Associate Legal Officer

Contract

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

UNHCR’s engagement in Serbia builds on 45 years of supporting refugees, displacement and statelessness issues since 1976. In the 1990’s, UNHCR assisted Serbia initially with emergency reception and accommodation of refugees and IDPs from the region, and subsequently with facilitating voluntary return or local integration, including through the Regional Housing Programme (RHP). In 2015/16 when more than a million people transited the country towards the European Union, UNHCR assisted the Serbian Government in emergency response to the massive influx by providing emergency shelter, food and non-food aid, as well as protection support. Since mid-2016, when the number of arrivals has started to decrease, UNHCR has been focusing on more sustainable developmental and institutional protection and solutions interventions.

UNHCR Serbia actively promotes a protection-sensitive approach to the management of mixed movement flows which includes promoting synergies, complementarity of mandates/activities and responsibility sharing among different actors. It capitalizes on the tradition in Serbia of hosting forcibly displaced persons and aims to support the strengthening of national asylum system and related processes to provide protection and viable solutions to refugees and asylum seekers. This will be done within the framework of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) which recognizes that sustainable solutions can only be achieved through solidarity, responsibility-sharing, and collaboration across all sectors of society. UNHCR also actively promotes and supports Serbia's accession to the EU in the respective areas. UNHCR’s strategy in the country builds on the strengths and capacities of the persons of concern and explores innovative ways and partnerships to facilitate protection and solutions, including inclusion and integration.

The strategy aims at contributing to the following two impact areas:

1. Refugees, asylum seekers, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and persons at risk of statelessness benefit from an improved and more systematically implemented legal framework and can thus access rights in line with international standards: persons in need of international protection have access to territory and asylum procedure, receive protection and assistance in safe reception conditions, and particularly children at risk benefit from a system which addresses their needs. A fair and fast asylum procedure, identity documents and a solid legal framework guarantee the rights for refugees and asylum seekers, and they can effectively enjoy these rights. The factors for the risk of statelessness are mitigated through adjustment of the relevant legislation and practice which facilitate immediate birth registration, and vulnerable IDPs have better access to socioeconomic rights and are eventually provided with solutions.

2. Refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs and persons who are no longer at risk of statelessness are a meaningful part of the Serbian society and are welcome to contribute with their human capital to the local community. Persons of concern live in an environment where their rights are guaranteed and where they are included; they possess education and skills to be utilized in the labor market and are able to provide for their families; children and youth receive quality education enabling them to thrive; and persons with specific needs receive social support.

Under the direct supervision of Head of Protection Legal Unit, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the coordination and promotion of international refugee law principles and standards as well as IDP legislation or policies • Contribute to the Protection legal team with legal analysis; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary; • Provide policy guidance and operational support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues and stay abreast of developments in the area of asylum and migration at the international level • Advise 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; • Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with persons of concern, host communities, local authorities and partners. • Monitor, and assist with the intervention in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners; • Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among populations of concern, authorities and host communities; • 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.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take an 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; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• 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.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • 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 under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • 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 backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCR’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

law-related profession at the international level; experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset. • Experience working with refugees, human rights, international organizations strongly desirable • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines. • Strong communications, research, editing, and writing skills. • Developed interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development. • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.

Belgrade is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It has good health, education, and transportation facilities. There is a variety of sport and cultural activities offered (e.g. sightseeing, theatres, cinemas, exhibitions), and restaurants that offers typical local as well as international cuisine. The situation in Serbia is generally quiet; all international agencies consider threats to their staff to be low.

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is classified as "A" family duty station. The city lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. With a population of around 1.667 million it is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Europe. Its name in Serbian translates to White city. Serbia has a continental climate with four seasons and uniformly spread precipitation. The official language is Serbian. Serbian is written in both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets. Belgrade is in the Central European Time (CET) zone (GMT+1 hour). Summer time (GMT+2 hours) lasts from the end of March until the end of October. The local currency is dinar (RSD). . Health care system is available at all levels. No specific immunization is required from travelers entering the country. Visa to enter Serbia is not required for holders of UNLPs and citizens of all EU countries, USA, Canada and some other countries. The nationals of countries for which visa is required need to submit the application at the nearest embassy prior to travel The local currency is dinar (RSD).

For more details, please visit http://www.serbia.com/ and https://www.beograd.rs/en/living-in-belgrade/