🇧🇪 Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer 🧑‍⚖️ UNODC Job in Brussels, Belgium 🤝

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is hiring a Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officerat the P-3 level in Brussels, on a temporary three-month appointment. The role coordinates the global THEMIS programme to strengthen international judicial cooperation against transnational organised crime and terrorism, and the application deadline is 2 September 2026.

Where This Role Sits

The position is located in the Brussels Liaison Office (BRULO), UNODC, under the Border Management Branch (BMB), Division for Operations. The incumbent works under the supervision of the Head of BRULO and reports substantively to the Chief of the Border Management Branch, supporting the global THEMIS programme in close cooperation with UNODC headquarters and field offices, prosecution and judicial cooperation networks, THEMIS consortium partners, relevant EU institutions and delegations, Member States and UNODC-supported prosecutors' networks.

What You Would Do

⚖️ Lead the UNODC component of the THEMIS programme, including coordination with relevant EU partners, consortium partners and EU agencies such as Eurojust.

🧭 Provide strategic oversight and coordination of THEMIS activities implemented by UNODC field offices, and facilitate structured cooperation between field-based criminal justice practitioners and EU institutions and agencies.

🌐 Strengthen international judicial cooperation, prosecution capacities and criminal justice responses against transnational organised crime and terrorism, and support the development of the Judicial Cooperation Network for Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus (CASC Prosecutor Network).

🤝 Support coordination between prosecutors, judicial authorities, border management agencies and law enforcement, and provide technical assistance for international cooperation in criminal matters, including mutual legal assistance, extradition, joint investigative teams and investigative case forums.

🎓 Design and prepare capacity-building activities, judicial dialogues, simulated trials and technical workshops for prosecutors and criminal justice practitioners, and support cooperation and information exchange between the CASC Prosecutor Network and other regional and international mechanisms.

🤝 Develop and maintain partnerships with governments, prosecution authorities, judicial institutions, regional and international organisations and donors, identify emerging criminal justice needs and opportunities, and contribute to programmatic and administrative tasks such as work plans, budgets, progress reports and funding proposals.

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Who Can Apply

🎓 An advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in international law is required. A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu.

📅 A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience as a judge, prosecutor, lawyer or legal expert is required, including experience providing technical assistance in international judicial cooperation in criminal matters, organising and supporting prosecutor network forums, and providing legal advice and capacity building to prosecutors and central authorities.

🌍 Desirable: experience cooperating with European agencies on criminal justice, law enforcement or judicial cooperation; working in diverse legal systems; and developing specialised training for criminal justice practitioners.

Language

🗣️ English and French are required for this job opening. Russian is desirable.

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Good to Know

⌛ This temporary position is available for three months, with actual filling and duration subject to availability of funding. If the selected candidate is an internal UN Secretariat staff member, the selection may be administered as a temporary assignment. Brussels is classified in the H category (family duty station).

🚫 The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.