OPPORTUNITY: ABA-UNDP International Legal Resource Center (ILRC) - Belarus

This memorandum is to notify you that the ABA-UNDP International Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has received a request from UNDP/Belarus for an expert to provide a gender focused review of the draft Concept Paper (CP) on Improvement of the Court System in Belarus through the Development of the Specialization of Courts. This is primarily a home-based opportunity with one mission trip to Minsk. The expert will work for 13 working days between in June/July 2013.

With the project “Facilitating the improvement of the court system in Belarus through the development of the specialization of courts”, the Government of Belarus and the UN continue the joint efforts towards ensuring the rule of law and access to a fair trial for the population of Belarus. The ultimate goal of the project is to ensure that the population of Belarus, including marginalized and vulnerable groups, enjoys access to justice through an effective and professional court system supported by the specialization of courts and judges, which has been identified as an important prerequisite for effective and professional court system functioning. This will be achieved through support for the full-scale specialization of courts as prescribed in the constitution of the Republic of Belarus and further improvement of the legislation concerning the court system. Further to this goal, the project will contribute to the systematic and continuous professionalization of judges through their life-long education.

The expert is expected to a) review the CP from gender focus point; b) prepare a written gender-focused expert opinion (GFEO); c) consult with a working group of the National Experts (the authors of the CP); and d ) deliver the presentation of the GFEO at a Roundtable, tentatively scheduled for 20 of June 2013 and devoted to discussing the CP. The Roundtable will be held at the Institute for Re-training and Upgrading Qualifications of Judges, Prosecutors and Legal Professionals at the Belarusian State University in Minsk.

The GFEO must contain recommendations to the authors towards the further improvement of the CP. The recommendations must take into account, but may not be limited to, the following key points:

• Belarus’ obligations as a CEDAW signatory as well as national strategies, policies, tools in the area of gender equality;
• Best international approaches and practices in the area of gender equality;
• Key UNDP strategies, policy notes, tools, methodologies, and experience related to gender equality and mainstreaming of gender perspectives into various aspects of UNDP’s work in the project context;
• Mapping main gender issues in the CP;
• Suggesting and outlining of revisions to the CP (if necessary) – these can be in the form of amendments to the CP as well as additional sections as required;
• Finalizing the revision of the CP by supporting and enriching them with the links to key documents, practical examples, methodologies and tools, providing hands-on advice, checklists and other practical guidance if needed;

S/he must have:

• University degree in law, human rights, gender equality or other related social sciences required;
• At least 5 years of experience in policy research or work (on the international and/or national levels) in the field of gender equality and women empowerment, gender mainstreaming, human rights, access to justice;
• Combination of academic and technical experience in the areas of gender equality and human rights considered as a strong advantage;
• Understanding of EU and Eastern European judicial systems and the political context of Belarus is a plus;
• Experience in the EU and elsewhere working with judicial systems and court reform;
• Knowledge of Belarus context in the area of courts system/ gender equality is highly desirable;
• A proven background in developing legal documents on gender equality and women empowerment, gender mainstreaming, human rights, access to justice;
• Excellent writing skills with demonstrated ability to plan and undertake research, collect, analyze and present data;
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly;
• Strong organizational and time management skills, ability to meet deadlines;
• Proficiency in English and knowledge of Russian and/or Belarusian is a great asset.

Please find as attachments, more in-depth summary of this request [Not Included - SPD]. We would be most appreciative if you would review the Terms of Reference (TOR) and determine whether you, anyone you know or any organization with which you are affiliated may have any knowledge of experts who might be good candidates for these opportunities. If you or members of your organization are interested in working on this project, please email an updated CV, completed P-11 form, financial proposal and cover letter* (attached as word or PDF documents) by June 12, 2013 at 5PM U.S. EDT. As always, we appreciate your assistance and please do not hesitate to contact us for more information or if you have any questions.

Completed applications must be sent to Jacqueline.Gichinga@americanbar.org.