Temple of Justice statue
Photo: UNMIL

The UNMIL Office of the Senior Legal Advisor performs the following functions:

Legal Advice

• Provide legal advice to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (directly or indirectly through the Deputy SRSGs, the Force Commander, the Police Commissioner, the Chief of Staff, the Director of Administration, and/or other officials), legal assistance to UN agencies and UN personnel as appropriate, on a wide range of diverse and complex legal, international, contractual and UN administrative law matters.
  
• Advise on:
  • questions relating to administration, human resources, management, procurement, insurance, taxation, claims and contracts;
  • the interpretation and the application of Security Council Resolutions (and UNMIL’s fulfillment of its obligations under relevant Security Council Resolutions), General Assembly Resolutions, laws of the host country;
  • application of the Status-Forces Agreement, mandate and operation of UNMIL, applicability and limits of privileges and immunities of the Mission and its personnel including by liaising with the host country authorities and preparing all relevant correspondence, as deemed appropriate;
  • the conclusion and the interpretation – and the draft or review – of contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding, letters of understanding, letters of intent and other instruments concluded on behalf of UNMIL with UN agencies, government agencies, NGOs, individuals and/or legal entities;
  • matters arising in the course of meetings of the various standing Boards, Panels and Committees in which the Office of the Senior Legal Advisor is represented, including Senior Management Meetings, Administration’s Section Chiefs Meeting, Boards of Inquiry, Fact Finding panels, Local Committee on Contracts, Local Claims Review Board, Local Property Survey Boards etc.
  • staff association matters;
    
• Perform extensive legal research and analysis, and prepare legal opinions, reports and correspondence;
  
• Review existing or draft Standard Operating Procedures, codes of conduct, policies and often initiate amendments to or drafting of the same;
  

Legal Services Coordination

• Coordinate/ensure the provision of legal advice services throughout UNMIL offices, including in the counties;
  
• Provide technical legal assistance to Conduct and Discipline Unit, Security Section and the Office of Internal Oversight Services on conduct and disciplinary matters in the form of review of cases, advice on investigation procedures, interpretation of applicable rules and regulations, provision of relevant materials, guidance on available recourse mechanisms and/or the best way(s) forward, and participation in trainings;
  
• Work closely with the Legal and Judicial Support System Division in particular for the collection and the dissemination of information throughout the Mission and at times Government bodies about domestic laws and/or international legal instruments, and/or cooperation on sensitive cases;
  
• Collaborate with legal or administrative officers from UN agencies operating in Liberia, either directly or through queries or requests for technical legal assistance from the UNCT.

Perform any other function as deemed appropriate by the SRSG.