Legal Expert on National Minorities (local consultancy)

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Archived vacancy details

The following information is provided for archival purpose only.

Issued by: OSCE Mission to Serbia
Vacancy number: VSRMC00576
Vacancy type: Experts/Consultants
Field of expertise: Democratization
Number of posts: 1
Duty station: Belgrade
Date of issue: 27 February 2019
Deadline for application: 12 March 2019 - 23:59 Central European Time (CET/CEST)
Date of entry on duty: 25 March 2019

Background

		In 2017, the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), as a conflict prevention institution of the OSCE, issued new recommendations addressing the access to justice for persons belonging to national minorities (https://www.osce.org/hcnm/graz-recommendations). The OSCE Mission to Serbia will examine selected recommendations No. 3 and 4, and map out their current application in the Republic of Serbia. The Mission will initiate an assessment of the current practices regarding the level of enforcement of relevant legal framework and the capacities for use of minority languages, as well as practices in courts related to fair and impartial access to justice for citizens from ethnic minority backgrounds. Furthermore, the assessment will identify deficiencies in the implementation process and provide recommendations for specific cases, in order to remedy the identified shortcomings.

Tasks and Responsibilities

		Under the supervision of the OSCE National Programme Officer on National Minorities, the consultant will be responsible for: Providing legal framework analysis pertaining to issues in regards to the use of minority languages in proceedings; Together with the Social Researcher, developing the structure and content of the research and analysing the obtained data, taking into consideration the following factors: geographical spread of the research (e.g. courts and prosecutor’s offices in municipalities where minority languages are in the official use); type of procedures (civil and criminal); language questions (capacities of courts to conduct proceedings in a minority language); number of cases conducted in the last 10 years in a minority language, at the request of citizens from minority communities; length of proceedings when conducted in Serbian or in a minority language; number of legal practitioners (judges, etc.) having professional command of a minority language; Gathering data about the level of implementation of laws regulating the use of minority languages in courts; Identifying deficiencies in the implementation process and providing recommendations that can improve legislation and practice in order to remedy identified issues; Gathering data from the law faculties in the country on whether special classes covering professional legal terminology in a minority language are included in the curriculum; Drafting a report with the findings and precise recommendations for addressing detected shortcomings, in co-operation with the Social Researcher.

Necessary Qualifications

		Citizenship of or permanent residence in the Republic of Serbia; University degree in law; Minimum 10 years of professional experience in the field of legal issues, of which at least 5 years related to national minorities; Knowledge of legal framework pertaining to national minorities; Effective oral and written communication, presentation and facilitation skills; Proven ability to produce legal assessment and reports; Professional fluency in English and Serbian, both oral and written; Computer literate with practical experience in Microsoft packages; Ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural, national and religious background; Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities. Candidates are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the OSCE Competency Model available at: https://jobs.osce.org/osce-competency-model.

Required competencies

		Core values Commitment: Actively contributes to achieving organizational goals Diversity: Respects others and values their diverse perspectives and contributions Integrity: Acts in a manner consistent with the Organization’s core values and organizational principles Accountability: Takes responsibility for own action and delegated work Core competencies Communication: Actively works to achieve clear and transparent communication with colleagues and with stakeholders of the Organization Collaboration: Works effectively with others on common goals and fosters a positive, trust-based working environment Planning: Works towards the achievement of goals in a structured and measured manner Analysis and decision-making: Analyses available information, draws well-founded conclusions and takes appropriate decisions Initiative-taking: Proposes and initiates new ideas, activities and projects Flexibility: Responds positively and effectively to changing circumstances Managerial competencies (for positions with managerial responsibilities) Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, builds trust and creates an enabling environment Strategic thinking: Identifies goals that advance the organizational agenda and develops plans for achieving them Managing performance: Helps to maximize team performance by providing active feedback and skill development opportunities

Remuneration Package

		The expert will be employed on a Special Service Agreement covering a total period of 30 work days, starting approx. from 25 March 2019, and will be paid an amount not exceeding 100 EUR per day worked, commensurate to individual qualifications and experience. In addition, travel and accommodation expenses related to this consultancy will be reimbursed by the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

How To Apply

		Please apply online through this website (https://jobs.osce.org) no later than 12 March 2019. Only applications received through this website will be considered; applications received by email, post etc. will not be accepted. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Candidates who have not been contacted by 22 March 2019 should consider there will be no follow up to their application. The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, cancel the recruitment, or offer a consultancy at a different level or with modified terms of reference or for a different duration.