UNOPS – United Nations Office for Project Services

Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO) Chiffre Nr. 2025-2-48

TERMS OF REFERENCE

I. General Information

Title: JPO Migration Policy Officer

Sector of Assignment: Migration

Organization/Office: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Platform on Disaster Displacement

Country and Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland

Duration of assignment: 2 years with possibility of extension for another year. The extension of appointment is subject to yearly review concerning priorities, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance

Please note that for participants of the JPO-Programme two years work experience are mandatory! Relevant work experience can be counted. In order to assess the eligibility of the candidates, we review the relevant experience acquired after obtaining the first university degree (usually bachelor’s degree).

II. Supervision

Supervisor:

Head of Secretariat, Platform on Disaster Displacement

Content and methodology of supervision:

• A workplan will be formulated and agreed with the Head of the Secretariat with clearly defined activities, outputs, milestones and reporting requirements.
• Meeting workplan objectives as reflected within Performance Evaluation Review (annual and mid-term).
• Setting personal development objectives within Performance Evaluation Review.

III. Background: Platform on Disaster Displacement, Requesting Unit and Justification for Request

The Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) was established in July 2016 as a State-led initiative to follow-up on the work of the Nansen Initiative and to support States and other stakeholders to implement the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Agenda for the Protection of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change (Protection Agenda) which was endorsed by 109 States in October 2015.

Forced displacement related to disasters, including the adverse effects of climate change (disaster displacement), is a reality and among the biggest humanitarian and development challenges facing States and the international community in the 21st century. To address these challenges, PDD promotes a comprehensive approach to cross-border disaster displacement. Its vision is a world in which ‘’no one will be left behind’’, and in accordance with the aim of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, disaster displaced persons are protected and persons at risk of disaster displacement are provided with measures helping them to stay or move safely out of harm’s way. The objective of the PDD is:

To support States and other stakeholders to strengthen the protection of persons displaced across borders in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change, and to prevent or reduce disaster displacement risks in countries of origin.

The following structure is put in place as part of PDD to support the implementation of activities aimed at achieving this objective: 1) Steering Group, 2) Advisory Committee, 3) Secretariat and 4) Group of Friends.

The PDD Secretariat, based in Geneva, Switzerland and hosted by the United Nations Project Services (UNOPS) supports the Platform to achieve its objective and strategic priorities in accordance with the applicable PDD Strategy 2019-2022 and PDD Workplan 2019-2022. It supports the Chair, Vice-Chair, Envoy of the Chair, Steering Group, Group of Friends and Advisory Committee members of the Platform as well as relevant partners at the national, regional and global levels in developing and implementing the Platform’s activities. It has a key coordination function between these different components that are part of the structure of the Platform.

PDD’s Strategy 2019-2022 identifies as Strategic Priority One to Support integrated implementation of global policy frameworks on human mobility, climate change action and disaster risk reduction that are relevant for disaster displaced persons. It further identifies implementation of the New York Declaration and notably the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) as one of three prioritized global policy frameworks for engagement.

The GCM was endorsed in a General Assembly Resolution on 19 December 2018 (A/RES/73/195). It is the first document negotiated in the framework of the United Nations in which the international community makes specific commitments to address the drivers that compel people to leave their countries of origin in the context of natural hazards, environmental degradation and the adverse effects of climate change, and to protect and assist those who are compelled to leave their countries in these contexts.

The implementation of the GCM offers a unique and historic opportunity to address the challenges of human mobility in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change, in all its different forms (displacement, migration and planned relocation), in line with international standards and at different levels of implementation (sub-national, national, regional and global). The PDD’s crucial role in this regard is highlighted in the GCM text itself, sub-paragraph 18 I, which calls for development of coherent approaches to address the challenges of migration movements in the context of sudden-onset and slow-onset natural disasters, “including by taking into consideration relevant recommendations from State-led consultative processes, such as the Agenda for the Protection of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change, and the Platform on Disaster Displacement”. 

Consequently, support to the implementation of the GCM is a strategic priority for PDD in its 2019-2022 Strategy and Workplan. Concretely this means promoting the use and application of effective practices to prevent, reduce and address disaster displacement. It also means to engage with and provide support to the review and follow-up processes at the regional and national levels in 2020 and at the global level in 2022 (International Migration Review Forum).

