Western Australian Convenors: Position Description

About the roles

The successful applicants will be lawyers, legal academics or final year law students with a knowledge of and passion for international human rights law.

ALHR WA Convenors manage ALHR's advocacy on a wide range of human rights issues at the state level. This includes working in collaboration with ALHR’s national thematic subcommittees on areas of strategic priority. ALHR convenors are supported and guided by ALHR’s National Committee and Executive Management Committee.

Work with other civil society organisations to help lead the joint civil society campaign for a WA Human Rights Act

A key priority for ALHR in Western Australia is our joint civil society campaign for a Western Australian Human Rights Act. The WA4HRA Campaign is co-convened by ALHR and the Aboriginal legal Service of Western Australia Inc and auspiced by ALHR.

The campaign coalition is made up of organisations and individuals advocating to ensure that the human rights of Western Australians are protected by law. WA4HRA is led by a Steering Committee made up of member organisations and has several working groups. Together with the Co-Chairs of ALHR's national Human Rights Act(s) Committee, ALHR WA Convenors play a leading role in contributing to and overseeing the WA4HRA Campaign through its Steering Committee and working groups.

ALHR WA Convenors will play a leading role in contributing to and overseeing the WA4HRA Campaign through its Steering Committee and working groups, including by:

• Attending and co-chairing WA4HRA meetings as required;

• Contributing to and implementing the campaign’s strategic planning, Smart Goals and decision-making processes;

• Engaging in political and public facing advocacy;

• Growing the membership of the WA4HRA Coalition;

• Sharing in administrative tasks required to support the campaign such as minute taking and email communications;

• Regularly reporting back to the ALHR Executive Management Committee and National Committee to ensure that internal governance processes are followed in ALHR’s auspicing of the campaign (supported by the ALHR executive) .

Broader Expectations of the roles

Activities are expected to be shared collaboratively amongst the successful applicants and it is anticipated that the roles require an average individual time commitment of 2 - 3 hours per-week.

Beyond the WA4HRA Campaign activities, ALHR WA Convenors will also be able to focus on proactively addressing and confronting local human rights issues that align with their areas of interest through:

• membership-engagement;

• submission-writing;

• letter writing;

• strategic political engagement;

• media engagement;

• organising educational & fundraising events;

• Drafting and sending newsletters to the State/Territory membership.

• Closely monitoring and respond promptly to emails sent to the ALHR Convenor email address. Emails should at least be checked every second day.

• Engaging with and reaching out to enthusiastic members and ensure they are given opportunities to contribute to ALHR’s multi-faceted advocacy.

• Networking with other local NGOs, groups, organisations and stakeholders in order to collaborate on advocacy, including co-hosting events.

• Consistently attending the monthly meeting of the ALHR National Committee to report back on ALHR WA activities. State/Territory Convenors are expected to work together to ensure that there is always at least one ALHR Co-Convenor present at the monthly meetings of the National Committee.

• Proactively engaging and work with ALHR’s thematic national Subcommittees to conduct advocacy on local human rights issues.

Overarching responsibilities

In their work on behalf of ALHR all members of the ALHR National Committee are expected to:

• Regularly brief the ALHR Executive;

• Work collaboratively as part of a national team in a manner that ensures all relevant members of the National Committee are involved in the work being undertaken;

• Comply with ALHR’s internal policies at all times;

• Act consistently with ALHR’s purpose of promoting laws and standards that are consistent with international human rights law standards;

• Treat all internal ALHR documents, communications and policies as confidential;

• Treat all documents and communications created in the course of ALHR’s work as the intellectual property of ALHR;

• Represent ALHR in a professional manner at all times;

• Not engage in conduct that would bring or risk bringing ALHR or members of its National Committee into disrepute.

These are voluntary positions and successful applicants will need to maintain a current annual ALHR membership.