Associate Political Affairs Officer

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UN DPPA - Department of Political Affairs and Peace-building

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Thursday 21 Jul 2022 at 00:00 UTC

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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.

The Associate Political Affairs Officer will be based in the DPPA Liaison Office with SADC (Southern African Development Community) - (SALT) in Gaborone, which forms part of the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and reports to Central and Southern Africa Division (CSAD) at UN Secretariat, New York) through the Great Lakes and Southern Africa Team (GLSAT).The core functions of Central and Southern Africa Division are in the area of conflict prevention, peace-making and post-conflict peace-building. Its key responsibilities are to monitor developments in the Central and Southern Africa Region and provide UN leadership, including the Under-Secretary-General and Secretary-General, with analytical reports and briefing notes, to provide substantive and operational backstopping to Resident Coordinators in the field as well as to support and provide substantive servicing of the Security Council and General Assembly on matters pertaining to the region, including through the preparation of briefings and reports. SALT works on strengthening and enhancing cooperation on sustaining peace and security with the sub-regional organisations such as the South African Development Community (SADC), which Secretariat is headquartered in Gaborone. SALT covers all the member countries of the SADC region and undertakes frequent field mission travel throughout the region.

The DPPA SALT Office was established in 2010 following consultations between the SADC Secretariat and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. The main goals of SALT are to (1) strengthen and enhance cooperation between SADC and UN in the areas of conflict prevention, resolution and management, (2) support capacity-building activities devised to strengthen SADC’s conflict prevention capabilities, including in the areas of preventive diplomacy and mediation, (3) conduct regular consultations with SADC Secretariat staff in order to identify potential areas of cooperation.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of SALT (Senior Political Affairs Officer) and under the overall supervision of the Team Leader for GLSAT, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

  • Contribute to the on-going analysis of political developments in the SADC region and assist in the drafting of substantive documents and reports (analytical notes, talking points, etc);

  • Assist SALT in on-going liaison work with the SADC Secretariat;

  • Contribute to thematic/comparative reports on regional dynamics on topics such as land rights, youth and the Women, Peace and Security agenda;

  • Closely monitor news in countries covered by the Team and draft comprehensive news clippings and other media analysis reports;

  • Maintain close working relations with UN Country Teams, PBF and other relevant UN partners active in the region;

  • As required, undertake missions in the region to support UN delegations, UN Country Teams and DPPA projects or workshops;

  • Play a proactive role in reaching out to think tanks, academia and civil society in the SADC region to enhance the quality and breadth of political analysis; Provide administrative and substantive support to various workshops, events, XB projects, and other activities implemented by DPPA in the region;

  • Service substantive meetings as required, including note-taking;

  • Provide support to RC’s offices and UNCTs in the region as well as internal United Nations coordination mechanisms;

  • Undertake other relevant tasks and assignments as requested.

• Communication: expresses oneself clearly in conversation and interaction with others; actively listens. Produces effective written communications. Ensures that information is shared. • Teamwork: develops and promotes effective relationships with colleagues and team members. Deals constructively with conflicts. • Moving forward in a changing environment: is open to, and proposes, new approaches and ideas. Adapts and responds positively to change. • Promoting innovation and organizational learning: invigorates the Organization by building a culture which encourages learning and development. Sponsors innovative approaches and solutions. • Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences: demonstrates ability to work constructively with people with different backgrounds and orientations. Respects differences and ensures that all can contribute.

political affairs, government, diplomacy, peacebuilding, conflict resolution or international development. Prior experience in political analysis and reporting is essential. Field experience and knowledge of the context of Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Africa is mandatory. Proven ability or interest to work with government officials or International, Regional or Sub-Regional organisations is an asset.

The DPPA SALT Office is based in Botswana’s capital city of Gaborone, which is a family duty station. Gaborone is located a few hours’ drive from Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Airport, providing excellent transport connections. The UN Volunteer will be expected to undertake travel to other countries in the Southern Africa region to support preventive diplomacy and sustaining peace initiatives. Depending on external factors, including political developments in the region, the UN Volunteer may spend an extended amount of time on duty travel outside of the SALT Office. Field visits to on-going projects in the countries covered by the Team may include remote areas subject to non-family and hazardous duty station classification.

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