States in adopting legislative and other related measures to strengthen UNTOC implementation. Second, it supports States in developing and implementing evidence-based plans and strategies to address transnational organized crime.

Both of these outcomes are implemented through four key modalities: the development and dissemination of knowledge on transnational organized crime issues through the SHERLOC knowledge management portal; capacity-building to implement UNTOC amongst relevant Member State authorities and other stakeholders; the development of tools to support responses to transnational organized crime, including for the purpose of fostering international cooperation in criminal matters; and awareness-raising and education on the consequences of and importance of combating organized crime, including through advocacy.

In 2022, UNODC established in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, a Regional Hub against Transnational Organized Crime in West and Central Africa, funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Under the Regional Hub, the Global Programme has been supporting countries in the region in domesticating and implementing UNTOC, through the regional dissemination of various technical and legislative assistance tools on organized crime with a specific focus on crimes that affect the environment, the development of national strategies against organized crime and the collection of case law and legislation to feed the SHERLOC knowledge management portal.

Task description:
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of both the Head of UNODC’s Office in Côte d’Ivoire and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer of the Global Programme on Implementing the Organized Crime Convention or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer – Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Associate will:

• Support technical assistance activities in efforts to prevent and combat organized crime in West and Central Africa, in particular to support States in the development of national strategies against organized crime;
• Support the dissemination of developed tools to combat crimes that affect the environment at the regional level and legislative assistance activities at the national level in West and Central Africa;
• Liaise with relevant UNODC teams in UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa (ROSEN) to assist with the preparation of workshops and trainings, including on procurement processes and travels;
• Liaise with external counterparts including national authorities, participants, experts, service providers;
• Draft various documents including invitation letters, agendas, list of participants, concept notes, meeting reports;
• Support with the preparation of workshop and training materials, as well as with the post-workshop follow-up;
• Prepare tweets and other advocacy material on the margin of implemented activities;
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.   
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/expected outputs:

• As an active UNODC team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNODC and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment;
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
• Assistance to the organization of at least two working group meetings to support States in West and Central Africa in the development of national strategies against organized crime.
• Contribution to at least one legislative assistance workshop to combat crimes that affect the environment organized in West and Central Africa at the national level.
• Assistance to the organization of at least one regional workshop to disseminate a technical assistance tool developed by UNODC in West and Central Africa.
• At least one in-person event for the UNODC regional Network of Women in Law and Policy against Organized Crime supported; mainstreaming of gender and human rights dimensions ensured in preventing and countering organized crime.
• At least 3 Tweets with visuals and one other advocacy product related to undertaken activities in West and Central Africa developed and published;

Required experience:
3 years of experience in crime prevention and criminal justice, organized crime or closely related issues, is required;
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Word, etc.) and email/internet; and office technology equipment is required;
• Previous work experience and/or knowledge of the West and Central African region is desirable;
• Previous work experience in an international organization is desirable;
• Experience in gender and human rights mainstreaming, preferably in criminal justice, organized crime, or closely related isues is an advantage.

Languages
French, Level: Fluent, Required
English, Level: Working knowledge, Required

Inclusivity statement:
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy.