Political Affairs Assistant
Assist with political affairs, analysis, and administration.
This opening expired 3 months ago.
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Overview
Assist with political affairs, analysis, and administration.
You have:
- Relevant experience in areas linked to political affairs, governance, social science and development issues is desirable.
- Familiar with the culture and traditional norms of the host country and abide by all legal norms applicable in the country.
Contract
This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is mandated by Security Council Resolution 2626 (2022) which was extended under Resolution 2777 (2025).
UNAMA’s original mandate, laid out in UN Security Council Resolution 1401 (March 2002) was to support the implementation of Bonn Agreement (December 2001). This mandate has changed over time to reflect the needs of the country and was last extended on 16 March 2026, by UN Security Council Resolution 2818 (2026). In view of requests from some Member States to review UNAMA’s mandate, the Council opted for a short three‑month extension to allow sufficient time for further discussions ahead of a decision by 17 June.
The Security Council mandate tasks UNAMA with the promotion and support of humanitarian assistance in line with humanitarian principles, human rights, equality for women and girls, inclusive governance, resilience, and economic stability, and using our good offices for principled and constructive engagement with all national, regional and global stakeholders in the pursuit of Afghanistan’s peace and stability.
Under the overall and direct supervision of Badakhshan Head of Office, the National UN Volunteer Political Affairs Assistant will be provided with on-the-job training in order to support Political Affairs in areas of: - Gathering, selecting and analyzing information from diverse sources, including publications and the media, with special attention to the representation of all segments of society including vulnerable categories like minorities and women; - Supporting the monitoring of national, provincial and district level political developments and keep abreast of latest trends and developments in the area of assignment in accordance with the priorities established by the mission; - Assisting in maintaining up to date knowledge of events relating to political issues in general, and in particular areas of responsibility as well as thematic mandates; - Assisting in the development and maintaining of profiles/maps database for the political section, including: provincial and district profiles, tribal profiles, background of important personalities, and other directories, profiles, maps as requested; - Assisting in the maintaining contacts with regional/local civil and government officials/structures; community leaders; political parties and civil society representatives in areas of responsibility; - Assisting in preparing summaries of articles from a wide variety of sources and provide inputs to reports; Supporting the Office’s provision of good offices in line with the mandate; - Interpret from English into Pashto/Dari and vice-versa during meetings; Translate documents from English into Pashto/Dari whenever necessary; - Providing support to visiting teams/missions as required; - Participating in periodic field missions in order to update the overall political situation; - Providing administrative and logistical support to officers in the Political Affairs Division; including arrangements for meetings, preparing documents etc. - Supporting field trips including preparation of road mission requests and arrange for security clearances - Creating and maintaining administrative files and official records including records of incoming and outgoing correspondence
- Accountability
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Planning and Organizing
- Professionalism
- Working in Teams
Relevant experience in areas linked to political affairs, governance, social science and development issues is desirable.
This position is a national UNV and the incumbent is the resident of the country where this position is. He/she is familiar with the culture and traditional norms of the host country and abide by all legal norms applicable in the country.
The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included) and final repatriation (if applicable). Furthermore, in non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, a Well-Being Differential (WBD) will be provided on a monthly basis.
Potential interview questions
| Can you give an example of how you have gathered and analyzed information from diverse sources? | This question assesses your analytical skills and ability to synthesize information. | Provide a specific instance highlighting your approach to information gathering and analysis. |
| Describe a time when you had to monitor political developments. What methods did you use? | The interviewer wants to understand your monitoring skills and how you stay informed. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you ensure you include diverse perspectives in your analysis? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Tell us about your experience with stakeholder engagement in political contexts. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What challenges have you faced in administrative support roles, and how did you overcome them? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you approach translations during meetings to ensure clarity? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you describe a field mission you participated in and your contributions? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies do you use for planning and organizing meetings and events? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
Added 3 months ago
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Updated 3 months ago
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Source:
unv.org
