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 coordinate 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). In line with this mandate UNHCR supports the Republic of Uganda in protecting individuals who seeks asylum in the country as well as those in the country at risk of being stateless or who already are considered stateless. UNHCR also provides direct assistance through implementing partners to refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda. UNHCR puts strong effort into identifying durable solutions for all refugees in Uganda and to reduce the risk of persons in the country becoming stateless.
ContextUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations to protect and safeguard the rights of refugees, also supporting former refugees who have returned to their home country, people displaced within their own country, and people who are stateless or whose nationality is disputed. UNHCR is guided by and acts as the guardian of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. UNHCR leads international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Formally known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes. Today, UNHCR works in 137 countries, providing life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. UNHCR defends their right to reach safety and helps them find a place to call home so they can rebuild their lives. Long term, UNHCR works with countries to improve and monitor refugee and asylum laws and policies, ensuring human rights are upheld. UNHCR considers refugees and those forced to flee as partners, putting those most affected at the centre of planning and decision-making. This UNV assignment is part of UNHCRโs initiative to increase its proactive fundraising efforts for Uganda operation, the largest refugee response in Africa, with more than 1.9 million refugees, 13 settlements and a budget of over USD 361M. Uganda has a model refugee policy and as the first country to pilot the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), it currently leads on the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees with an explicit goal to sustain and further operationalize its progressive refugee policies whilst leveraging sustainable support for both refugee and host communities. This assignment is key in organizing donor missions, developing fundraising material, supporting the monitoring of implementation of donor contributions and drafting donor reports for UNHCR and the entire refugee response, which the GoU and UNHCR jointly coordinate through the Uganda RRP. The operation continues to spearhead efforts to improve accountability in the refugee response, following the allegations of fraud and corruption in 2016-2017. The position is located at Country Office (Kampala). The External Relations Assistant reports to the External Relations Associate. The ER Assistant maintains contact with three Sub-Offices (Adjumani. Arua and Mbarara) and other UN agencies, NGOs, government partners to facilitate alignment and accuracy of information. As and when required, the ER Assistant will provide support to other units under the respective area of responsibility, including Comms and Operational Reporting.
Task DescriptionWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of External Relations Associate or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV External Relations Assistant will: - Develop concept notes and funding proposals. - Organize donor missions - Support monitoring of implementation of donor contributions - Draft donor reports Results/expected outputs: As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: - Compile fundraising material and adapt it to match donorsโ requirements - Collect information for donor reports. - Perform all milestones from Donor Mission Checklist for every mission.
Competencies and values โข Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; โข Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organizationโs interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; โข Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; โข Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. โข Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; โข Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; โข Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; โข Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCRโs mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
Living conditions and remarksAs this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.