United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Consultant (Legislative and Policy Research)

Duty station: 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
Country / area: Austria
Region: Europe
UN system: Other UN Entity
Level: CON
Category: Consultants
Job family: Drug Control and Crime Prevention
Posted: Jun 03, 2026
Closes: Jun 12, 2026 in 7 days Source: 05:59, Jun 12, 2026 Europe/Vienna

About this role

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is seeking a Consultant to support the development of a Repository of Best Practices on legislative frameworks addressing sexual extortion against minors, online child sexual abuse and exploitation (OCSAE), and non-consensual dissemination of intimate images (NCII). The Consultant will conduct legal research, comparative analysis, and policy analysis to identify implementation gaps, areas of convergence and divergence, and opportunities for legal harmonization. Key responsibilities include developing a research methodology, preparing an annotated bibliography, designing a legislative mapping matrix, conducting desk reviews, and presenting findings. The role requires extensive experience in legal research and policy analysis, with a focus on international law, criminal law, human rights law, or cybercrime. The Consultant will work remotely from home and is expected to complete the assignment from July 1, 2026, to September 21, 2026.

Key requirements

Advanced university degree in Law
1 year legal research experience
Experience in legal or policy analysis

Nice to have

Experience in criminal justice system
Experience with international organizations
Knowledge of another UN language

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Requirements at a glance

Distilled by AI from the posting

Min. experience: A minimum of one (1) year of experience in legal research in international law, criminal law, human rights law, or cybercrime is required.
Required degree: An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Law is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Languages: English

Result of Service

The Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks, to be completed in coordination with the supervising team: A. Support the development of a research methodology and workplan, prepare an annotated bibliography, design a legislative mapping matrix, and present these deliverables at an online inception meeting. B. Conduct a desk review and comparative analysis of legislative frameworks on OCSAE, NCII, and sexual extortion at the domestic, regional, and international levels, identifying implementation gaps, areas of convergence and divergence, and opportunities for legal harmonization, including identification and synthesis of legislative best practices in criminalization, investigative procedures, international cooperation, victim support, and digital platform accountability. Present findings to the supervising team. C. Support with the finalization of a Repository of Best Practices based on feedback received from the supervising team.

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

01 July 2026 to 21 September 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

Sexual extortion against minors, online child sexual abuse and exploitation (OCSAE), and the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images (NCII) are among the most serious and rapidly evolving forms of technology-facilitated violence against children. Digital communication platforms, encrypted messaging applications, and social media have created new vectors through which perpetrators target, groom, and exploit minors across multiple jurisdictions. Sexual extortion, i.e. the coercion or blackmail of children through threatened or actual distribution of sexual images, frequently intersects with other forms of OCSAE, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming, and online solicitation, while NCII constitutes a distinct but related category of harm with severe psychological and legal consequences for victims. The transnational nature of these crimes challenges criminal justice systems worldwide, requiring harmonized domestic frameworks and legal definitions, and effective international cooperation mechanisms. Despite growing legislative attention, significant gaps remain in coverage, implementation, and enforcement. In this context, UNODC is developing a Repository of Best Practices to support law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and policymakers in the investigation and prosecution of sexual extortion, OCSAE and NCII cases, consolidating legislative frameworks, procedural guidance, case law, and operational best practices from diverse legal systems.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Law is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of one (1) year of experience in legal research in international law, criminal law, human rights law, or cybercrime is required Demonstrated experience in conducting legal or policy analysis, including statutory analysis and comparative law is required. Excellent drafting skills are required. Demonstrated experience in the criminal justice system is desirable. Experience working in or with international organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, or research institutions in a legal or policy capacity is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, oral and written fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

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