Associate External Relations and Reporting Officer

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UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Wednesday 15 Feb 2023 at 00:00 UTC

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Contract

This is a UNV International Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Youth contracts.

UNHCR Mauritania provides protection and assistance to some 90,000 Malian refugees in the arid south-eastern region where the Mbera refugee camp is located, and to 14,906 urban refugees and asylum seekers in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. Conditions in Mali are not yet conducive for large scale returns, and as such the refugee population in Mbera camp is the highest it has been since the camp was established in 2012. The Government of Mauritania has committed to a policy of inclusion for refugees. Accordingly, UNHCR continues to build refugee resilience and to deepen its engagement with development actors to enhance capacity of national services. The External Relations unit is responsible for donor relations, for reporting to headquarters, for supporting senior management in inter-agency representation and for engaging with the general public and the media (communication). The External Relations Unit supports the operation both in the urban areas where it is present (Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Nema) and in the Hodh Chargui region where the Mbera refugee camp is located.

Associate External Relations Officer in Nouakchott (secondary reporting line), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Keep abreast all developments in operations to prepare appropriate briefings and reports. • Prepare periodic reports, i.e. donor updates, internal sitreps, briefing notes for senior managers, and activity-specific reports as required. • Prepare funding submissions for donors, and draft any required after-action reports. • Develop and maintain working relationships with the government, NGOs, and UN agencies to ensure cooperation in inter-related activities. • Support the UNHCR-led Cluster activities by preparing and distributing minutes, assisting in the organization of meetings; occasionally chairing meetings, and serving as the general secretariat for the relevant Cluster. • Support the supervisor in preparation for meetings and missions drafting of talking points. • Organize and accompany missions for VIP visitors, delegates to visit refugee sites or the activities of UNHCR implementing partners. • If there is no Public Information (PI) focal point in country, serve as PI focal point, contributing to and coordinating press events, interviews, PI missions and other activities related to information dissemination to the general public to promote UNHCR activities.

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 instance 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.

• The volunteer will act as the primary liaison with the External Relations Unit at the nation-al level, including coordination, drafting and quality control of inputs from the Sub-Office for proposals and reports.

• UNHCR teams adopt a multifunctional approach to its protection work. In this context, the volunteer can be required to perform other duties as assigned by supervisors.

• 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 envi-ronment. • 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 under pressure, with conflict-ing deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/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, articu-late options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volun-teers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing per-sonal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different tar-get groups; • Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, re-mote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hard-ship 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 solidar-ity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.

a field related to external relations, communications, media relations or reporting

Mauritania is a stable country security-wise, including the region of the Hodh Chargui where the duty station is located, but is impacted by the overall unstable regional security environment. Bassikounou is an E duty station with an 8-week R&R cycle, where the living conditions are not easy. International staff and guests on mission are housed in UNHCR’s guesthouse, which has security guards on duty 24/7 and avails of a small gym. Staff with dietary restrictions or prefer-ences may face challenges as the choice of foodstuffs may at times be limited. Medical facilities are very limited and staff requiring medication should bring such medication with them. The duty station is reached by UNHAS flight two or three times a week or by car (a two-day trip). Recrea-tional facilities are very limited and the consumption of alcohol in public places is prohibited and not available. Bank facilities and cash points (ATM) are available in Nouakchott, a bank office is available in Bassikounou, staff are paid by EFT. Having said the above, the overall security en-sured by the Mauritanian authorities allows for very rewarding field work with refugees and part-ners across a range of activities, including working with development actors

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org