Human Rights Officer

A Human Rights Officer is a professional who is responsible for promoting, defending or protecting human rights within a particular organization or community. Human Rights Officers can work for governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or international organizations, such as the United Nations. 

Tasks | Skills | Salary | Requirements | Workplaces | Career Paths | Related Courses | Master’s Programmes

Tasks: What Does a Human Rights Officer Do? 

The primary duties of a Human Rights Officer include monitoring human rights violations, investigating complaints, providing support and assistance to victims, conducting human rights education and awareness campaigns, and engaging with government officials and other stakeholders to advocate for human rights. Typical tasks of human rights officers could include:

• Monitoring the implementation of human rights instruments in a specific region or country
• Developing, coordinating and implementing policies and programs on human rights
• Directing capacity-building efforts on human rights in region/country of assignment
• Developing relations with government officials governments and advising them
• Undertaking fact-finding missions and and drafting mission reports 

Skills: What Skills Does a Human Rights Officer Need?

Human Rights Officers are required to have a thorough understanding of international human rights law and standards, alongside strong communication and interpersonal skills. Additionally, possessing strong analytical and research skills is crucial as they are often tasked with gathering and analyzing data to assess human rights situations and formulate effective strategies for addressing human rights concerns. Because Human Rights Officer often have to work under pressure in offices or in difficult situations in the field they also require resilience and good self-care practices.

• Strong communication skills: To effectively engage with diverse stakeholders and convey complex human rights issues in a clear and compelling way. 
• Analytical and research skills: To gather and analyze data on human rights abuses and violations, identify trends and patterns, and develop evidence-based interventions. 
• Interpersonal skills: To build relationships with victims, civil society organizations, and government officials and collaborate effectively with colleagues and partners. 
• Cultural competence: To understand and respect diverse cultural and social norms and work effectively in multicultural environments. 
• Advocacy skills: To effectively promote and defend human rights, engage in strategic communications, and influence policy and decision-making processes.

Salary: What Do Human Rights Officers Earn?

Salaries of Human Rights Officers vary greatly depending on the organization they work for. While small NGOs typically pay a smaller salary, large NGOs and intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, the Fundamental Rights Agency and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe pay significantly better. A human rights officer working at OHCHR in Geneva at P3-Level (higher entry level) earns around 11000 CHF per month, while a human rights officer at a small NGO might earn around 30,000 EUR annually. The table below provides an overview of human rights officer salaries at the UN.

Note: UN salaries consist of base salaries plus post adjustment. Post adjustment is a fancy term for a payment bonus you receive every month depending on your duty station and other factors. In the table below Afghanistan includes danger pay and hardship allowance. The UN salary numbers below include post adjustment. 

Workplaces: Where do human rights officers work? 

The most prominent workplace for Human Rights Officers is the United Nations and more specifically the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Another employer of Human Rights Officers is the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), in this case the job title would be Fundamental Rights Officer. Human Rights Officers also work for governmental entities and national human rights commissions or for human rights NGOs. The list below lists some examples of workplaces for human rights officers. 

Career Paths: How to become a Human Rights Office?

Similar to many roles within the human rights sector, there is no pre-defined career path. However, if you are aiming for a Human Rights Office position at the UN you might first want to gain experience at human rights NGOs and a master’s degree. Early career UN human rights officers are scarce and highly competitive. It can be easier to enter the UN as a human rights officer after you have gathered a few years of experience. Studying an online course can give some foundational knowledge but a master’s degree is required for most Human Rights Officer positions.

Related Online Courses

If you want to become a human rights officer, the courses below can help you develop basic skills and they are a great way to explore your own interests. They are not a replacement for a higher education degree. You can audit the courses for free or opt-in for a paid certificate.

Master’s Programmes to Become a Human Rights Officer