RFP: EHRA is seeking consultant for development of submissions to UN Treaty Bodies on Moldova and Kazakhstan

The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) is a non-profit, public membership organization uniting activists and harm reduction organizations from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA), with the mission to actively unite and support communities and civil societies to ensure the rights, freedoms, health and well-being of people who use psychoactive substances in the CEECA region.

The activities will be implemented within the Regional project "Sustainability of services for key populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA)” – #iSoS: Empowering and Innovations, implemented by a consortium of organizations under management of the ICF "Alliance for Public Health", with the financial support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Repressive drug policy in CEECA region causes constant and severe human rights violations of people who use drugs. Every year thousands of people who use drugs go to jail for victimless crimes, they are denied treatment, discriminated by social services, abused by police, have limited job and educational opportunities. Most of those rights are guaranteed by national constitutions and international human rights treaties and states are obliged to ensure and protect them.

Each year, EHRA is documenting and preparing country reports, which are submitted and presented to UN Treaty Bodies. In 2025 EHRA is planning to make submissions on Kazakhstan to:

• the Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and
• the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

And on Moldova to:

• the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and
• the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Objectives:

The objective of this consultancy is to support the development of submissions to UN treaty bodies on the human rights situation of people who use drugs in Moldova and Kazakhstan (to the above mentioned bodies). The consultant will:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant UN treaty body documents on Moldova and Kazakhstan.
• Engage with communities of people who use drugs in both countries to identify key human rights concerns, challenges, and individual cases.
• Develop a well-researched and evidence-based report for submission to relevant UN treaty bodies (up to 10-15 pages per country/ per report).

How to Apply

To be eligible, consultants must comply with the EHRA Code of Ethics and EHRA’s position on the Russian military aggression in Ukraine.

Applicants must submit a CV and Letter of Interest reflecting competency, proposed number of working days, costs (in euros) to info[@]harmreductioneurasia.org with the RFP number and their name in the subject line.

General Terms

1. Consultant must speak and write fluently in English and/or Russian.

2. EHRA will sign an agreement with one selected consultant. The contract will define a detailed work plan and payment terms.

3. EHRA reserves the right (but does not commit itself to obligations) to enter into negotiations with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications or additional information, as well as to agree on the timing of work.

4. The winner must confirm his/her/their daily rate before signing of the agreement.

5. Results will be announced by March 20, 2025. Each candidate will be contacted individually.

6. Any questions regarding this RFP should be sent to eliza[@]harmreductioneurasia.org until March 13, 2025.