Deadline for applications: Tuesday, 10 November 2026 – 23:59 (Central European Time, CET)

Start of the position: January/February 2027, subject to successful work authorisation and any applicable notice period

New job opportunity at ILGA World: we seek an Advocacy specialist on treaty bodies
This is a full-time position that requires working from/relocation to Geneva, Switzerland
Deadline for applications: Tuesday, 10 November 2026 – 23:59 Central European Time (CET)

ILGA World is seeking an Advocacy Specialist on Treaty Bodies, who will work as part of our advocacy programme and coordinate the organisation’s day-to-day engagement with the United Nations human rights treaty body system.

Who can apply?

Anyone

with dedication to – and experience in regard to – the human rights of persons with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics
who meets the requirements set out below

is welcome to apply.

Background: the ILGA World advocacy programme

Advocacy has been a cornerstone of ILGA World’s work since its inception and remains central to its 2025–2029 Strategic Plan. In 2025, ILGA World formally merged its UN and GIESC programmes into a unified advocacy programme. This integrated approach reflects ILGA World’s commitment to intersectional, inclusive, and movement-informed advocacy at global, regional, and national levels.

The advocacy programme champions the rights of people with diverse SOGIESC by engaging with multilateral institutions, supporting national and regional efforts, and co-leading coalition-based campaigns. Over the years, ILGA World has shaped and led advocacy in key international spaces such as the UN Human Rights Council, Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It has hosted and co-hosted pivotal events including UPR and Trans Advocacy Weeks, Intersex Advocacy Week, and engagements within the Equal Rights Coalition.

The aims of the advocacy programme are to:

Advance legal, economic, social, and political inclusion of people and communities of diverse SOGIESC, promoting non-discrimination, equality, protection, and recognition of rights;
Support and amplify grassroots, national, and regional movements, enabling them to influence and benefit from international human rights mechanisms;
Counter anti-rights and anti-gender movements through feminist, decolonial, and intersectional approaches rooted in solidarity and collective resistance;
Strengthen state and institutional accountability, including through strategic litigation, follow-up on recommendations, and technical policy support;
Build and consolidate partnerships with states, UN bodies, donors, and allied organisations, promoting more inclusive, responsive, and well-resourced global frameworks;
Ground advocacy in knowledge and data, using ILGA World’s research tools and reports to inform strategy, influence policy, and make visible the lived realities of LGBTI communities.

In response to escalating backlash against LGBTI rights, the advocacy programme has deepened its engagement with feminist and cross-movement spaces. It actively supports human rights defenders and facilitates their participation in advocacy spaces.

ILGA World’s advocacy is increasingly grounded in research and data: the team uses ILGA World’s knowledge products, including the ILGA World Database, Laws on Us, and Our Identities Under Arrest, to generate evidence-based arguments that shape global norms and inform national reforms.

The programme also ensures that LGBTI grassroots and frontline activists are equipped to participate in and influence decision-making spaces. In recent years, ILGA World has supported dozens of national organisations through technical guidance on UN submissions, strategic litigation support, and policy implementation follow-up.

Its advocacy extends to influencing the allocation and quality of funding for SOGIESC movements, with initiatives like LGBTI Pathways playing a vital role.

With a presence in Geneva and strong regional coordination, the advocacy programme is positioned to be an effective and trusted partner in international human rights work. It continues to build solidarity across movements, amplify the voices of the most marginalised, and create systemic change by ensuring that global policies and mechanisms reflect the lived realities of LGBTI people everywhere.

Overview

The Advocacy Specialist: Treaty Bodies is part of ILGA World’s advocacy prgramme and coordinates the organisation’s day-to-day engagement with the United Nations human rights treaty body system.

The role advances the rights of people and communities of diverse SOGIESC by connecting grassroots, national and regional advocacy with international human rights mechanisms. It provides technical assistance to ILGA World members, regions and human rights defenders; supports strategic engagement with treaty bodies; and helps ensure that movement priorities, evidence and lived realities inform country reviews, normative developments, jurisprudence and follow-up at national level.

Working under the strategic direction of the Advocacy Senior Manager and closely with colleagues across the advocacy programme, ILGA regions, member organisations and partner organisations, the Specialist monitors treaty body processes and opportunities, coordinates submissions and briefings, supports strategic litigation and national follow-up, analyses recommendations and jurisprudence, develops capacity-strengthening resources, and maintains relationships with treaty body members and OHCHR staff. The role also works across ILGA World programmes to connect advocacy with knowledge production and movement strengthening.

