Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA6
Target Start Date2025-07-01
Deadline for ApplicationsJune 24, 2025
Terms of ReferenceI. General Background
Indonesia has acceded to neither the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, nor the 1954 or 1961 Statelessness Conventions. The country has yet to develop a comprehensive asylum legislation, and the governmentโs responses to refugees tend to be ad hoc and greatly reliant on the support of international organizations - primarily UNHCR and IOM. As of March 2025, 12,051 asylum-seekers and refugees are registered with UNHCR. Majority of the population comes from Afghanistan followed by Myanmar and Somalia. The population is dispersed in various locations throughout the country; most of them are located in urban areas, mainly in Jakarta and surrounding areas, and a significant number are residing in IOM-run community accommodations in cities throughout the country.
This position is earmark-funded by Bloomberg Philantropies with the main objective to enhance refugeesโ access to civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) documents in Indonesia, especially State-issued birth and death notifications. Accordingly, the Protection Associate will primarily work with the Assistant Protection Officer and other units to achieve this. In Indonesia, several legal provisions allow the registration of vital events for refugees, including births and deaths, and more than 10% of refugee children born in Indonesia have received State-issued birth notifications. However, the documentsโ template, procedure, and pace of issuance differ per location, and refugee parents are often unaware of the importance of a State-issued birth notifications. In addition, refugee childrensโ official birth notifications are not recorded in the Stateโs national civil registration database, hence lacking permanency of record. Meanwhile, children born from mixed marriages with one Indonesian parent are allowed to obtain a Birth Certificate, but their parents often do not exercise this option due to cultural reasons. All these are hurdles that slow down the pace of birth and death documentation for refugees in Indonesia, and that will be addressed through hiring of this position.
UNHCRโs advocacies on CRVS is also connected to advocacy on inclusion of refugeesโ data in the Stateโs database in order to facilitate refugeesโ access to various socio-economic services in Indonesia, including banking and financial services, health facilities, empowerment opportunities, education, etc. In addition, as enjoyment of the right to birth registration is linked to prior fulfilment of other legal, civil, and socio-economic rights, such as access to asylum, freedom from arbitrary detention, access to livelihood opportunities, access to education, access to health services etc., the Protection Associate is expected to support advocacy, capacity-building, and legal and policy analyses work on all basic rights for refugees and asylum-seekers in Indondesia. The Protection Associate is additionally expected to maintain close contact with displaced, stateless, and vulnerable communities under UNHCR, to remain cognizant of and responsive towards the populationโs needs, vulnerabilities, and awareness on their responsibilities and rights regarding birth and death registration. The Protection Associate will be asked to travel to refugee-hosting field locations in Indonesia to sensitize and discuss with relevant government officials and asylum-seeker and refugee population.
The ideal candidate for this position will have demonstrated skills in results-based advocacy, organizing sensitization and capacity-building sessions, effective communication, and legal and policy analyses, and solid knowledge in national and international human rights laws and principles. In addition, they will have extensive knowledge and experience on civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) and correspondent legal frameworks, processes, and strategies. Preference will be given to candidates with prior UNHCR experiences.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCRโs core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
II. Scope of Assignment
Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Protection Officer, and the overall supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, the individual contractor will assist in the following:
1. Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
2. Consistently apply international and national law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
3. Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern.
4. Provide advice on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
5. Assist in conducting eligibility and status determination for persons of concern.
6. Contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
7. Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
8. Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
9. Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
10. Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
11. Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
12. Contribute to effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
13. Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strenghten national protection related legislation and procedures.
Authority:
1. Prioritize persons of concern for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases.
2. Enforce compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
3. Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
Monitoring and Progress Controls
- The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and
National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
- Protection activities are guided by the UNHCR country protection strategy.
- The participation of persons of concern is facilitated through continous assessment and
evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches.
- Protection incidents are immediately identified and reported
III. Qualifications/Requirements
Years of Experience / Degree Level
3-years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2-years Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law, Political Science or ither related field.
Relevant Job Experience
Essential - Good computer skills, particularly in data management.
Desirable โ Protection Learning Programme .
Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy; CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness; PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators; PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
Nationality: Citizen of Indonesia; non-citizen with Indonesian permanent residence.
Languages: Excellent knowledge of English and Bahasa Indonesia (written and spoken).
Core Competencies: Accountability, Communication, Organizational Awareness, Teamwork & Collaboration, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Client & Result Orientation.
Cross-Functional Competencies: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Political Awareness, Stakeholder Management.
Managerial Competencies: Judgment and Decision Making
Standard Job Description
Protection Associate
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Protection Associate normally reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.
The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC) and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
The Protection Associate also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Duties
- Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
- Provide advice on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Assist in conducting eligibility and status determination for PoC.
- Contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
- Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
- Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy.
- Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems.
- Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
- Assist the supervisor in prioritizing PoC for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases.
- Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Assit the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
- Submit individual payments request for PoC for approval.
- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Field(s) of Education
Not applicable
Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law, Political Science
or other related field
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified
Desirable
Protection Learning Programme
Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
SkillsIT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
Education
CertificationsInternational Law - Other, Political Science - Other
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
RemoteNo