Peace and Development Associate

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.

Colombia maintains large momentum around peacebuilding: The 2016 Peace Agreement between the FARC-EP and the government is under implementation, there are ongoing peace negotiations with the ELN guerrilla and with other non-state armed groups, and there are ongoing community-based conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts. Colombia is a member of the OECD with modern and capable State capacities. However, the country still faces violence from the armed conflict, entrenched inequality and social inclusion challenges, as well as uneven and weak presence in the parts of the country.

The 2016 Peace Agreement has provided an unprecedented opportunity to address the root causes of conflict and build a sustainable peace. The Agreement remains ground-breaking in its inclusion of cross-cutting gender and ethnic perspectives.

After six years of implementation, however, challenges remain. Continued violence dynamics edged on by resilient illegal economies; re-building trust with communities and victims seeking access to truth, justice and reparations; and guaranteeing the effective access to rights of vulnerable populations; are some of these challenges. Moreover, ensuring a comprehensive rural reform, a community-based reintegration of former combatants, and making headway in measures to strengthen democratic governance will be critical to building a sustainable peace.

Against this backdrop, the 2022 elected Government of President Gustavo Petro has launched an ambitious peace agenda. President Petro’s “Total Peace” policy includes measures to accelerate the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement, while also undertaking peace dialogues with other armed groups like the ELN and dissident FARC-EP groups, conflict resolution of local and social disputes, and submission of criminal organizations. As a complement, President Petro also aims to reform the security sector and move an ambitious rural reform agenda.

The United Nations in Colombia is supporting the government’s Total Peace policy. The UN Country Team (UNCT) is composed of 27 agencies, funds and programmes, with mandates covering peace support, sustainable development, humanitarian response, gender, protection of children, and human rights, among other critical issues. Sustaining peace remains one of the three priorities of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which guides the UNCT’s joint action. Close to one third of the UNCT’s portfolio has been traditionally dedicated to sustaining peace.

Under the direct supervision of the Peace and Development Advisor (PDA), in coordination with the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1) Supports activities of the RC to ensure coherence of the UN System in Colombia

• Support the RC in the coordination of the UN System, including preparation and coordination of the regular meetings of the UNCT. • Assists in drafting substantive inputs, speeches and talking points for the Resident Coordinator (RC), including research and coordination of inputs from relevant agencies, with a focus on peace and stabilization. • Assists in drafting of joint UN press releases, articles for media and other communication material, including collecting inputs from relevant agencies and liaising with the relevant departments in the different agencies and UNIC for publication. • Support in the preparation of analysis products related to political, socio-economic and humanitarian trends, in close collaboration with the RCO Peace and Development Advisor and the other RCO advisors, to inform RC and UNCT decision-making, cooperation framework monitoring and joint UN programmes. • Provide support to other key RCO coordination processes.

2) Supports the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and coordination with other strategic UN processes, with focus on stabilization and peace, including:

• Support coordination of UNCT interagency groups, sub-groups, joint programmes and projects in response to the stabilization and peace pillar of the UN Sustainable Develop-ment Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2020-2023. • Support efforts to identify, conceptualize, initiate and facilitate joint UN initiatives, to ad-dress the new national and local needs resulting from peace initiatives or peace agreements’ implementation. • Support coordination and joint programme at local level, in regions priorities for stabilization and peacebuilding. • Supports effective Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting on the UNSDCF, and coherent reporting on results. • Facilitate coordination and alignment of the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Sustaining Peace with UNSDCF priorities and support other joint resource mobilization efforts.
• Support implementation of inclusion and gender equality priorities across the UNSDCF implementation.

3) Supports information sharing, identification of lessons learned and knowledge management for sustainable development, with focus on stabilization and peace.

• Assists in research and analysis of information on topics related to peace and stabilization and systematize and share knowledge and lessons learned across the UNCT. • Support in development and maintenance of partnerships with government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society around sustainable development, with focus on stabilization and peace. • Support information-sharing activities between the UNSDCF Results Groups, as well as between the groups and the UNCT and non-resident UN agencies • Supports coordination between the RC and UNCT and the UN Political Mission, and coordination and coherence between the UN sustainable development cooperation and humanitarian response. • Support efforts to include different stakeholders in the work of the UN in Colombia, such as civil society and private sector, as well as other development partners.

• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Communication • Integrity • Judgement and Decision-making • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Working in Teams

(ideally) or demonstrated interest in:

• Producing analysis, providing management advisory services, hands-on experience with development coordination, and/or design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. • Usage of computers and office software packages (word processing, spreadsheets, databases). • Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded.

Desirable: Demonstrated interest and/or experience in • A conflict and/or post-conflict context, as well as work experience in Latin America. • With the UN Development Pillar Reform, Humanitarian-Peace-Development Nexus, and 2030 Agenda.

According to the recent SRA, prepared by UNDSS, Bogotá has “low” level of risk to live and work. It provides favourable and safe living conditions for all officials. The city still has residual risks akin to those in other similar size cities, but these do not represent a permanent risk for UN officials, whether nationals or foreigners.

UNVs receive a security briefing from UNDP security officials upon starting work, in which they are informed about the security environment of the Duty Station, the security measures to be taken into account and they are supported with securing their place of residence. Similarly, they are entitled to a subsidy for improvements to residential security (MORSS) and have access to security training (some mandatory and others recommended). Although Colombia presents different levels of safety (ranging from low to substantial), each of these is defined clearly for the performance of missions, as well as supported through SRA where expose the mitigation measures that may be required and those established by the MORSS. https://www.unv.org/