Responsibilities

The Advocacy Specialist: Treaty Bodies reports to the Advocacy Senior Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day coordination and delivery of ILGA World’s Treaty Bodies portfolio within the Advocacy Programme.

Specific to this position, this includes:

Implement ILGA World’s Treaty Bodies advocacy workplan and coordinate the organisation’s day-to-day engagement with the UN human rights Treaty Body system, serving as the organisational focal point for Treaty Bodies-related advocacy.
Monitor Treaty Body sessions, reporting cycles, country reviews, lists of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPRs) under the Simplified Reporting Procedure, follow-up procedures, general comments, individual communications and other developments, identifying timely and strategic opportunities for SOGIESC advocacy.
Develop and implement advocacy strategies to advance the human rights of people and communities of diverse SOGIESC through country reviews, normative development, individual communications and other relevant Treaty Body procedures.
Provide technical assistance to ILGA World members, regions, LGBTI organisations and human rights defenders engaging with Treaty Bodies, including advocacy planning, reporting, preparation of written and oral submissions, briefings and follow up strategies.
Coordinate and contribute to ILGA World and joint submissions, shadow report inputs, briefing materials, statements, position papers and other advocacy products in consultation with affected communities, members, regions, partners, and external legal experts
Facilitate the meaningful participation of human rights defenders in Treaty Body processes, including organising briefings and engagement with Treaty Body members and OHCHR staff.
Coordinate ILGA World’s strategic litigation engagement before Treaty Bodies, including identifying appropriate opportunities, supporting individual communications and third-party interventions, and contributing to follow-up on decisions in collaboration with members, partners and relevant legal experts.
Monitor, systematise and analyse SOGIESC-related concluding observations, recommendations, general comments, jurisprudence, decisions and other Treaty Body outputs, and contribute to compilations, briefings and analytical resources.
Support ILGA World members and human rights defenders to use Treaty Body recommendations, decisions and jurisprudence in national advocacy, including follow up and implementation, and document relevant results, challenges and good practices.
Develop and deliver training, webinars, guidance and other capacity strengthening resources to strengthen civil society engagement with the Treaty Body system.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with Treaty Body members, OHCHR staff, civil society organisations, legal experts, academics and other relevant stakeholders, and represent ILGA World in relevant meetings, consultations and external spaces.
Monitor and contribute to discussions concerning Treaty Body strengthening, accessibility, effectiveness and other institutional developments affecting the system.
Work across ILGA World programmes and advocacy portfolios to strengthen coherence between Treaty Bodies, the Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review, Special Procedures and thematic advocacy, and ensure that relevant ILGA World research and monitoring data inform Treaty Body engagement.
Contribute to planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation and learning, donor reporting and funding proposals relating to the Treaty Bodies portfolio, and work with the Communications team to make relevant opportunities, developments and outcomes accessible to members, partners and wider audiences.

General

Actively contribute to promoting and achieving the organisation’s objectives.
Engage and collaborate with colleagues across the Advocacy Programme and other ILGA World teams to strengthen a shared organisational culture and ensure coordinated, movement-informed work.
Ensure that all activities are carried out with full regard to ILGA World policies.
Work as a part of the ILGA World staff team.
Perform other duties as required.

Relationships with colleagues

ILGA values creative and inclusive approaches to work and management that have been achieved through cross-service area working and the participation of staff at all levels in the organisation. Staff have line management arrangements and specific key relationships, which are detailed in their job descriptions, but they will also need to work collaboratively with their colleagues in order to achieve their agreed targets and outcomes to the required standards.

Performance of duties, remuneration, and benefits

This position requires relocation to Geneva, Switzerland.
This position is subject to the successful granting of the necessary Swiss work authorisation.
- Where required, ILGA World will submit and support the work permit application for the selected candidate. However, the relevant Swiss authorities make decisions on work authorisation, and ILGA World cannot guarantee that an application will be successful. Any offer of employment and appointment to the position is therefore conditional upon the required work permit being granted. If the necessary authorisation cannot be secured, ILGA World will not be able to confirm or proceed with the appointment.
The position is advertised at 100% of a full-time position.
ILGA World remunerates under a three-tiered salary matrix structure. The annual salary offered for the 100% position is 81,060 CHF.
In addition, ILGA World offers 32 days, inclusive of legal holidays (“bank holidays”) and annual leave and contributions to health care costs.
ILGA World operates under a flexible working system that – among others – includes flexible working hours.
The weekly working time is 40 hours on a 100% position.

