Legal Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Under this project titled “Support to Housing, Land and Property Rights for vulnerable communities and improve land tenure security of women in Yemen” and within the component to support HLP rights, the project will (i) ensure returnees in Aden, Al Hudaydah and Al-Hawta are provided with HLP awareness-raising sessions with a special focus on women; (ii) ensure returnees in Aden, Al Hudaydah and Al-Hawta are provided legal support on their HLP rights; (iii) support returnees to file HLP claims and restore their HLP documentation and (iv) provide capacity development support to local authorities in Aden, Al Hudaydah and Al-Hawta on the topic of managing HLP rights issues.

UN-Habitat Yemen Programme is recruiting one Legal Officer on Housing, Land and Property Rights to support implementation of this project as well as other key activities of UN-Habitat Yemen Programme.

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Programme Manager and/or his/her designate, in close collaboration with other staff of UN-Habitat Yemen Programme.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Head of Country Programme of Yemen or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer-Legal Officers on Housing, Land and Property Rights will be responsible for the following duties: 1.Provide legal support to the UN-Habitat team -Advise on legal matters related to HLP. -Identify and map all the procedures related to property ownership registration. -Conduct institutional mapping of land administration at national and governorate level. -Follow up on legal matters on HLP claims collected by the UN-Habitat team. -Develop case management plan on HLP claims and provide support to beneficiaries to submit HLP claims; and -Assist and monitor contracted/private property lawyers to follow up on HLP and restoration of HLP claims. -Provide policy, strategy, programme and substantive legal advice and inputs to the project plans and activities. -Support the implementation project activities. -Contribute to the periodic review of property legal matters. -Adjust and consolidate project implementation plans and modalities in accordance with national law; and -Identify and prioritize HLP needs in the targeted communities.

2.Project Implementation -Develop case management plan on HLP claims and provide support to beneficiaries to submit HLP claims and restore HLP documentation. -Follow up on legal matters on HLP claims collected by the UN-Habitat team. -Undertake advocacy initiatives on HLP issues for Yemeni returnee and provide legal guidance where relevant. -Deliver workshops, awareness raising sessions, seminars and training on HLP to beneficiaries, stakeholders, counterparts, community leaders and partners. -Conduct capacity assessment of local authorities to the targeted locations on management of housing, land and property rights issues. -Develop plans for capacity development training based on the findings. -Deliver capacity development sessions targeting local authorities and Real Estate Registration Office in the targeted locations.

3. Stakeholder engagement -Maintain regular communication and develop relationships with stakeholders including the government counterparts, NGO/CSO implementing partners, contractors, relevant UN agencies and beneficiaries. -Organize consultation meetings with key stakeholders at national, governorate and district level on HLP-related issues as required. -Attend the meetings with community leaders, events and participate in groups and committees as needed. -Advise on legal matters related to HLP.

3.Provision of support to the project operations and management -Follow up the policy, strategy, programme and provide substantive legal advice and inputs to the project plans and activities. -Adjust and consolidate project implementation plans and modalities in accordance with national law. -Identify and prioritize HLP needs in the targeted communities.

4.Product/content development -Produce dissemination materials such as booklets, manuals, training materials, etc.… in accordance with the templates provided by the Programme Manager. -Develop a range of legal tools to support HLP rights of Yemeni returnees. -Draft, and develop project reports, and other relevant materials.

5.Monitoring and Reporting -Conduct regular monitoring of legal issues of the programme activities in Yemen and share information with UN-Habitat’s relevant personnel as required. -Conduct research and draft legal reports. -Provide editorial and formatting work for reports. -Perform other duties as assigned by Head of UN-Habitat Yemen Programme.

-Accountability -Adaptability and Flexibility -Building Trust -Commitment to Continuous -Learning Creativity -Ethics and Values -Integrity -Planning and Organizing -Respect for Diversity -Self-Management Vision -Working in Teams

• Relevant experience after receipt of the required academic qualification in the relevant field to coordination, administration and projects management.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting legal research and writing reports and assessments, preferably on HLP rights is required.
• Proficiency in computer skills and word processing, spreadsheet, Microsoft access and other applications is required.
• Experience in establishing inter-relationships with counterparts and organizations is desirable.
• Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills is desirable.
• Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team is desirable.
• Previous work experience in Nineveh Governorate is desirable.

UN personnel in Yemen operate in a volatile security environment. In Aden, personnel work in secured compound with limited access outside of the city, which usually can only be done with stringent clearances and depending on the destination, a military escort. Aden is a non-family duty station and is classified as security risk moderate. UN personnel in Aden live in Minimum Operational Security Standards (MOSS) compliant residences outside of the UN compound.