IV. Duties, Responsibilities and Output Expectations

The overall objective of the JPO position (Junior Migration Policy Officer) is to support the capacity of PDD and the Secretariat to support implementation of the GCM, in particular those elements that are directly relevant for the work of PDD (e.g. objectives 2, 5, 21 and 23 of the GCM). The work will include research, analysis and mapping and consolidation of effective practices, support to capacity building and training, contribution to tool development, preparing input and analysis for the review processes, and liaison with States and other key partners and stakeholders.

The PDD Secretariat is looking for a dynamic Junior Professional Officer (Junior Migration Policy Officer) who will support the Secretariat’s efforts to provide technical assistance to States and other Stakeholders in implementing the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda and the PDD Strategy 2019-2022. The Junior Migration Policy Officer will be part of a small and dedicated team and report directly to the Head of the PDD Secretariat.

The Junior Migration Policy Officer is expected to be proactive, innovative, entrepreneurial, agile and results oriented, demonstrating a high standard of professionalism, confidentiality and integrity. The Junior Migration Policy Officer should be able to anticipate the needs of the team and tailor support accordingly. We are looking for a candidate with strong analytical, drafting and communication skills and competencies.

The duties of the Junior Migration Policy Officer are as follows:

• Support the PDD and the Secretariat to liaise with and contribute to the work of the UN Network on Migration (UN Network), and in particular regarding the capacity-building mechanism, supporting development of national implementation plans and implementation of disaster displacement relevant Thematic Workstreams.
• Support PDD and partners to develop and implement a future workstream of the UN Network on “Migration and displacement linked to disasters, the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation”.
• Research, analyse and map actions, policy instruments and effective practices that are used to prevent, reduce and address disaster displacement and share them with the GCM global knowledge forum and other relevant fora.
• Support PDD dissemination and feeding of effective practices on disaster displacement, including practices generated from PDD activities, into national, regional and global GCM review processes.
• Support consolidation and analysis of national and regional effective practices regarding disaster displacement to inform development of policy guidelines and tools on admission and stay (e.g. regional human mobility frameworks, Standard Operating Procedures, etc.), as appropriate.
• Support policy coherence in the implementation of the GCM by promoting the inclusion of relevant work undertaken under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (e.g. the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage and its Task Force on Displacement) and other relevant global policy processes within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Promote the active participation of, and draw on the work of the PDD Advisory Committee members in PDD’s support to the implementation and review processes of the GCM.
• Support PDD to prepare input and recommendations for the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) through the preparatory processes, biennial reports, roundtables and the Progress Declaration in 2022.
• Provide support in producing content material based on relevant messages and activities around the implementation of the GCM for PDD online communication outlets (e.g. website, social media, blogs, newsletter etc.) and PDD offline communication outlets (leaflets, folders, banners, fact sheets, etc).
• Support the PDD Secretariat team in all coordination, organization and reporting tasks, as required.
• Any other tasks assigned by supervisor to support the overall management and work of the Secretariat.

V. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in International Law, Political Science, Social Sciences, Development, International relations or related fields. A communications degree is an asset.

Work experience:

Two to 4 years relevant working experience. All paid work experience since obtaining Bachelors degree will/can be considered.

• At least two years of progressively responsible professional experience in an international working environment is required.
• Relevant professional experience in the area of migration, displacement, climate change and humanitarian affairs is an asset.
• Experience in supporting international conferences, policy dialogue and communication projects and in liaising with diplomatic missions.
• Hands-on experience in primary research, research design, data collection methodologies and   monitoring and evaluation of projects/program is desirable.
• Experience working on/supporting communications in English, French and/or other languages is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of French or Spanish is strongly desired.

Key Competencies of the assignment:

• Strong analytical skills: Demonstrable success in identifying patterns, causalities and correlations from large amounts of complex information from various sources and synthesizing this analysis into clear statements and summaries.
• Effective Communication: Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.
• Partnering: Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
• Results Orientation: Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.
• Solution Focused: Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
• Leading Self and Others: Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. Comfortable working with individuals across different sectors and organizational levels.

VI. Learning Elements

The JPO is expected to familiarize him/herself with the multilateral, international community and to interact with stakeholders from different policy areas, with a focus on migration and migration management but liaising with disaster risk reduction, climate change action, refugee protection, humanitarian and environmental stakeholders, discussions and global processes.

At the end of the JPO period, the incumbent will have developed expertise and a network among different stakeholders from these policy fields, from UN to other international and regional organizations, civil society actors, academia and in particular Member States.

UNOPS offers a variety of courses and learning possibilities on the job and in online trainings and classes.

VII. Information about Living Conditions at the Duty Station:

A relocation package will be shared with all information regarding Geneva and its surroundings.

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2025-2-48 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

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