Education and qualifications

A master’s university degree or equivalent in international human rights law, law, political science, international relations or a related field, combined with 6 years of relevant work experience

A first-level university degree in combination with 8 years of relevant and qualifying experience

10 years of relevant and qualifying experience instead of a master’s or first-level degree

Experience

A minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in human rights advocacy, policy or legal work, preferably within an international, regional or national civil society organisation, multilateral institution or similar setting.
At least 2 years of direct engagement with United Nations human rights mechanisms, including substantive experience working with one or more UN Treaty Bodies.
Experience developing and implementing advocacy strategies relating to Treaty Body country reviews, normative development or other treaty body procedures.
Experience drafting shadow reports, written submissions, briefing materials, statements, position papers or other advocacy documentation for international human rights mechanisms.
Experience providing technical assistance, guidance or capacity strengthening to civil society organisations and human rights defenders engaging with international human rights mechanisms.
Experience analysing international human rights standards, concluding observations, recommendations and/or jurisprudence and translating complex legal developments into accessible advocacy guidance.
Experience with or strong familiarity with strategic litigation, individual communications or other forms of legal advocacy before international or regional human rights mechanisms.
Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with grassroots organisations, LGBTI human rights defenders and diverse stakeholders across different national, cultural and political contexts.
Experience in project coordination, including planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning and narrative reporting, including in donor-funded work.
Experience building and maintaining working relationships with UN officials and experts, civil society organisations, legal practitioners, academic partners and other relevant stakeholders.

Technical requirements

Advanced skills in legal and policy analysis, with strong knowledge of international human rights law and its application to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.
Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the UN human rights Treaty Body system, including country review processes, normative outputs, follow-up procedures and individual communications.
Ability to monitor, systematise and analyse Treaty Body recommendations, general comments, jurisprudence and other outputs and identify strategic advocacy opportunities.
Strong research and drafting skills, including the ability to present complex legal and policy developments clearly and accessibly to different audiences.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships with member organisations, human rights defenders, UN officials, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Strong understanding of SOGIESC human rights issues and commitment to feminist, decolonial, intersectional and anti-oppressive approaches to advocacy.

Other requirements

Strong communication, facilitation and diplomatic skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences
Excellent organisational skills, sound judgement and the ability to prioritise work, meet deadlines and adapt to changing advocacy opportunities
Proven existing professional relationships with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Secretariat staff and/or independent Treaty Body experts.
Ability to work proficiently in English (mandatory). Knowledge of Spanish, French or another UN official language is an asset
Adherence to and alignment with the ILGA World Code of Conduct, including a strong capacity for confidentiality, tact, discretion and respectful collaboration

ILGA World strongly encourages applicants from and living in the Global South, particularly candidates who identify as women in all their diversity.

How to apply

The application for this position needs to be submitted online here: https://form.asana.com/?k=znxv1nK0agTD2Mkhe6MkDw&d=137860379474491.

We recommend that you download the application form in Word format from here, prepare your application and copy/paste it into the application form.

Should there be well-founded reasons why this is not possible, you may submit the application form by e-mail to recruitment (a) ilga (dot) org. Rename this file SURNAME_Name_Advocacy_Treaty_Bodies_Specialist.docx (for instance: SMITH_John_Advocacy_Treaty_Bodies_Specialist.docx) before you submit it.

If you have questions about this call, please contact recruitment (a) ilga (dot) org.

Key dates

Tuesday 13 October 2026: Call for candidates
Tuesday 10 November, 23:59 PM CET: Deadline for applications
23 November – 4 December 2026: Shortlisted candidates are invited for interviews
[TO BE CONFIRMED] Offer is made
January / February 2027: Successful candidate takes up the position, subject to work authorisation approval and any applicable notice period.

ILGA World equal opportunities policy

ILGA World is an equal opportunities employer.

ILGA World is committed to social justice, regardless of any individual or group characteristics, including gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, race, age, disability, ability, economic status, national origin, religion, ethnicity, and historical, cultural and geographic experiences, nonetheless recognising the unique challenges faced by individuals with each of these characteristics and by those with intersecting identities.

We offer fair treatment to all current and potential employees, interns and contractors and aim to ensure that all such individuals receive equal treatment (including access to employment, training and opportunities for promotion, as relevant) regardless of any personal attribute as listed above.

ILGA World promotes gender and equality mainstreaming, and it actively promotes equality in all policies and actions. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Lesbian and bisexual women, intersex persons, trans and non-binary persons, and persons from the Global South are especially encouraged to apply. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

If more than one applicant is considered to be equally qualified for the position, priority will be given to applicants coming from marginalised and/or underrepresented groups.

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ILGA World is looking for an Advocacy Specialist, Treaty Bodies