Call for Expressions of Interest - Chair of the Advisory Committee (Roster)

Organization profile

Every year, millions of people around the world go missing as a result of conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration, and other causes. This is a complex global challenge that can be tackled effectively through cross-cutting programs that address a variety of difficult, interconnected issues.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization with Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating missing persons from conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, migration and other causes and to assist them in doing so. To learn more about ICMP click here.

Position Background

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is establishing a roster of qualified individuals who may be called upon to serve as Chair of the ICMP Advisory Committee.

Under ICMP’s Staff Regulations and Staff Rules, the Advisory Committee may be appointed to oversee ICMP’s internal appeals process related to Staff complaints.

The Chair of the Advisory Committee will have the necessary legal qualifications to evaluate complaints or misconduct and will conduct proceedings impartially and with due regard for ICMP’s applicable legal and administrative framework.

Key Duties and Deliverables

The Chair will lead the Advisory Committee in conducting an objective, independent, and procedurally fair review of any appeal and will ensure that the Committee’s recommendation to the Director-General is based on the applicable regulations, rules, policies, procedures, principles of due process, and relevant facts.

The Chair will ensure that proceedings are conducted in a manner that protects the rights of all parties while respecting ICMP’s internal legal framework and its status as an intergovernmental organization.

The Chair will:

• lead and coordinate the work of the Advisory Committee;
• ensure that the Committee has a clear understanding of the issues raised in individual cases;
• determine, in consultation with the members of the Committee, the procedural steps required for fair and efficient consideration;
• assess the legal and procedural issues arising from each case, having regard to the applicable Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative directives, policies, jurisprudence and/or established internal practice, as appropriate;
• ensure that relevant facts and evidence are properly identified and considered;
• ensure that the individual concerned and the Office of the Director-General are afforded an appropriate opportunity to present their positions;
• identify any procedural irregularity, error of law, error of fact, failure to consider relevant evidence, or other material issue that may have affected the administrative decision in each case;
• guide the Committee in formulating its findings and recommendations; and
• ensure that the Committee’s report to the Director-General clearly sets out the basis for its recommendations.

The Chair’s mandate is defined under ICMP’s legal and administrative framework and will be exercised in a manner that safeguards the independence, integrity, fairness, and credibility of the internal appeals process and is consistent with ICMP’s procedural framework.

Key Skills/Qualifications 

• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible legal experience, with significant advisory work in administrative and employment law;
• Knowledge of international administrative jurisprudence and experience with legal proceedings before international tribunals or dispute resolution bodies;
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English; additional language skills (e.g., Arabic, French) an asset; and
• Proven ability to advise senior leadership and manage sensitive legal matters with discretion and sound judgment.

The Chair will:

• be available to work outside normal business hours, including weekends, should this be required in order to respond to time-sensitive legal matters, investigations, or organizational priorities;
• be able to undertake duty travel to The Hague and other locations, as required, to provide in-person legal support, attend meetings, participate in hearings or consultations, and engage with key stakeholders; and
• be eligible to travel to and enter the Netherlands (although the position is remote) without requiring sponsorship or other immigration support from ICMP.

Duration

Successful candidate(s) will be admitted to the expert roster for an initial period of two (2) years, with the possibility of renewal.

This is a non-exclusive engagement under which a member of the roster may be formally appointed as Chair by the Director-General when an appeal or conciliation proceeding is initiated.

The specific time commitment per case will vary depending on the complexity of the matter, guided by the procedural timelines set out in ICMP’s Staff Regulations and Staff Rules the applicable Administrative Instruction.

Other Conditions

The Chair will act in an independent capacity, free from external instructions, and will be bound by strict obligations of confidentiality and impartiality in accordance with ICMP Staff Regulations and Staff Rules, and relevant administrative instructions.

Application Procedure 

Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter in English outlining relevant experience and suitability for this roster.

For any questions regarding this call, applicants should contact the Head of Human Resources, Magdalena Kopal, at magdalena.kopal@icmp.int

Payment Schedule

This position is pro bono. However, in the event that in-person proceedings are required, ICMP will cover travel arrangements (tickets and applicable per diem/subsistence allowances) in accordance with its standard travel policy, subject to prior mutual agreement.

ICMP may cancel this recruitment without notice or may decide to offer a position with different duties and/or contract length.

ICMP does not request payment during any stage of the selection process.

All applications must be submitted in English. ICMP does not accept applications in any other language.