Purpose

Amnesty International is seeking an experienced consultant in authoritarian practices and international human rights law to support the development of a comprehensive legal and policy framework. This framework will enable Amnesty International to identify, assess, and challenge authoritarian practices worldwide, using a robust human rights-based approach.

This work will contribute to a broader organizational initiative aimed at responding to and countering the global rise of authoritarian practices.

Background

Amnesty International is implementing a new global project to confront the rise of authoritarian practices, which threaten the international human rights framework. The initiative aims to clearly define “authoritarian practices” through a human rights lens and provide strategic, legal, and policy responses to these challenges.
The consultant will play a critical role in helping refine Amnesty's understanding of authoritarian practices and shape the policy tools necessary to respond effectively.

Objectives and Deliverables

The main objective is to develop a legal and policy framework that:

•    Assesses and adapts expert definitions of authoritarian practices to ensure alignment with international human rights law and Amnesty's internal policies.
•    Provides practical guidance for assessing practices across regions, determining their authoritarian nature based on context, purpose, and impact.
•    Defines general characteristics of authoritarian practices to aid in evaluating emerging government actions.
•    Explores the role of corruption in enabling authoritarianism, particularly through secrecy, disinformation, and suppression of dissent.
•    Identifies and links relevant Amnesty policies (e.g., elections, impartiality, rule of law, corruption) and suggests updates where necessary.
•    Develops indicators to track the adoption or entrenchment of authoritarian practices by governments.

Deliverables include:

1.    Draft legal and policy framework.
2.    Revised second draft following stakeholder consultation.
3.    Final set of indicators for early identification and monitoring.

Timeline and Key Milestones

•    25 July 2025: Outline of proposed framework.
•    5 September 2025: First draft of framework.
•    3 October 2025: Second draft post-consultation.
•    31 October 2025: Final indicators.
•    1 November 2025: All deliverables complete.

Please refer to the attached Terms of Reference for further details.

Essential Requirements

•    Proven knowledge of international human rights law, especially in relation to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and repression of dissent.
•    Understanding of rule of law principles, including judicial independence and separation of powers.
•    Minimum of 5 years' experience in legal research, stakeholder interviews, literature reviews, and complex project delivery.
•    Excellent English writing skills, capable of synthesizing and communicating complex legal material clearly.
•    Strong interpersonal skills and ability to navigate sensitive stakeholder environments.
•    Ability to work independently and remotely.

Desirable Requirements

•    Prior experience with or within Amnesty International.
•    Fluency in additional languages.

Bidding Instructions

To submit a tender for this opportunity, please upload the following documents via our recruitment platform (e.g., eArcu) under the CV section:

1.    CV and short bio (maximum 1 page).
2.    A brief proposal (2–3 pages) outlining your approach, methodology, and timeline.
3.    A detailed fee breakdown in GBP (£).
4.    Samples of relevant past work (e.g., strategic reviews, assessments).

Accepted file formats: PDF, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Payment terms: 30 days upon receipt of a valid invoice and completion of milestones

WHAT WE HOPE YOU WILL DO NEXT

If you are talented, passionate about human rights and want to use your skills, knowledge and experience to change the world then we would encourage you to click ‘Apply for this Role' below.

Freedom, Justice, Equality. Let's get to work.

N.B. We reserve the right to close a vacancy BEFORE the closing date in the event of an overwhelming response or a change in business priorities, therefore we encourage you to apply now if you are interested.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: 

Amnesty International believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable. Together, we're committed to being an anti-racist organisation with a diverse workforce that can better tackle the global human rights challenges that face our world today. We know that different voices, ideas, perspectives, experiences and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of people around the world.

We are committed to building and sustaining an anti-racist, culturally diverse and inclusive organisation, where all employees feel valued, have a sense of belonging and an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential. We therefore strongly welcome applications from suitably qualified people regardless of their background; including underrepresented groups, LGBTQI+ individuals and those who may have or are living with a disability.

To see our full statement please visit this link: Racial equality, equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion policy - Amnesty International

Amnesty International is committed to being an inclusive employer and providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all. If you would like to receive any information in a different way or would like us to do anything differently to help you apply for our roles, please get in touch with the team by emailing recruitment@amnesty.org