Consultancy: OMCT SOS-Torture Network « Global Action Week Against Torture » and General Assembly 2021

OMCT SOS-Torture Network « Global Action Week Against Torture » and General Assembly 2021

1. The OMCT

The World Organization Against Torture (Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture – OMCT) is an independent international non-governmental organization based in Geneva, with offices in Brussels and Tunis. Active since 1985, it works through its SOS-Torture Network that, with its 200 members, forms today one of the largest civil society coalitions fighting against torture and other-ill treatment, summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, as well as for the protection of human rights defenders and torture victims.

2. Background

The OMCT holds its General Assembly every four years. The last one took place in November 2016 in Geneva, where the OMCT organized at the margins of the statutory General Assembly meeting a two-day Forum with over 150 participants including Network members and key personalities of the human rights community.

For its 2020 General Assembly the OMCT had foreseen a week-long event combining public events across the city of Geneva to raise awareness around the issues of torture and human rights defenders, with more intimate “labs” on the new frontiers in the fight against torture. Plans for an in-person meeting in Geneva, scheduled to take place in December 2020, were however disrupted in March 2020 with the eruption of a global pandemic.

As travelling remains uncertain - and climate change remains a certainty - OMCT decided to keep its General Assembly format as originally designed but to bring it entirely online so to turn a global crisis into an opportunity to invest into a different and fresh format, with the hope to make it truly participatory for its global Network. Being a membership organization, it is a priority for the OMCT to ensure the engagement and participation to such an event of virtually all Network members.

3. What we would like to do

In light of the current pandemic situation, the OMCT will organise its next General Assembly in a virtual setting. The OMCT will convene a series of online events at the margins of its General Assembly across a whole week - the SOS-Torture Network Global Action Week Against Torture. Foreseeable datesare February 15-19, 2021.

The aim is to bring together Network members and key personalities in the torture and human rights community in order to raise awareness around the issue of torture; strengthen the anti-torture movement; put torture on the political agenda and; design collective responses to the human rights and health crisis.

The events that will take place during the week will take different formats, notably:

1. Opening event: Panel discussion format, open to a broad audience, ideally web-streamed across multiple platforms; the opening event will include live interventions from a variety of speakers connecting from different locations, with the possibly for the public to ask live questions. Simultaneous interpretation will most likely be needed.

2. Labs: 9 regional (3 per region) and 1 global 2-hour interactive discussions including breakout sessions and other creative facilitation tools to encourage vibrant discussion and ideas (20 to 40 participants). Primary target audience for these labs are Network members and partners. The contents of some of these discussions may be sensitive.

3. Inspirational talks: 1/1.30-hour conversations with key personalities and inspiring speakers open to the public, allowing attendees to ask live questions to panelists;

4. Closing event: Panel discussion format closing the week with keynote speakers, art performances etc.;

5. OMCT General Assembly:half day institutional meeting, will require interpretation and voting system (40/45 participants).

Should the conditions allow, some of the events could also be held physically in Geneva and broadcasted online.

4. Objective of the Consultancy

The OMCT aims to recruit a consultant to provide it with guidance and support on the organization of the virtual events described above, notably:

Advice and guidance

· Provide recommendations on themost appropriate virtual event platformfor the organization of the Anti-torture week and the institutional GA meeting as well as remote simultaneous interpretation and multi-streaming software. Foreseeable challenges include:

- Participants will speak different languages and connect from different time zones;

- Some of the participants may have no or limited IT skills;

- Limited or unstable internet connection in some regions or areas;

- Limited interaction and exchange between participants resulting in limited networking opportunities and sense of belonging to the anti-torture movement;

- Security concerns for members under surveillance and/or connecting in closed environments.

The platform should be:

- user-friendly;

- allow for remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI)

- allow for a broad range of different event formats i.e. panel events, interactive dialogues, breakout discussions; video screenings;

- dynamic and interactive (breakout sessions, chats, Q&A, polls etc.);

- customizable;

- “light” and secure;

- provides space for breakout sessions for one-to-one connection (if feasible)

IT support

· Help setting up and running the virtual event platform, multi-streaming software and remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI);

· Support with customisation;

· Provide training to OMCT staff on how to use the platform;

· Provide technical support, including troubleshooting ahead of and during the events.

5. Desired skills and experience

The ideal consultant will have the following skills and competencies:

Advice and guidance and IT support

· Demonstrated experience supported by portfolio in organising and/or supporting large virtual events and conferences;

· Solid technical skills in the production of online events and event streaming to social media platforms;

· Advanced understanding of online platforms and functionalities, for example registrations, using polls & surveys, interpreter mode, chat box and Q&A etc.

· Good interpersonal and communication skills;

· Excellent written English; good command of French and Spanish is an asset;

· Experience in working with NGOs and understanding of human rights related issues is an asset.

6. How to apply:

Applicants should provide the following:

• An expression of interest including a description of no more than 1,000 words explaining their interest in this project and providing details of previous experience in remote conferencing platforms and/or in organizing and supporting the organisation of large virtual online events;
• Expected daily fee and number of days required to perform the consultancy.

The OMCT is looking for the consultancy to start ASAP. Applications should be sent by 18 October to applications@omct.orgwith “Consultancy – OMCT General Assembly” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.