Desk research on civic space in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo.

Since Governments have the primary responsibility to protect human rights, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – OHCHR) provide assistance to Governments so they can implement the international human rights standards they've committed to. This assistance includes expertise and technical trainings in the areas of administration of justice, legislative reform, and electoral processes. We also assist other entities with responsibility to protect human rights to fulfil their obligations and individuals to realize their rights. We support the establishment and strengthening of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), and collaborate with them to implement their mandates to promote and protect human rights. We also work closely with civil society actors to build their knowledge of human rights and promote their participation in UN decision-making processes. As the principal United Nations office mandated to promote and protect human rights for all, UN Human Rights: Works with and assists Governments in fulfilling their human rights obligations Speaks out objectively in the face of human rights violations worldwide Provides a forum for identifying, highlighting and developing responses to today's human rights challenges Acts as the principal focal point of human rights research, education, public information, and advocacy activities Works with a wide range of partners in order to widen the constituency for human rights worldwide.

This task supports research on the rule of law and civic space in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Togo. Online Volunteers will conduct desk research, media monitoring, and legislation mapping to inform detailed country profiles and concise two-page summaries. The findings will guide our advocacy and programming, contributing to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by promoting transparent, inclusive, and rights-based governance in West Africa. Volunteers’ contributions will provide critical evidence for our efforts to strengthen civic space and the rule of law in the region.

We are looking for 1 Online Volunteer who have experience in research with excellent writing skills to undertake research to evaluate the status and evolutions of civic freedoms — specifically, the rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly, and expression. This involves analyzing recent legislation, draft laws, and government practices that affect civic space, as well as documenting the experiences of civil society organizations (CSOs) and human rights defenders in these countries. The task will include the following responsibilities: - Discuss and determine parameters for the desk research civic space in the respective countries. - Media monitoring: tracking, collecting, and analyzing media content—across print, broadcast, and digital platforms—to assess how issues related to civic space are reported, discussed, and perceived in society. - Legislation mapping: Collect and catalogue all legal instruments—such as constitutions, statutes, regulations, administrative directives, and codes of conduct—that affect civic space. This includes both legislation and jurisprudence. - Develop 4 country profiles based on the findings of the desk research. - Develop one-pagers summarizing the country profiles.