In response to the request of the Mexican Government, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNOHCHR) decided to support a project focusing on the search of missing persons in Mexico, which is a major national priority. UNFPA is the lead agent in this project and has contracted the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the contracting of international personnel to be involved in the project. Under its agreement with UNFPA, UNOHCHR will be co-responsible for the substantive coordination of this group of international experts.
The international experts contracted by UNOPS will be part of the Coordinating Group for the Implementation of the Special Mechanism for Forensic Identification (Mecanismo Extraordinario de Identificación Forense | MEIF).
Data show that disappearances are profoundly linked with gender based violence, and violence directed at children, adolescents and youth. It also tends to affect at the more vulnerable people, such as indigenous people and migrants, as well as human rights activists, environmentalists and those fighting organised crime in a disproportionate manner.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need people who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them with full conviction. For this project we are seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; people who are transparent and exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them.
About the MEIF
The Extraordinary Forensic Identification Mechanism (MEIF), officially created by the National Persons Searching System in December 20194, has as mandate the identification, notification and dignified restitution of more than 37,000 bodies with pending identification in Mexico. The MEIF will initially be integrated by a Coordinating Group composed of:
- 4 Forensic identification specialists;
- 1 Specialist in legal and judicial matters in forced disappearance;
- 1 Specialist in international technical cooperation and
- 1 Specialist in psychosocial approaches and family support.
The Coordinating group will have the following main functions:
- Elaborate the internal working guidelines of the MEIF, which will include its action procedures, including monitoring and evaluation mechanisms;
- Develop the MEIF work plan;
- Engage with relatives of the victims, their representatives, victims' groups, experts, activists, legislators and representatives of institutions, civil society organizations and the national and international public organisms necessary for the development, transmission and fulfillment of the mandate and functions of the MEIF;
- Ensure that the MEIF periodically has a strategic planning and evaluation exercise, with the participation of family members;
- Promote the MEIF's involvement against the national and international context with different political and governmental actors, international agencies, relatives of missing persons, their representatives, and civil society organisations, and
- Identify and periodically report on the main challenges of forensic identification in Mexico, based on the interventions and the information provided by family members and collectives.
About the position:
The Forensic identification specialist will be one of the seven members of the MEIF Coordinating Group, and as such contributes to the planning, organization and supervision of all MEIF activities; as well as to the development of guidelines and technical-forensic inputs so that the processes of expert interventions in matters of forensic identification comply with the criteria, norms and standards of the field.
Purpose of the post:
The person selected for the position will actively contribute to the generation of technical and programmatic tools for the incorporation of forensic criteria, norms and standards in the institutional framework created in the country, within the framework of the MEIF. Likewise, she/he will provide the technical assistance required to obtain evidence of scientific, technical and legal value in the performance of expert interventions in forensic identification matters.
Reporting lines:
The person selected will operate under the general coordination of the UNFPA and UNOHCHR Representatives in Mexico and reports directly, to the UNOHCHR Human Rights Officer in Mexico and to the UNFPA National Officer in charge of the project.
Additionally, as part of the Coordinating Group and within the framework of the MEIF Creation Agreement, she/he will prepare the reports for consideration of the National System for the Search of Missing Persons, in accordance with the mechanisms established within the MEIF.
Responsibilities:
- Contribute and actively participate in the planning, organization and supervision processes of MEIF activities, in coordination with the members of the Coordinating Group.
- Incorporate technical-forensic knowledge in the development of the strategic vision and in the fulfillment of the functions of the MEIF.
- Pursue and supervise the implementation of strategies to guarantee that in the operation of the MEIF, the national and international criteria, norms and standards in the forensic field are met.
- Lead the coordination to carry out expert interventions in matters of forensic identification, within the scope of your competence.
Support, through expert interventions with the authorities, the generation of evidence of scientific, technical and legal value. - Lead the processes for the preparation of the internal working guidelines and directives of the MEIF in technical-forensic matters, which will include its operating procedures and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
- Design and lead the application of the supervision and evaluation mechanisms of MEIF´s activities in technical-forensic matters, in particular of the expert interventions.
- Follow up on requests made by the authorities to the MEIF in technical-forensic matters.
- Develop the technical planning, as well as the identification of the required work teams, and the hiring needs of third parties or independent teams, or the combination of both working modalities, in technical-forensic matters, for the operation of the MEIF.
Qualifications and Experience:
Bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, in the sciences related to human identification such as: Biology, Medicine, Anthropology, Physical Anthropology, Social Anthropology, Archeology, Dentistry, criminology or related sciences, followed by Master's, Doctorate, Speciality or postgraduate studies in Forensic Genetics, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Archeology, Forensic Medicine, Forensic Dentistry, Criminalistics or related sciences.
More information (in Spanish):
UNFPA Mexico | Especialista en Cooperación Técnica Internacional (MEIF)