Mission and objectivesThe 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 protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise 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).
ContextAs of 30 Apr 2025, UNHCR Bangladesh has registered/identified 1,133,981 Rohingya refugees (235,128 households) who fled persecution in Myanmar. Significant waves of arrivals occurred in 1990 and 2017, and new refugees continue to seek safety in Bangladesh in 2024 and 2025 due to escalating conflict in Rakhine State in Myanmar. As a result, a wave of new arrivals to the camps was identified in late 2024, totaling about 117,690 individuals. The security situation within the camps in Coxโs Bazar is complex with regular reports on criminal activities, kidnappings and abductions, and clashes between armed groups. Six years after the most extensive flight to Bangladesh, the Rohingya refugee response transitioned from an emergency to a protracted situation. While UNHCR has notably expanded its skills development programme through two frame-works promoting livelihoods for refugees and host communities, opportunities for volunteering offered by aid agencies were limited, covering only a small fraction of working age refugees. The vast majority of refugees continue to heavily depend on the humanitarian aid. The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has consistently maintained that repatriation is the preferred solution for the Rohingya in Bangladesh, reaffirming its commitment to ensure the voluntariness of returns. The prevailing security and human rights situation for the Rohingya people in Myanmarโs Rakhine State indicate that safe, dignified, and sustainable repatriation is not feasible anytime soon. The GoB maintains a position that it will not allow Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to locally integrate. Without decisive interventions to enable and encourage solutions, vulnerabilities of Rohingya refugees to various protection risks will in-crease as is often the case in protracted refugee situations. A robust and proactive approach to solutions is thus necessary to meet the needs of Rohingya refugees and alleviate some pressure on the Government and host communities of Bangladesh. Solutions strategy for the refugees in Bangladesh use resettlement mainly as a protection tool for refugees at heightened risk, while keeping a primary focus on the safe, voluntary, and dignified returns. Resettlement countries have shown interest to resettle Rohingya refugees out of Bangladesh. UNHCR increased submissions in 2022 to over 1,000 and in 2023 large scale resettlement began leading to over 20,000 refugees submitted to five resettlement countries. A robust system has been put in place for large scale resettlement processing, including but not limited to, fair and transparent identification mechanisms, anti-fraud measures, and communicating with the refugees. The Durable Solutions Unit in Coxโs Bazar, Bangladesh, currently comprises of one Senior Durable Solutions Officer (P4), one Durable Solutions Officer (P3), one International UNV, and 7 Senior Durable Solutions Assistants (G5). With the increase in resettlement places, expertise at the UN Volunteer level (casework/case processing) will be necessary to provide adequate support to team to ensure that the targets are met.
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of Durable Solutions Officer, the UN Volunteer will under-take the following tasks: โข Liaise with other functional units within UNHCR to identify individuals in need of prioritized resettlement and to ensure that necessary action is taken to finalise documentation on case submissions to resettlement countries; โข Conduct casework by interviewing refugees identified for resettlement. Assess their resettlement needs, complete RRFs (Resettlement Registration Forms) and refer cases for review; โข The IUNV is expected to complete 6-9 RRFs per week, depending on complexity of the cases; โข Follow-up on deferrals and review resettlement cases for possible resubmission; โข Research country of origin information to understand, support and strengthen resettlement cases; โข Assist the Unit with the organization of training workshops and seminars on resettlement related issues; โข Regularly update the proGres database and the physical file with resettlement events ensuring the confidentiality of individual case information and maintain own statistical data for reporting purposes; โข Follow-up on individual cases, interview refugees and liaise with the registration unit on matters concerning registration and change in family composition; โข Oversee the submission of cases to RST countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and unallocated, in accordance with the requirements of the resettlement country; โข Maintain communication with UNHCR in Dhaka, the Regional Bureau in Bangkok and RCPS/HQ if required related to feedback on prepared cases and make necessary changes and amendments to RRFs, as deemed necessary; โข Assist the office in managing refugeesโ expectations through information sharing, out-reach and counselling of refugees in the resettlement pipeline; โข Participate in Durable Solutions Unit, Protection Section and other Office meetings. โข Perform any other resettlement related activities as required; โข Undertake additional assigned duties to support UNHCR Coxโs Bazar, including ad-ministrative tasks not limited to data entry, data analysis and research. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: โข Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); โข Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; โข Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; โข Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; โข Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; โข Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR Sub Office Coxโs Bazaar its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: โข Obtaining of durable solutions for Rohingya refugees including resettlement, local integration and voluntary return when feasible. โข Knowledge and communication skills to identify vulnerable cases for referral for resettlement assessment following the established criteria. โข A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities through-out the assignment.
Competencies and valuesCore Competencies: โข Accountability โข Communication โข Organizational Awareness โข Teamwork & Collaboration โข Commitment to Continuous Learning โข Client & Result Orientation Managerial Competencies: โข Judgement and Decision Making Cross-Functional Competencies: โข Stakeholder Management โข Planning and Organizing โข Political Awareness
Living conditions and remarksCox's Bazar is a category D family duty station. Educational facilities are limited, and international schools from primary to secondary school are currently available in Dhaka only. Health services are limited in Cox's Bazar, but more reliable facilities are available in Dhaka. Malaria and dengue risks exist throughout the year. Vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and diphtheria are recommended. Cox's Bazar is a principal tourist destination within Bangladesh, due to its location at the Bay of Bengal and its long beach. Infrastructure and shopping options in Cox's Bazar - a small city of just 250,000 persons is very basic. International staff reside in privately rented apartments, or serviced apartments all of which provide basic standards. The Rest and Recuperation (R&R) cycle in Cox's Bazar is 8 weeks. The current R&R location is Bangkok. Cox`s Bazar is connected by several daily flights to Dhaka. Banks/ATM ma-chines are available in Cox's Bazar and credit/debit cards are accepted. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks and exchange houses. Staff who intend to be joined by family members, in particular young children, should contact HR for more information, as educational and medical facilities are not adequate. The security level system in Bangladesh is level 3 moderate. Although security is generally acceptable, given the current situation in the area, no movement on highways at night is al-lowed. Walking and jogging in the streets as earmarked is permitted. Crowded local markets should be avoided. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than else-where to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.