TITLE APPLICATION : Assistant Secretary-General, Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic DEADLINE : 15 May 2017 The Secretary-General is pleased to announce the following job opening : Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (the “Mechanism”). The Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (the “Mechanism”) was established by General Assembly resolution 71/248 to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses and to prepare files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings, in accordance with international law standards, in national, regional or international courts or tribunals that have or may in the future have jurisdiction over these crimes, in accordance with international law. As per paragraph 33 of the report of the Secretary-General (A/71/755), the Mechanism will be located in Geneva, Switzerland . In accordance with paragraph 31 of the terms of reference of the Mechanism, set out in the Annex to A/71/755, the Head “ shall be appointed by the Secretary-General upon consultation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Legal Counsel, for an initial period of two years, which shall be renewable.” Paragraph 40 of A/71/755 also provides that “[t]he Mechanism will be headed by a senior judge or prosecutor ... at the Assistant Secretary-General level.” In order to ensure a sufficiently broad and representative pool of candidates, to attract the best qualified candidates and to supplement the Secretary-General’s own search, the Secretariat would welcome any applications to supplement the Secretary-General’s own search and consultations. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. The vacancy announcement is available on the following website: https://www.un.org/sg/en/vacancies/ All applications should include the curriculum vitae of the candidate and a cover letter and must be sent to the United Nations by Monday 15 May 2017, at the following e-mail address: syriamechanism@un.org