Mission and objectivesThe first 25 years of UNHCRโs presence in Pakistan were dedicated to the protection of Afghan refugees. The organization built refugee camps, assisted new arrivals, documented, registered and protected individuals. Throughout the years of war in Afghanistan, Pakistan hosted the largest number of refugees in the world. Despite facing its own economic and social challenges, Pakistan has always maintained its tradition of hospitality by offering refuge to those in need. Since 2002, in what has become the worldโs largest assisted return programme, UNHCR has been facilitating voluntary repatriation of millions of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Ten years after programme began, UNHCR has directly helped around 4.4 million Afghans to return home. Though its mandate is to protect refugees rather than to respond to natural disasters, UNHCR was quick to take action when a devastating earthquake hit northern Pakistan in October 2005. Its emergency relief efforts then, and again in response to historic flooding in 2010 and 2011, assisted millions of families who had lost their homes and their livelihoods.
ContextThe 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.orq). Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol and has not enacted national legislation concerning refugees. However, Pakistan's provision of protection and assistance to Afghan refugees is generally in accordance with international standards and Pakistan's international human rights obligations. UNHCR's supervisory role vis-a-vis refugee protection is envisaged by a Cooperation Agreement of 1993, which recognizes the role of UNHCR within the parameters of its Statute. Pakistan has an over 40 years long history of hosting refugees. Over 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees and smaller number of non-Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers. The majority of Afghan refugees were recognized on a prima facie basis by the Government of Pakistan and are Proof of Registration (POR) Card holders. A smaller number of Afghan and non-Afghan asylum-seekers are processed in accordance with mandate procedures. In recent times, there has been policy shift and the Government of Pakistan has implemented the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan, that is currently being implemented and targeting largely the undocumented and specific categories of non-PoR Afghan holders.
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following protection tasks to support UNHCR Pakistan's strategic operational and protection objectives. This opportunity will allow the successful candidate to develop professionally in terms of work areas and competencies relevant to 'Programme for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development' (HRD) which includes Priority area 1 (protection, displacement, social work, community cohesion, human rights) - Assist in the development and implementation of general and community-based protection strategies and promoting participation of refugees in participatory assessments and decision-making processes. - Support individual case management, including providing guidance on follow-up on specific protection issues (e.g. GBV, child protection). - Liaise with partners and relevant interlocutors for protection prevention and response activities including support for social cohesion. - Engage in necessary coordination to support the Protection Working Group mechanisms as required. - Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR's updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs. - Provide necessary liaison and appropriate support for operational planning and forward-looking coordination of the inter-agency response. - Ensure that the Protection Sector has an effective information management component which provides disaggregated data on populations of concern, gaps; collects and disseminates relevant information and good practices to enhance protection delivery. Work closely with Information Management to support ensure accurate and effective data presentation and graphics. - Contribute research to legal analysis, policy briefs, or advocacy materials on international refugee law and human rights. - Draft correspondence, reports, guidance notes and background information for meetings and missions. - Liaise with external partners and local organizations on behalf of UNHCR. Perform other related duties as required. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: - 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). - Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. - Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. - Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. - Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. - 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.
Competencies and values- Accountability - Adaptability and Flexibility - Building Trust - Client Orientation - Commitment and Motivation - Commitment to Continuous Learning - Communication - Empowering Others - Ethics and Values - Integrity - Knowledge Sharing - Planning and Organizing - Professionalism - Respect for Diversity - Self-Management - Technological Awareness - Working in Teams
Living conditions and remarksPakistan is situated in South Asia. Located along the Arabian Sea, it is surrounded by Afghanistan to the west and northwest, Iran to the southwest, India to the east, and China to the northeast. Pakistan has an extremely varied geographical outlook, including mountains, deserts, major rivers and the sea. Pakistan experiences frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe, especially in north and west. Security: Islamabad is a family duty station. For all official travel, UN Security Clearance is required/mandatory. Registration with home embassy is highly recommended. International Staff deployed in Pakistan are required to report to Security Unit for detail briefing. Guest Houses: The UNV Field Unit will help arrange your initial accommodation, at your expense (Settling-in Grant is foreseen for this). Telecommunications: There is one major fixed line provider (PTCL) and 4 cellular companies (Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor and Zong). 4G service is being provided by almost all cellular companies. Call rates vary but are extremely cheap for some Western countries. All cellular operators in Pakistan use GSM platform. Country code for Pakistan is +92 and City code for Islamabad is (0)51. Electricity (Voltage): Electricity in Pakistan is 220-240 Volts. Health: State of the art health facilities are available throughout the country and especially Islamabad. Dental care facilities are also available. There are no mandatory vaccines required to travel to Pakistan. Currently dengue fever is on the rise in Pakistan especially in Punjab. Mosquito repellents are recommended. There are other health facilities in Islamabad which have been recognized by WHO. Diet, Food and Water: There are many local markets around Islamabad as well as various supermarkets that are stocked with imported goods. Islamabad has a large number of restaurants and cafes. Tap water is not advisable and bottled water is available almost everywhere. Using alcoholic drinks in public is illegal in Pakistan. Money/banking: Current US dollar exchange rate is 1 USD = PKR 279. To receive payments locally, UNV unit will help you open a bank account with Standard Chartered Bank. This will be a paired account where you can use it both for US dollar as well as Pak Rupee. ATM machines can be found throughout the country. Climate: The climate is generally characterized by hot summers and cool or cold winters. From June to September, most of the country is lashed by the South West Monsoon, which leads to heavy rainfall and high humidity. Islamabad has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers accompanied by a monsoon season followed by fairly cold winters. The hottest months are May and June, where average highs routinely exceed 38 ยฐC (100.4 ยฐF). Respect: Pakistan is a conservative country, and it is advisable for women to wear long skirts or trousers in public (Pakistani women wear the traditional shalwar kameez, but in the big cities, women wearing jeans and khakis is not very uncommon sight, especially in casual settings, shopping malls and around picnic spots). Dress codes for men are more lax, though shorts are uncommon. Men should never shake hands with or touch a woman they don't know very well. As with most of South Asia, the right hand is used for eating, shaking hands and giving or receiving everything (including money), while the left hand is reserved for handling shoes and assisting in toilet duties. Discussion about religion and Islam should remain respectful and positive.