United Nations and Capacity Building

Since its establishment in 2005, the Post Conflict and Capacity Building Unit has built up an international reputation for its policy-linked research and capacity-building work. Outputs have included major book publications, reports which have impacted upon policy nationally and internationally, provision of high level training, and delivery of capacity building support to governments and civil society.

The Unit sometimes provides opportunities for students to contribute to its work through its internship and student research assistance programmes for University of Nottingham LLM students and graduates. Please see our student activities section for current opportunities.

Projects

Key projects include:

Human Rights Treaties: Maximising the Engagement of Iraqi Civil Society: a UNOPS-funded project to build the capacity of Iraqi civil society organisations to write shadow reports. The project will provide civil society organisations with the necessary skills to compile, draft and disseminate shadow reports to be submitted to treaty bodies during the reporting process.
The Dublin Statement on the Process of Strengthening the UN Human Rights Treaty Body System: a policy-driven reflection initiative designed to galvanise the reform process of the UN treaty body system in response to the calls of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Consolidating the Profession: The Human Rights Field Officer: an international research, training and capacity-building project in support of enhanced delivery of services by human rights field operations. The project sought to identify the professional parameters for the work of human rights field officers and to generate research findings and training materials that promote good practice.
Guiding Principles for Human Rights Field Officers: publication and dissemination of the first comprehensive set of professional standards specific to the work of HRFOs, a major output of the collaborative project ‘Consolidating the Profession’. The Principles are intended to contribute to the professional quality of the work of field officers.
Capacity Building Training for the Iraq Ministry of Human Rights: human rights training to meet the needs of the Iraqi Government, aimed at developing participants’ training skills which would enable them to train others in human rights.

People

Unit Head: Professor Michael O'Flaherty

There have also been numerous interns and research assistants who have contributed to the Unit's work.

Unit Head Expertise

Professor Michael O’Flaherty, head of the Post Conflict and Capacity Building Unit, is Co-Chair of the HRLC. He is a Member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and established the UN human rights field operations in Sierra Leone and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Michael is a former co-ordinator of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Asia-Pacific Programme and was UN human rights advisor for implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. From 2000 to 2002 he chaired the UN reference group on human rights and humanitarian action. He has led numerous successful capacity-building and research projects in emergency, post conflict and other environments. Prof. O’Flaherty’s full biography is available in our Staff section.

Publications

Key publications include:

Michael O’Flaherty and Dr. George Ulrich, The Professional Identity of the Human Rights Field Officer (Ashgate). This volume constitutes a substantial contribution to the elaboration of the parameters of the professional identity of the human rights field officer. It comprises the second of two volumes on the topic of human rights field work, the first being The Human Rights Field Operation: Law, Theory and Practice

Guiding Principles for Human Rights Field Officers Working in Conflict and Post-conflict Environments – based on extensive collaborative international research and consultation, the Guiding Principles represent the first comprehensive set of professional standards specific to the work of HRFO’s.

Michael O'Flaherty, ed., The Human Rights Field Operation: Law, Theory and Practice (Ashgate, 2007) - assesses the development of human rights field operations of the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations, drawing together the reflections of academics, policy makers and field practitioners.

Nigel White, co-ed., The UN, Human Rights and Post Conflict Situations (Manchester University Press, 2005) - considers the human rights standards applicable to the United Nations and applied by the United Nations in post-conflict situations, including East Timor, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

News

New York Launch of the Guiding Principles for Human Rights Field Officers

Description: New York launch of Guiding Principles for Human Rights Field Officers
Date:: 18/05/2009

Human Rights Field Officer project awarded Knowledge Transfer Grant

Description: Human Rights Field Officer Project awarded Knowledge Transfer Grant
Date:: 20/04/2009

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Useful Links

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