CT PHARE: Consultant on Oversight and Accountability Mechanism

About the IIJ

The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) is a multinational organisation focused on building the capacity of justice practitioners to fight terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime in line with human rights and the rule of law. It designs and delivers tailored training and capacity-building programmes as well as activities that help governments and practitioners address—in a practical, effective and collaborative manner—the evolving nature of contemporary transnational threats. The IIJ was founded in 2014 and has a Governing Board of Administrators consisting of 13 states and the European Union. For more information, visit the IIJ website: https://theiij.org

The IIJ requires the services of a Consultant to assist with the development and drafting of a set of recommendations relative to the role and responsibilities of oversight and accountability mechanisms in counter-terrorism operations.

Background of the Consultancy

In the campaign to protect their populations and territory from the violence and upheaval caused by terrorism, many countries have adopted counter-terrorism measures designed to increase law enforcement and military powers and toughen criminal codes. Unfortunately, many of these measures have had a substantial negative impact on human rights, not only violating substantive and procedural protections, but contributing to the shrinking of civil space and fuelling the anti-government sentiment that is a key driver of radicalisation.

In this context, and in support of the Council Conclusions on EU External Action on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism of June 2020, the IIJ has launched the CT PHARE facility, funded by the European Union’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), with the specific objective to increase the degree to which states’ counterterrorism policies, legislation, and judicial strategies, in addition to day-to-day investigation and prosecution practices, comply with internationally-recognised human rights standards – both on the policy and the operational levels.

Among the activities, the IIJ CT PHARE has developed a workstream on oversight and accountability mechanisms to seek redress for victims and to monitor states interventions while countering terrorism. The objective for this workstream is to provide criminal justice practitioners, representatives of the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)/Ombudsman Institutions, Police complaints authorities and civil society organizations’ from beneficiary countries, with an increased understanding on how to address gaps and vulnerabilities in their national responses to human rights violations, as well as to enhance collaboration amongst them and at the transregional level among their respective countries.
Therefore, to achieve this, the IIJ CT PHARE has conducted four regional capacity building activities across the MENA, West and East Africa and Southeast Asia regions. The outcomes of these four regional activities will assist with contributions of participating states in drafting a set of recommendations on how to strengthen and improve oversight and accountability mechanisms in counter-terrorism operations.

The IIJ CT PHARE, therefore, is currently seeking for a Consultant to assist with the development and drafting of a set of recommendations relative to the role and responsibilities of oversight and accountability mechanisms in counter-terrorism operations.

Key tasks and deliverables

Under the overall guidance of the IIJ Executive Secretary, the Consultant will work closely with the Project Lead and the Project Manager in charge of the implementation of CT PHARE.

The Consultant will entail the following:

1. To provide some research background on countries’ good practices on oversight and accountability mechanisms.
2. Based on the regional capacity building activities, to prepare a first draft of recommendations. This draft should first be approved by the IIJ. The IIJ CT PHARE team will then return to the Consultant with any comments for incorporation into the final first version of these recommendations (early January 2024).
3. To attend a transregional event – 2 days – where to discuss with high-level experts the first recommendations draft version.
4. Following the event, to incorporate any comments and amendments made by the high-level experts into a second and final version (end of March 2024).
5. Provide regular updates throughout the period of the consultancy, at least weekly, directly via email or via a call to the CT PHARE team.

Breakdown of effort required

The consultancy will start 12th December 2023 for a period of 16 working days (spread over four months – until 12th April 2024).

Final Deliverables

The set of recommendations document which the Consultant will produce, will meet the following criteria, with any deviations subject to agreement by the IIJ:

• Covering the following structure:

1. Type of overseeing (i.e., oversight over the police investigations, intelligence security, military, etc.);
2. Different functions of oversight (i.e., political oversight, disciplinary oversight, international and regional oversights, etc.);
3. List of good principles for oversight and accountability mechanisms in counter-terrorism operations.

• Reflecting and referring explicitly to:
o The outcomes from the four regional capacity building activities organised by CT PHARE from June to November 2023;
o Regular meetings with high-level experts;
o Existing good practices documents produced by the GCTF; and
o As well as other relevant United Nations, European Union and international documents and frameworks.

Consultant profile – Skills and competencies required

The Consultant will have the following qualifications:

• At least 8 years of experience as a practitioners in the field of human rights and counter-terrorism.

• Experience in human rights and/or oversight and accountability mechanisms in counter-terrorrism operations.

• Familiarity with the MENA, East and West Africa, as well as Southeast Asia regions, and previous interactions with these regions.

• Strong conceptual thinking, research and anaylitical skills.

• Excellent writing skills.

• Efficient on observing deadlines and achieving results in accordance with qualitative and quantitative parameters.

Deadline for applications

All interested applicants meeting the qualifications above are invited to submit a cover letter and CV to the IIJ Executive Secretariat at HR@THEIIJ.ORG by no later than 10th December 2023 with “CT PHARE_Consultant on oversight and accountability mechanisms ” in the subject line.