Consultant on Iraq – CT PHARE
About the IIJ
The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) is an organisation located in Malta with a
mission to deliver innovative and sustainable capacity-building through the implementation of counter-terrorism-related, rule of law-based good practices developed by the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and other international and regional fora.
Since its inauguration in 2014, the IIJ has trained more than 9,500 criminal justice practitioners through its interactive capacity-building workshops – in Malta and abroad – that enhance the competencies of parliamentarians, judges, prosecutors, police, prison, and other criminal justice practitioners to address terrorism and related transnational criminal activities within a rule of law framework. The IIJ delivers capacity-building training tailored to the needs of the regions it serves, including East and West Africa; North Africa and the Middle East; Southeast Asia. IIJ activities also includes participants from the Western Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. Many of the capacity building activities include the participation of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs). For more information on the IIJ, please visit the IIJ’s website www.theiij.org.
Moreover, the Council Conclusions on EU External Action on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism of June 2020 highlighted the need to strengthen the human rights-compliant criminal justice chain worldwide and noted the critical role played by the GCTF and its inspired institutions – including the IIJ – in promoting these objectives.
Therefore, at the end of 2022, in support of the Council Conclusions, the IIJ has launched the CT PHARE project – Counter-Terrorism Platform for Human Rights Engagement, 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.
Consultancy Position
The IIJ is seeking applications from expert practitioners to support the delivery of CT PHARE upcoming planned activities in support of Iraq. The project will particularly emphasise IIJ’s core remit to engage with counter-terrorism practitioners working with the Human Rights Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Justice and other selected Ministries, the Human Rights Directorates across Iraq’s Ministries, the Iraq High Commission of Human Rights, the Provincial governorates, the judiciary, prosecutors, defence lawyers, law enforcement, security agencies, as well as CSOs from Iraq. The objective is to develop a set of practical recommendations and policies tailored to the national context to strengthen dialogue between Iraqi government authorities and human rights stakeholders, and to promote a more human rights-oriented culture in the context of counter-terrorism operations.
The high-level experts will develop and deliver one (1) capacity building activity bespoke to provide the skills to identify and investigate human rights abuses in counter-terrorism operations, as well as to develop recommendations and national policies in compliance with international human rights standards.
Specific key tasks and deliverables
- Under the overall guidance of the IIJ Executive Secretary, the experts will work closely with the Project Lead and the Project Manager in charge of the implementation of CT PHARE.
- The experts will be required to prepare by 31st September 2024 the presentation(s) that will be delivered during the capacity building activity for Iraqi practitioners on topics to be assigned by the Project Lead. The delivery will be in-person in Baghdad, Iraq in early October 2024 for a duration of 4 days.
- The experts will be expected to be in Baghdad one day in advance to coordinate with the IIJ’s CT PHARE team.
- During the capacity building activity, and in coordination with the IIJ’s CT PHARE team and other external consultants, the experts will facilitate discussions and exchange of good practices.
- The experts will also adapt, moderate, and evaluate participants’ knowledge and skills, according to criteria pre-established by the IIJ.
- The experts will be required to take notes and summarize key discussions during some of the sessions as assigned by the Project Lead.
- Finally, following the completion of the activity, the experts will be required to submit by 16th October 2024 a post-activity report with her/his notes, using the IIJ’s template.
Consultant criteria and qualifications for both activities:
- Experience of delivering capacity building and awareness-raising activities on human rights- and terrorism-related.
- Experience in using interactive methods to enhance the learning experience and encourage the participants to share their own good practices, tools, and challenges.
- Experience of working internationally with counter-terrorism practitioners (judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement), policymakers and CSOs.
- Familiarity with Iraq and the Middle East, and previous interactions with this country and region.
Application Submission
All interested applicants meeting the qualifications should submit a cover letter and resume to the IIJ Executive Secretariat at hr@theiij.org and including in copy ameriof@theiij.org, clearly stating “CT PHARE_HRIRAQ2024” in the subject line. The deadline for submission is 08 September 2024.