Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to pro-tect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safe-guard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exer-cise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to provide protection (including assistance) and seek durable solutions for refuges UNHCR has also been involved in various IDP operations at the country concerned or the UNGA/SG. Since 2005, With the humanitarian reform exercise, it also is the Global Lead for the Protection, Shelter/NFIs and Camp Coordination and Camp Management in cases of forced displacement in complex emergencies. As a result, in most countries with a Humanitarian Coordinator and a complex IDP situation, UNHCR is leading the Protection Cluster. In addition, it has a specific mandate for the prevention and addressing situations of statelessness.
The UNHCR Operation in Mali covers refugee protection, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees and affected populations. UNHCR is also the Protection Cluster lead in Mali, and coordinates Protection Cluster (PC) working groups in regions most affected by the conflict, including Gao, Mopti and Tombouctou. The UN volunteer will provide instrumental support to the coordination of the Protection Cluster in the country, by assisting the Senior Protection Cluster Coordination Officer in fulfilling essential functions of the cluster, in particular with regard to information management, communication with Areas of Responsibility (AoR), cluster members and other clusters, analysis, advocacy and training/capacity building on protection for cluster members and other relevant partners

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Senior Protection Cluster Coordination Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Protection Cluster Coordination officer will:

• Interact with PC members and maintain close contact with OCHA for the collection and transmission of periodic reports and documents required; elaborate routines for the timely production of these reports;
• Ensure liaison with thematic working groups under the PC (GBV, Child Protection, Mine Actions, Land Issues), as well as Protection working groups /focal points at the regional Level (Gao, Mopti, Segou ang Timbuktu) as well as national protection cluster to ensure follow-up of recommendations and alerts, input into joint analysis and advocacy initiatives, and into protection strategies;
• Compile and review thematic information/data from PC members with a view to drafting a consolidate a Protection Cluster periodic newsletters on a monthly or quarterly basis;
• Assist in the collection of information and analysis of protection data, in the form of reports and/or maps, in particular in view of advocacy on priority protection areas;
• Alert and consult with nuclear PC members in case of emergency and assist in organizing joint evaluation protection missions;
• Assist in the research of data and analysis in support to the Protection Cluster advocacy initiatives, organize advocacy for and with relevant target groups as deemed appropriate;
• Ensure mainstreaming of protection issues by liaising with other clusters and inter cluster forum as relevant;
• Refer PC recommendations to members and UN Agencies/NGOs concerned and ensure/follow-up their implementation;
• Contribute to the development of Protection strategies in context of Humanitarian Common Fund process, ensure timely information of PC members of applicable rules and procedures, ensure that submissions are timely received and ensure review of submission as per Humanitarian Fund procedure;
• Support to the centrality of protection through all the displacement cycle from emergency to solutions;
• Support the follow-up of all matters linked to resource mobilisation, including the Humanitarian Action Plan;
• Design, plan and deliver training in coordination with order actors for target audience as per PC recommendations, in particular with regard to protection mainstreaming, age & gender issues, Protection Monitoring and advocacy, follow-up the impact of training in accordance with indicators;
• Elaborate essential documents for the Cluster (3W/5W), as well as preparatory documents, draft agenda and convene Protection Cluster meetings, and draft meeting minutes;
• Support with the follow up on the GBV, Child Protection, Land Mining, House, Land and Property Areas of Responsibility and the implementation of protection Working Plan and strategy;
• Perform all other duties required by Management.

Results/expected outputs:
o The Cluster’s analysis of trends, gaps and response in enhanced based on inputs from all cluster members, including national NGOs, and is reflected in user-friendly documents (including maps).
o Routines are in place to ensure the timely and sustainable production of periodic analysis and documents of the Protection Cluster.
o Mechanisms to follow the principles of accountability to affected people and participation of communities in protection activities are established and the promotion of the accountability and participation principles in humanitarian action is done;
o Training and capacity building activities targeting Protection Cluster members and other relevant partners are implemented;
o Data relevant to strategic advocacy initiatives of the Protection Cluster are collected and analyzed.