DUTY STATION: Sarajevo
GRADE: 9
CONTRACT TYPE: National
PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF POSITION:
In general, the Legal Advisor will assist the Department for Legal Affairs to play a key part in the provision of specialist legal services in the areas of law that are of interest to the Office of the High Representative. The Legal Advisor will prepare analysis and recommendations on issues related to the following fields:
– police organization and administration, including, among other things, laws regulating the organisation, restructuring of local police forces and employment relationships of police officials;
– Constitutional law matters, including matters pertaining to the organisation of the state structures and matters pertaining to the protection of human rights and public liberties for all levels of government in BiH;
– administrative and governmental organization, including management, functioning and competence of governments and administrative bodies, administrative procedure, and ministerial and other governmental appointments;
The Legal Advisor will be responsible for formulating policies and/or co-ordinate activities related that particular field within the OHR and will directly advise the Principals of the OHR on those issues. Although the Legal Advisor will work as part of a team of lawyers forming the Public Law and Administrative Unit and under the overall direction of the Head of Department for Legal Affairs, he/she will enjoy substantial independence in his/her work. The Legal Advisor will often be required to provide advice to other international agencies operating in BiH and to BiH’s government bodies.
The Legal Advisor will represent the OHR and lead OHR’s involvement in drafting legislation within domestic and international Working Groups and Commissions. As such, the Legal Advisor will serve as the OHR contact person within such group and will work in close cooperation with the BiH authorities sitting in those group/commissions. In particular, the Legal Advisor will meet with parliamentarians, senior advisers/officials and Ministers or otherwise maintain relations with other international agencies in order to ensure adoption of relevant pieces of legislation.
The legal advisor will work with other departments within the OHR to facilitate the adoption of legislation falling within their field of responsibility.
Other tasks will include conducting research, preparing briefings reports, correspondence and updates relevant to the field of responsibility for the Senior Deputy High Representative, the Head of the Legal Department and will have specific reporting responsibilities to the PDHR/SDHR as required.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
§ Ensure proper follow-up of all legal aspects related to the Police and Administration reform both at the level of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina and at the level of the Entities, Cantons and Brcko District of BiH;
§ Work together with the national authorities, and in particular officials within the Council of Ministers, to that effect;
§ Lead and coordinate for the OHR working groups and commissions in legislative reform projects, initiated in and outside of OHR;
§ Ensure and monitor, together with relevant national and international authorities, proper implementation of already adopted laws related to restructuring of local police forces, employment relationship of police officials, organization, management and competence of governments and administrative bodies, administrative procedure, and ministerial and other governmental appointments, and advise OHR’s leadership on measures needed to ensure their implementation;
§ Cooperate with and provide, within the framework of the mandate of the OHR, strategic legal advice to Government officials on State, Entity and Cantonal level on matters falling within the field of responsibility;
§ Coordinate the activities of the civilian organisations and agencies in BiH in their field of responsibility and, in particular, cooperate closely with relevant multilateral organizations and EU Agencies to determine consistent strategies concerning his/her field of responsibilities, and ensure the implementation of said strategies;
§ Advise OHR’s Principals on legal and strategic matters linked to the field of responsibility and draft letters, prepare background paper and talking points to that effect;
§ Reviewing the agenda of various government and parliamentary bodies, to ensure that legislation which is put out is consistent with Dayton and the objectives behind developing the legislative framework for BiH;
§ In house co-ordination on issues within the field of responsibilities and in house legal advise;
§ Other tasks as assigned by the Head of Department for Legal Affairs
PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS:
§ Law Degree;
§ Have at last 5 years of relevant professional experience;
§ Excellent drafting skills and proven experience in drafting legal opinions;
§ Excellent research skills and familiarity with national legal research instruments;
§ Experience with or knowledge of European/other legal systems and norms preferred;
§ Very good written and spoken English, including knowledge of legal terminology and ability to draft legal documents;
§ Mature judgment and flexibility;
§ Computer literacy;
§ Ability to work on own initiative with minimal supervision, and to operate as a part of a team;
§ Ability to lead and coordinate for the working groups and commissions in legislative reform projects;
§ Proven ability to work under stress and considerable pressure.
Any person with the above qualifications should provide (in English) a CV with a one-page cover letter and references to the following:
Personnel DepartmentOffice of the High RepresentativeEmerika Bluma 1, 71000 SarajevoBosnia and HerzegovinaFax: +387 (0) 33 283 771 E-mail: application@ohr.int Reference number: 2007/34 must be quotedClosing date for applications: 31 May 2007 Only short-listed candidates will be contactedNo telephone inquiries please