Associate Protection Officer (Community-Based in Tecun Uman, Guatemala)
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 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 pro-tect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safe-guard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exer-cise 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 (www.unhcr.org).
The National Office in Guatemala opened in 2015 in order to strengthen UNHCR’s protection work in the region as part of the UNHCR’s Regional Protection and Solutions Strategy for the countries in the North of Central America (NCA). Following the scale-up of operation activities in the region, a decision is made to reinforce UNHCR presence in both at the field and coun-try levels with futher upgrade the office status to Representation. Central America is suffering a wave of violence stemming from organized criminal groups, including record high homicide rates, sexual violence, disappearances, forced recruitment into gangs, and extortion. The epidemic of violence is compelling a diverse range of people to flee their homes and to seek international protection, particularly in bordering and nearby countries. The United States of America, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador are all affected, either as countries of origin, transit or destination, and in some cas-es, in a combination of these. The Associate Protection Officer will report to to the Head of Field Unit who will provide the incumbent with general guidance and workplans. The incum-bent works quite independently with an oversight from the supervisor. These position do not imply supervisory role.
Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Unit in Tecun Uman the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security sit-uation of the population of concern and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)/stateless communi-ties, using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach; • Through relationships with persons of concern and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an im-pact 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 opera-tions 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; • Ensure through direct action and advocacy with more senior protection staff that the necessary resources are allocated to enable community work to identify and address protection and assistance gaps; • Assist in supporting 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; • Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues; • Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solu-tions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaran-teeing that community-owned activities are integrated; • Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures • Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among populations of con-cern, 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 en-suring 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; • Support the Operation's work to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Frame-work (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian action plan where applicable; • Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provide disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; re-searches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if neces-sary; • Ensure participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches are in-cluded in, strategies and plans in the country operation; • Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on ac-countability and quality assurance in its response; • Support persons of concern to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection.
• Integrity and professionalism • Accountability • Commitment to continuous learning • Planning and organizing • Teamwork and respect for diversity • Communication: proven interpersonal skills • Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of oper-ations; 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.
the areas of community based protection, community services, social work, and human rights. • Knowledge of UN policies and procedures; • Field experience; • Commitment to help refugees and willingness to cooperate with counterparts; • Good analytical skills; • Strong interpersonal and communication skills in a multi-cultural setting; • Experience of working with refugees; • Ability to live and work in the difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is es-sential. • Other
Tecun Uman is a C, family duty station, though living (accommodation) conditions are limited and there are no adecuate health and education facilities, neither recreative or sport ones. There one grocery store with a small range of goods available. The security is quite an issue in the municipality, because it is the border, there is transit of people, goods and prohibit substances as well. Harassment and robberies may occur in the street.
There are frequent power outages and with this there is no access to water since the pumps do not work (it can last from morning hours to night)
For medical attention, the staff goes to Guatemala City or, finally, to Quetzaltenango. Lo-cal medical assistance is not reliable and does not offer a variety of services.
The city is located 6-11 hours away from the capital. It does not have an airport, it only has a local bus terminal. Closest international airport is located in Tapachula/Mexico, and is 40 min away by car. The road between Tecun Uman and the capital is deteriorated in some areas, and during bad weather conditions, in the rainy season, that road can be af-fected. The road frequently has a variety of accidents and manifestations of local popula-tions that sometimes impede movement.
Tecun Uman has a very warm 30-35 C and humid - 95% climate since it is only 20 m above sea level (Ayutla municipality). It is also quite dusty during the dry months (No-vember – March), and the rainy season covers April - August.