Associate Protection Officer – UNV

General

Description of assignment title

Associate Protection Officer

Assignment country

South Sudan

Expected start date

01/08/2024

Sustainable Development Goal

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Volunteer category

International UN Volunteer Specialist

Host entity

UNHCR

Type

Onsite

Duration

12 months

Number of assignments

1

Duty stations

Malakal

 Details

Mission and objectives

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 protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise 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. During times of displacement, we provide critical emergency assistance in the form of clean water, sanitation and healthcare, as well as shelter, blankets, household goods and sometimes food. We also arrange transport and assistance packages for people who return home, and income-generating projects for those who resettle.

 

Context

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 protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to re-turn home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org). UNHCR FO Malakal was established in 2005 after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the North and South Sudan in Kenya. Following the downgrading of sub-office Malakal to field office in 2013, the field office has been supporting IDP and returnee protection programs through protection leadership, protection monitoring, protection needs assessments and response in Upper Nile State. UNHCR FO Malakal activities aim to streamline, improve and expand on existing protection activities. It also enhances access to protection services for the most vulnerable members of the community (persons with specific needs and extremely vulnerable individuals) through the operation of “One-Stop Shop” Com-munity Center and Mobile Outreach Units. In addition, FO activities provide a solid platform for housing, land and property (HLP), legal aid and strengthen community protection structures and self-reliance through peaceful coexistence projects in the Malakal PoC, Malakal town and areas beyond Malakal. It also address-es the acute needs of PSNs and extremely vulnerable individuals through distribution of NFIs and shelter repairs. The protection program is mainly implemented through Protection Desks / Centers, which are run by HDC, DRC and ADRA throughout Upper Nile state, which encompasses protection monitoring, prevention and response including GBV, HLP/legal aid, child protection and pro-vision of services through established effective referral mechanisms. Field Office Malakal is also involved in CCCM and response to emergencies and influxes. Moreover, FO Malakal is increasingly taking on integration and reintegration activities under the solutions Roadmap, which include provision of shelters, community support and peacebuilding projects.

 

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Head of UNHCR Field Office Malakal, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Through relationships with persons of concern, authorities and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to senior management. • Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the persons of concerns are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS. • Utilize the IDPs footprint during the planning process . • Coordinate the promotion of international refugee law principles and standards and also IDP legislation or policies ensuring that all sectors and clusters fulfill their responsibilities mainstreaming protection. • Coordinate the implementation and monitoring of programmes ensuring that identified protection needs, including an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach, are adequately addressed. • Provide policy guidance and operational support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues. • Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (civil documentation, in particular birth certificates). • Monitor, and assist with the intervention in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners. • Assist in the coordinated implementation and oversight of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities. • Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement are sought and provided to the largest possible number of per-sons of concern • Ensure through direct action and advocacy with more senior protection staff that the necessary resources are allocated to enable protection activities to identify and address protection and assistance gaps. • Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and SGBV, and solutions approaches. • Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among populations of concern, authorities and host communities. • Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with persons of concern, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute to ensuring that the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in an AGD-compliant strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. • Contribute to the Protection team’s information management component which: provide disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; research, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary. • Ensure participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches are included in, strategies and plans in the country operation. • Support persons of concern to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. . Results/Expected Outputs: • Protection strategies are developed covering all different persons of concern. • Specific protection needs are identified and addressed. • International refugee law standards and principles are enacted and respected. • Legal advice and guidance on protection issues are provided. • Durable solutions are provided to the largest number of refugees and IDPs • Countries in the region maintain regular contacts. • The participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches, which inform protection and assistance programming. • National protection capacities are improved through direct engagement, research and advocacy with all relevant external interlocutors. • Protection incidents and needs are immediately identified and addressed through direct intervention, advocacy and public exposure. • Coordination with partners and other humanitarian actors is effectively maintained. • The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, and capacities developed.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 – 80

Nationality

Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

 Requirements

Required experience

3 years of experience in refugees and/or other people of concern in a protection capacity required. • Field experience. • Commitment to help persons of concern and willingness to cooperate with counterparts. This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, unless the UNHCR Medical Service approves an exemption from this requirement on medical grounds. Desirable Qualifications and Skills: • Knowledge of UN policies and procedures. • Good analytical skills. • Strong interpersonal and communication skills in a multi-cultural setting. • Ability to live and work in the difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential. • Experience of working in emergencies and response to influxes. • Experience of working in IDP and returnee operation. • Ability to work in demanding work environment. Office Package (excellent knowledge of Word, good knowledge of Excel and Power Point) and Internet browsing.

Area(s) of expertise

Community development

Driving license

–

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required

 

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in Law, International Law, International Relations, Social Sciences, Political Sciences or related field

 

Competencies and values

• Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented. • Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work un-der pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent pro-jects/activities. • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender. • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse back-grounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, re-mote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations; willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary. • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance, and commitment towards the UN core values.

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

UNHCR FO Malakal was established in 2005 after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the North and South Sudan in Kenya. Following the downgrading of sub-office Malakal to the field office in 2013, the Field Office has been supporting IDP, IDP and refugee returnee protection programs through protection leadership, protection monitoring, emergency response, peaceful coexisting community support projects, protection needs assessments and response in 9 counties of Upper Nile State and 2 counties of Jonglei state. Upper Nile and Jonglei states have been the scene of intercommunal conflicts and flooding which has resulted in large displacements across the state. Moreover, FO Malakal has been dealing with the influx of returnees and asylum seekers from Sudan following the eruption of internal flighting in Sudan and influx of returnees from Ethiopia following deterioration of security situation around camps in Gambela region of Ethiopia and food distribution challenges in the refugee camps in Gambela. The UNHCR office and accommodation are located within the UNMISS compound in Malakal. The movement from the capital Juba to Malakal and vice versa is by plane (UNHAS and UNMISS). Missions to counties outside Malakal are mainly conducted by boat due to inaccessibility by road because of rains/floods and lack of proper roads. Only limited locations are accessible by road. FO Malakal is classified as an ‘E’ non-family duty station in a culturally sensitive setting with poor educational, health and leisure facilities. It is classified as a Security Level IV with a UN-imposed curfew after dark hours due to security risks. During the rainy season (April-November), it is recommended for staff members to have gum boots (for field missions outside Malakal), raincoats and mosquito repellents. There are several airlines flying from most destinations to Juba via Dubai, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Istanbul, Cairo or Entebbe. Travel to field offices in South Sudan are handled by UN humanitarian flights. Currently there are three UNHAS flights per week between Malakal and Juba. Staff can open USD bank accounts in South Sudan and only high US Dollar bills i.e. US$50 and US$100 are accepted for foreign currency exchange transactions. South Sudan bank notes exist in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 South Sudanese Pounds. Foreign ex-change transactions can be done at any commercial bank in a safe and secure location. There are very few ATMs and credit card facilities in Juba, South Sudan to draw USD (max $500 per 24hours). Currently, there is no banking facilities nor ATM in Malakal town

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, unless the UNHCR Medical Service approves an exemption from this requirement on medical grounds

 

 

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