Administrative and Finance Assistant

Mission and objectives Created by General Assembly resolution 53/78 of 5 December 1998 and 54/55 of 1 December 1999, the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa is the Regional Office for Central Africa (CARO) of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Centre covers 10 countries of the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS) zone including Rwanda. The Centre works in collaboration with Governments, National Human Rights Institutions, Election Management bodies, United Nations Country Teams, Civil Society Organisations, and the media throughout the sub region to promote the state of human rights and democratic practice. CARO focuses on building the human rights promotion and protection capacities of all national actors to effectively to uphold the international standards and democratic practices at national level. The Centre is headed by a Director who doubles as Regional Representative of the High Commissioner for Central Africa. Following the 2022 organigramme, the office operates with seven units namely Capacity Building, Human Rights Mechanisms, Non-discrimination, Monitoring and Reporting, Emergency Response, Communication and Advocacy and Administration and Finance. The UN Volunteer will work primarily with the Administration and Finance Unit with close interaction with other our Human Rights Advisor in Rwanda.

ContextThis project aims to centralize all human rights training projects (usually funded by the Swiss) for the NHRI (National Human Rights Institutions) and CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) in Rwanda. Given the specificity of the Senior Human Rights Advisor’s (SHRA) mandate, the work outlined in this project proposal will be delivered by the OHCHR Regional Office for Central Africa (CARO) and supported by the Senior Human Rights Adviser through the Office of the Resident Coordinator who works to optimize the opportunities offered for the integration of human rights in all civil and political arena. The CSOs that will benefit from the project will be selected by the Steering Committee (including the SHRA in Rwanda, 1 representative of the OHCHR regional office in Central Africa, 1 representative of the NCHR, and 1 representative of the SDC) on a yearly basis after a rigorous selection process. The selected CSOs and the NHRI of Rwanda will receive training support and grants to strengthen their capacities. Thanks to this project under the leadership of the SHRA, it will be easier to coordinate and evaluate the impact of the various trainings provided to the NHRI and CSOs in Rwanda. The project will be delivered under the pillars “Integrating human rights in sustainable development” and “Increasing implementation of the international human rights mechanisms’ outcome. This funding proposal suggests the continuation of OHCHR’s current form of engagement in Rwanda, through the work of the Central Africa Regional Office (CARO) and the SHRA, which has included goals, results, and activities in the extension of the OHCHR’s Management Plan (2022 - 2023) and in the 2022 Annual Work Plan for Rwanda. The key outcomes of the project are the following: Goal 1: By 2025 there is a law that regulates the human conduct of business based on respect for human rights Goal 2: Adoption of human rights principles and a human rights-based approach in the implementation of the UNSDCF in Rwanda and providing guidance to the Government of Rwanda in implementing the SDGs and other development efforts by 2026 Goal 3: Increased engagement of NGOs and UN agencies with UPR and treaty bodies from 2023 to 2026 The beneficiaries will be the core implementing wing of the program. It composed by the NCHR, NGOs and CSOs that will be funded and/or directly trained through this project. Their role is to: • Plan the implementation schedule. • Submit the requests for disbursement of funds to the SHRA’s Unit. • Organize planned activities and implement them in partnership with CARO and the SHRA’s Unit. • Timely submission of narrative and financial reports to SHRA’s Unit.

Task DescriptionWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of The Administrative and Finance Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Administrative and Finance Assistant will: • Draft administrative correspondences. • Provide all administrative support for the implementation of the activities. • Draft specific budgets and payment rosters for various activities in Rwanda; ensure procurement and logistic requirement per activity. • Elaborate financial reports and close budget of activities. • Prepare travel authorization and proceed with formalities of daily subsistence allowance payment. • Ensure verification and payment of all local travel claims. • In cooperation with OHCHR Geneva (Grants Committee, finance, Africa Branch) and the SHRA in Rwanda, ensure verification and payment of grants to selected Rwandan NGOs and the NHRI. • Assist in the procurement of the assets/materials of the project. • Manage the project’s assets. • Proceed with the item’s physical verification inventory, identify all assets with bar codes, and keep the inventory always updated. • Update the local expenditure monitoring table for the project. • Ensure proper archiving of financial documents in the shared folder. • Manage the project’s budget. • Draw the attention of the supervisor on possible budget overruns. • Prepare the project financial reports. • Assist on logistics aspects for the organization of workshops and trainings • Liaise with vendors to get quotations • Assist in the creation of vendor pro file of service providers • Prepare documentation for the payments of service providers • 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 OHCHR-CARO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to OHCHR-CARO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: Results/Outputs can be modified as appropriate; should not entirely mirror the task description but serve as a basis for workplan and deliverables] o Effective and transparent utilization of financial resources allocated to the project o Proper supply and asset management o Effective administrative and financial control of the project o Verification and payment of grants to selected Rwandan NGOs and the NHRI and other payments. • 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 capacities developed.

Competencies and values• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to OHCHR-CARO; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to OHCHR-CARO procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;  Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and OHCHR-CARO in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;  Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;  Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;  Client orientation  Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards OHCHR-CARO’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Living conditions and remarksYaoundé is the political capital of Cameroon and the second most populated city in the country after Douala. The official languages of Cameroon are English and French. Yaoundé features a tropical wet and dry climate with constant temperatures throughout the year and high temperatures ranging from 27 to 29 degrees C. Yaoundé also features a lengthy wet season covering a ten-month span between February and November. However, there is a noticeable decrease in precipitation within the wet season, seen during the months of July and August. The OHCHR Regional Office for Central Africa in Yaoundé is in Bastos district, where most embassies and international organizations have their offices. Several services (banks, international schools, etc.), restaurants and supermarkets are in Bastos. Transportation in Yaoundé can be done by taxi, although it is recommended to call private taxis rather than street taxis for security reasons. The security situation in the city of Yaoundé is partially satisfactory. Petty crime is the main threat. Electricity cuts and water shortages are frequent. Visa, passport and yellow fever vaccination card are required for entry. Other vaccinations are strongly recommended. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials