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IACHR

2020 Fellowship Follow-up IACHR Recommendations

This fellowship is offered in the framework of the Project "Combating discrimination and violence against women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean”, implemented with support from the Global Affairs Canada.

1) Venue of Fellowship: Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ES/IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS). Address: 1889 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, United States of America.

2) Modality: On-site

3) Application period:  from April 1 to April 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. (E.S.T.)

4) Fellowship start and end dates: June, 2020 to February, 2021.

5) Length of the Fellowship: 9 months

6) Objective: To provide an opportunity for young professionals from OAS Member States to work in the Follow-up on Recommendations and Impact Section of the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

7) Program: The fellow will provide support to the work of the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR, under the supervision of its specialists during the fellowship period. At the end of the fellowship a detailed report on the activities carried out will be presented to the ES/IACHR.

8) Expected results:

•  Collaboration with the team of the Section for the Follow-up of Recommendations and Impact of the ES / IACHR in the implementation of the activities corresponding to the Project “Combating discrimination and violence against women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean”.
• Collaboration in the preparation of the monitoring reports provided for in the Project and in the IACHR Annual Report.
• Collaboration with the ES / IACHR team in the processing of communications with the parties regarding the follow-up of IACHR recommendations.
• Search for information to analyze the follow-up of recommendations and the preparation of pertinent reports.
• Preparation of summaries and other documents for hearings, working meetings, and visits of the IACHR.
• Collaboration in initiatives related to the promotion and dissemination of the inter-American human rights system and of actions to follow up on recommendations of the IACHR.
• Constant updating of the website of the ES / IACHR regarding the follow-up of recommendations and impact, and the actions and results of the project.
• Preparation of inputs for press releases related to follow-up on recommendations of the IACHR.
• Preparation of information request letters on specific topics related to the follow-up of IACHR recommendations.
• Support on the implementation of the Special Program to Monitor IACHR Recommendations - Program 21 of the Strategic Plan 2017-2021.
• Support for the Inter-American SIMORE and the IACHR Impact Observatory.
• Other assigned activities related to the subject of the fellowship.

9) Requirements:

• Be a  citizen of an OAS Member State;
• Make a commitment to return to the country of origin upon completion of the fellowship;
• Be bilingual in Spanish and English (attach certificates proving intermediate-advanced level); knowledge of Portuguese or French desirable;
• Have graduated with a social sciences degree from an officially recognized university (attach copy of the degree and  grades obtained);
• Have received social sciences degree within the past 7 years;
• Have demonstrable professional or academic experience in matters of monitoring and follow-up on recommendations of international organizations and  in human rights; and
• Present an essay of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on a topic of interest to the applicant regarding the follow-up on recommendations of the inter-American human rights system or other international organizations. The essay shall be presented half in English and half in Spanish using any format. No cover letter and/or bibliography are required; if this is not possible, please explain (no cover letter or bibliography are required).

10)  Required documents: The following documents are required in order to be considered for the fellowship:

• Letter of interest (cover letter from the interested person).
• Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional).
• Curriculum vitae.
• Certification of second language from any qualified institution (if this is not possible, please attach an explanatory note)
• Copy of degree and grades obtained
• Written essay of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on a topic of interest to the applicant regarding the follow-up of recommendations of the Inter-American Human Rights System or other international organizations. The essay shall be presented half in English and half in Spanish using any format. No cover letter and/or bibliography are required. If it is not possible, please explain.

Please note: All documents required for the fellowship may be submitted in English or Spanish, with the exception of the written essay. Only simple copies of the original documents required. There is no need to notarize or legalize them. The letters should be addressed to the INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

Subject to the discretion of the Commission, the shortlisted candidates may be requested to respond to additional questions.

11) Benefits:

• The ES/IACHR provides a monthly stipend of US$3,200.00 during the period of the fellowship. With the stipend provided, the fellow is responsible for and required to obtain health insurance coverage of his/her choosing for the duration of the fellowship, and shall provide proof of coverage to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR prior to initiating the fellowship.
• Round-trip economy class air transportation from the participant’s country of residence to Washington, D.C./US. Terminal and transfer expenses are not covered.
• The ES/IACHR will award a certificate of participation in the Fellowship Program to the fellows who satisfactorily complete the entire period of the fellowship.

12)  Responsibilities of the selected candidates:

• Once an applicant has been selected, he/she should formally accept the fellowship in writing, confirming with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights his/her full availability to complete the fellowship at the IACHR headquarters, during the period indicated. Once accepted, the ES/IACHR will proceed with the necessary arrangements for the purchase of round-trip economy air transportation between the candidate’s country of origin/residence and Washington, D.C.
• In the event a candidate accepts a fellowship but cannot complete it, for whatever reason, he/she must immediately inform the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights so that the appropriate course of action may be decided.
• It is the responsibility of each selected candidate to request and obtain the necessary visa to enter the United States, and/or transit visa (if applicable) in a timely manner. The ES/IACHR will not incur in any expense related to the processing of immigration or visa documents. The IACHR will provide the candidate a document certifying his/her selection as an official fellow of the IACHR so that he/she may request the corresponding visa, which is the sole responsibility of the selected candidate. In addition, the OAS will send a diplomatic note to the Embassy or Consulate where the selected candidate will be requesting his/her visa, certifying the fellow’s selection.
• It is the responsibility of the selected candidate to arrive in a timely manner so that he/she will be present for the commencement of the fellowship on the date established by the ES/IACHR.
• If the selected candidate declines the fellowship after the flight ticket has been purchased, or does not travel on the established dates or changes routes, the candidate shall reimburse the ES/IACHR the cost of the flight ticket or any additional costs incurred. The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the ES/IACHR, such as extra costs for accommodation during the candidate’s travel to and from Washington, D.C.
• If the candidate resigns, cancels or terminates the fellowship after the program has begun without providing sufficient reason and evidence to the ES/IACHR for doing so, he/she will fully reimburse the ES/IACHR for all costs incurred on his/her behalf.

13)  Presentation of candidates:

• The application system requires that the candidate create a user name and password to log in; the user name should not contain symbols, accents, apostrophes or blank spaces, as they are not accepted by the system.
• The electronic application can be accessed through the link below. Prior to accessing the electronic application, applicants should have all the documents indicated in sections 9 and 10 above ready for upload.
• Documents can be uploaded in the following formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx and .zip. The files to be uploaded should first be saved in the following manner prior to uploading, and should not include any special characters in the name: First name, last name, name of required document. (Example: JohnSmithResume.doc)

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States does not discriminate against any individual, intern, fellow, employee, or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, marital status, religion, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as a parent.

1889 F St. N.W. Washington, DC, U.S.A. 20006 / E-mail: [email protected] / Phone: (202) 370-9000 / Fax: (202) 458-3650