International UN Youth Volunteer in Protection

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.

Since the outbreak of the war on Ukraine nearly 575,000 refugees from Ukraine, mostly women, children and older persons, have arrived in Moldova. Some 75 per cent of refugees continue towards Romania and other European countries, nonetheless, some 90,000 have chosen to remain in Moldova, straining the country’s capacity. In this context, UNHCR is working very closely with the Government of Moldova, and local authorities to respond to the refugee crisis. UNHCR leads the Refugee Coordination Forum (RCF) with more than 100 participating members. The RCF was established in the first weeks of the emergency to coordinate the efforts of other UN agencies, and local and international organizations in support of the government. The response takes a multi-sectoral approach ensuring complementarity to Government responses. UNHCR leads the RCF and co-chairs the Cash, Education, Information Management (IM), Protection, Accommodation & Transportation, and Logistics & Supply Working Groups. UNHCR also leads the GBV and Child Protection Sub Working Groups; the Gender Task Force; and the PSEA Network. The Government of Moldova has established a Single Emergency Management Centre under the Prime Minister’s Office, where UNHCR represents the Inter-Agency Coordination Group, ensuring coordination between the two.

The UNHCR Office in Chisinau has a number of functional units, including protection, accommodation, information management, among others. The Protection Unit is responsible for identifying and responding to the protection needs of refugees in the country, in coordination with the government and partners. It addresses such issues as child protection, gender-based violence, access to the territory, access to asylum, community outreach, local integration (access to jobs, medical care, etc), and legal concerns.

Two important issues being addressed by the Protection Unit are anti-trafficking and third country transfers. Trafficking in human beings, often for purposes of sexual or labour exploitation, is a major concern in refugee situations, given the increased vulnerabilities of those who are displaced. In the context of the Ukraine refugee crisis, trafficking can originate in Ukraine, with Moldova usually being a transit country while en route to the EU, or it can originate in Moldova. UNHCR is working with partners and refugee communities to prevent trafficking from occurring in the first instance, through awareness-raising and outreach, and to respond to incidents of suspected trafficking when they occur.

This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, unless the UNHCR Medical Service approves an exemption from this requirement on medical grounds.

In order to carry out this work, the UN Youth Volunteer will be properly trained both formally, through available workshops, seminars, e-Learning platforms; and informally through on-the-job training, intensive coaching/mentoring, shadowing other colleagues to familiarize his/herself with the relevant global and local policy and procedures related to protection activities.

The UN Youth Volunteer will be closely supervised by both senior and middle level management within the unit and it is expected that within a few months s/he will have the necessary skills to carry out many of the daily tasks with limited guidance.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Anti-Trafficking Officer and the Protection Officer responsible for complementary pathways, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

The UN Youth Volunteer will provide support to the Protection Unit in its ongoing activities, with a particular focus on its work in the areas of anti-trafficking and third country transfers.

In the area of anti-trafficking: - Engage with youth at schools and community centers on the prevention of trafficking in human beings - Assist with adapting existing pedagogical material on anti-trafficking for a youth audience - Assist with preparatory arrangements for meetings of the Task Force on Anti-trafficking

In the area of third country transfers (EU+ Air Transfer Program): • Support with development of social media messaging for EU Air Transfer, identify and tar-get key opportunities to share messaging • Accompany EU+ Air Transfer team in outreach missions to share information about the air transfer program • Support in follow-up with individuals interested in the program to confirm their eligibility and understand their special needs • Support with generating PowerPoints, reports and analysis of referrals • Assist in accompaniment of flight departures • Assist with mapping exercises, data collection and analysis and other tasks as assigned

For the Protection Unit in general: • Support protection monitoring and analysis activities; • Assist with protection unit coverage of inter-agency working groups and task forces; • Support preparations for Protection Working Group meetings; • Support community outreach activities, including focus group discussions and participation in multi-functional teams; • Perform other relevant duties as required

Adaptability and Flexibility Commitment and Motivation Commitment to Continuous Learning Ethics and Values Integrity Judgement and Decision-making Professionalism Respect for Diversity

Experience: demonstrated interest in: • Interest in supporting refugees • Familiarity to humanitarian support • Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volun-teer work, internship) would be highly regarded.

The Republic of Moldova lies in the central part of Europe in the north-eastern Balkans. Moldova occupies an area of 33,843.5 km2. The capital of Moldova is Chisinau. On the North, East and South Moldova is surrounded by Ukraine, and on the West it is separated from Romania by the Prut River. The landscape of Moldova consists of hilly plains with an average altitude of about 150 meters (495 feet) above sea level, which flatten gradually toward the southwest. Old forests called Codrii cover the central part of the country. Moldova is in an earthquake zone connected to the Carpathian Mountains. The last major earthquake occurred in 1989, although smaller scale earthquakes are common throughout the year. Moldova’s two major rivers are the Nistru and the Prut, and a short span of the Danube crosses the extreme southern part of the republic. There are more than 3,000 small rivers or tributaries, of which only seven are longer than 80 km (50 miles). Moldova has more than 50 natural lakes and is rich in mineral-water springs. The country has a temperate climate with four definite seasons. Summers are warm and humid, with an average high temperature in July of +26 degrees Celsius. Winters are cold, especially because of the high humidity. Temperatures can remain below -10 degrees Celsius for several days, and snowfalls are usually not extreme, and snow can remain on the ground for up to several weeks. Spring and autumn are usually beautiful with mild temperatures. Chisinau, the capital, offers a wide variety of cultural and entertainment possibilities, such as opera, ballet, theatre, circuses, and nightclubs. The options decrease, however, in proportion to the population of the community. There are also a growing number of cafes and bars in Moldova, which offer diversity of food and drinks. The computerization of Moldova is progressing rapidly, Internet service is very popular in Moldova at reasonable rates and wireless facilities are available in many locations, therefore using Internet is the common way to stay in contact with friends and family in the home country. The capital city is very green with a lot of parks, lakes and trees around, and it has developed network of cheap public transport, which includes trolleybuses, buses and minibuses. Taxi services are well developed and are quite price-accessible

UN Volunteer entitlements and allowances: The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteer’s service. Contingent on specific eligibility criteria, location of the volunteer assignment and contractual type and category, the payment of allowances will begin from the date of Commencement of Service For more information on entitlements please read the Condition of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos) and use the entitlement calculator (https://app.unv.org/calculator) for the most up to date information.

Monthly Living Allowance (Per month): USD 1868.6 Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 4000 Exit allowance (for each month served, paid on completion of contract): $225 Medical and life insurance: Cigna Private Insurance

Leave entitlements: Annual leave: 2.5 days accrued per calendar month Certified sick leave: 30 days Uncertified sick leave: 7 days Learning leave: 10 working days per consecutive 12 months Maternity Leave: 16 weeks Paternity Leave: 10 days