Human Rights Associate – Rule of Law

Mexico is undergoing one of the most significant transformations of its justice sector in decades. In 2025, the country held its first-ever popular elections for federal and local judicial posts. These reforms are reshaping the administration of justice and generating significant debate regarding their potential impact on judicial independence, due process, accountability, and access to justice.

The reforms are unfolding in a broader context marked by persistent challenges to the rule of law, including high levels of impunity for serious human rights violations, concerns regarding the autonomy of justice institutions, and the need to preserve effective democratic checks and balances and guarantee legal certainty and access to justice. International and regional human rights mechanisms have raised concerns about aspects of the reforms that could weaken judicial independence and procedural guarantees.

Within this context, OHCHR-Mexico works on monitoring, technical cooperation, advocacy, and engagement related to justice sector reforms, judicial independence, accountability for serious human rights violations, disappearances, and due process guarantees. The Office maintains dialogue with judicial authorities, prosecutors’ offices, legislators, public human rights institutions, civil society organizations, and victims’ groups, and has identified growing openness among some institutions to receive technical assistance and strengthen capacities in line with international standards.

The overall objective of this UN Volunteer assignment is to support OHCHR’s work on rule of law, judicial independence, and accountability of new judicial institutions through legal research, monitoring, analysis, and technical cooperation. The assignment will provide exposure to OHCHR’s work on justice sector reform, accountability for serious human rights violations, and the application of international human rights standards in the administration of justice.

Under the direct supervision of the Coordinator of the Justice and Security Unit, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support monitoring and analysis of justice sector reforms, including reforms related to judicial independence and disciplinary systems.
• Conduct legal and policy research related to international human rights standards applica-ble to the administration of justice.
• Assist in drafting background notes, analytical documents, talking points and summaries related to rule of law issues.
• Support engagement with judicial authorities, prosecutors’ offices, civil society organiza-tions and victims’ groups.
• Monitor recommendations and jurisprudence from UN and regional human rights mecha-nisms related to justice and accountability.
• Support organization of workshops, trainings, consultations and technical meetings, to provide technical assistance to judicial authorities.

During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance feedback.