Profession human rights officer

Human rights officers investigate and handle human rights violations, as well as develop plans to reduce violations and to ensure compliance to human rights legislation. They investigate complaints by examining information and interviewing victims and perpetrators, and communicate with organisations involved with human rights activities.

Personality Type

• Social / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Social justice

  The development and principles of human rights and social justice and the way they should be applied on a case by case basis.

• Scientific research methodology

  The theoretical methodology used in scientific research involving doing background research, constructing an hypothesis, testing it, analysing data and concluding the results.

• International human rights law

  The aspect of international law which deals with the promotion and protection of human rights, the related treaties and agreements between nations, the binding legal effects, and the contributions made to the development and implemenation of human rights law.

Skills

• Establish collaborative relations

  Establish a connection between organisations or individuals which may benefit from communicating with one another in order to facilitate an enduring positive collaborative relationship between both parties.

• Support victims of human rights violations

  Support individuals or groups who have been a target of abuse, discrimination, violence or other acts which violate human rights agreements and regulations in order to protect them and provide them with necessary aid.

• Investigate human rights violations

  Investigate cases in which a breach of human rights legislation may have occurred in order to identify the problems and determine an appropriate course of action.

• Promote social awareness

  Promote the understanding of dynamics of social relationships between individuals, groups, and communities. Promote the importance of human rights, and positive social interaction, and the inclusion of social awareness in education.

• Advise on legal decisions

  Advise judges, or other officials in legal decision-making positions, on which decision would be right, compliant with the law and with moral considerations, or most advantageous for the adviser's client, in a specific case.

• Speak different languages

  Master foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.

• Conduct research interview

  Use professional researching and interviewing methods and techniques to gather relevant data, facts or information, to gain new insights and to fully comprehend the message of the interviewee.

• Facilitate official agreement

  Facilitate an official agreement between two disputing parties, ensuring that both parties agree on the resolution which has been decided on, as well as writing the necessary documents and ensuring both parties sign it.

• Promote human rights implementation

  Promote the implementation of programs which stipulate agreements, binding or non-binding, concerning human rights in order to further improve efforts to decrease discrimination, violence, unjust imprisonment or other human rights violations. As well as to increase efforts to improve tolerance and peace, and better treatment of human rights cases.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB