http://jhrp.oxfordjournals.org Journal of Human Rights Practice - RSS feed of articles 1757-9627 Journal of Human Rights Practice 1757-9619 http://jhrp.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/hup014v1?rss=1 Increasingly, the categories of professionalism are being employed to describe human rights work. Within the broader category of ‘human rights professionals’, a significant sub-group, that of field-based human rights staff of intergovernmental organizations, has been subject to particular scrutiny. This article explores issues of the professionalization of this group, while drawing implications for all human rights field workers. Following a brief overview of the history of human rights field operations, the question is raised: what is at stake in a process of professionalization? Next, it is asked whether those components identified as central to the development of a profession – shared values, a body of scientific knowledge, and procedures and systems to apply that knowledge – exist in a reasonably well-defined form with reference to human rights work. We then take stock of the extent to which these components have come together in generating an actual sense of professional identity and a culture of professionalism. In conclusion, some remaining challenges are identified and suggestions are made for measures that may contribute to reinforcing the existing momentum and further consolidating the profession.

]]> Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:25:43 PDT info:doi/10.1093/jhuman/hup014 Oxford University Press 2009-09-21 ARTICLE http://jhrp.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/hup013v1?rss=1 The increasing presence of UN human rights staff across the globe, the detailed information that they collect, and the expanding number of human rights venues that their information is being fed into is rapidly changing the profession and perceptions of UN Human Rights Officers. One outcome of these changes is that Human Rights Officers, who report to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, are gaining greater potential for influencing how governments and non-governmental organizations respond to human rights abuses. Yet, at the same time, Human Rights Officers are not provided with a pre-deployment training program that prepares them for what they are about to experience when they start working in some of the most dangerous areas of the world. This article explains not only why pre-deployment monitoring training should be put in place as soon as possible, but it sketches out a training program that corresponds to the changing roles, responsibilities, and influence of Human Rights Officers and the implications that these changes have on their work. More specifically, this article proposes that training should focus on providing simulated real-life scenarios that aim to professionalize and, in some instances, standardize monitoring and advocacy methodologies and techniques.

]]> Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:47:45 PDT info:doi/10.1093/jhuman/hup013 Oxford University Press 2009-09-04 ARTICLE