Mission and objectivesUNHCR's primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. In its efforts to achieve this objective, UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, and to return home voluntarily.
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. Eastern DRC continues experiencing one of the most complex humanitarian crises globally, characterized by recurring conflict, widespread displacement as well as emergency and protracted challenges. Together with other humanitarian stakeholders, UNHCR supports governmental authorities in North Kivu province in responding to the needs of over 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDP) and 2 million IDP returnees as well as nearly 160,000 refugees and asylum seekers through a broad protection and solution-oriented strategy that integrates emergency response, transitional support and durable solutions. This UNV assignment is part of a project aiming at delivering lifesaving assistance and facilitating solutions in favour of persons under UNHCR mandate in North Kivu, in particular refugees having expressed willingness to be repatriated to their countries of origin as a durable solution. The Registration Assistant will be based in Goma, a key operational hub in Eastern DRC that oversees a wide range of protection and assistance projects and programmes and will report to the Protection Officer. The incumbent will be supporting registration activities, particularly those relating to voluntary repatriation, while also getting involved when required in other registration-related and protection activities in favor of people under UNHCR mandate. The Registration Assistant will liaise as required with relevant governmental and non-governmental partners as well as directly interact with people under UNHCR mandate to ensure the effective delivery of protection, assistance and solutions in favor of the latter. This assignment offers a valuable opportunity for a national UN Volunteer to gain hands-on experience in UNHCRโs field operations within one of its most challenging and dynamic contexts. The incumbent will develop a solid foundation in registration and, more generally, in protection, assistance and solutions interventions while deepening her/his understanding of work in complex humanitarian settings.
Task DescriptionUnder the supervision of the Protection Officer, the Registration Assistant will: โข Conduct registration interviews in accordance with existing standard operating procedures (SOP) and registration standards. โข Assist in preparing relevant documents, including (pre-)manifests and voluntary repatriation forms (VRF), and ensure that refugees are provided with appropriate documentation. โข Respond to queries from refugees regarding UNHCR's registration procedures and their rights and entitlements. โข Gather and enter information and data on voluntary repatriation into relevant databases in line with SOP. โข Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to all individual registration cases. โข Support the development and publication of information products relating to voluntary repatriation. โข Contribute to identifying persons with specific needs by paying due attention to age, gender and diversity (AGD) dimensions and ensure their timely referral for follow-up as required. โข Provide support to voluntary repatriation border-crossing/return movements. โข Collaborate with protection staff and partners in the delivery of protection, assistance and solutions, including provision of identity and entitlement documentation. โข Perform other related duties as required. Results/expected outputs: As a team member of UNHCR Sub-Office Goma, the Registration Assistant is expected to be proactive, timely, responsive, client-oriented and provide high-quality support to UNHCR and persons under its mandate in the accomplishment of her/his assignment. Main expected results/outputs include: โข All refugee candidates to voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin are effectively registered in relevant databases in line with existing SOP. โข Registration issues are systematically identified through regular audits and adequately addressed. โข (Pre-)Manifests, VRF and other relevant documents are issued in a timely manner. โข A dashboard on voluntary repatriation is produced on a regular basis. โข An AGD approach is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. 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
Competencies and valuesโข 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 remarksGoma is the capital of the North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda. It has an estimated population of 2 million people. In addition to French, the main spoken language in the concerned province is Swahili. While being an important gateway to the eastern part of the DRC, Goma remains isolated from other cities across the country due to poor road infrastructure. Boat transport is extensively used to commute with other towns bordering the Kivu Lake, such as Bukavu. Goma is located near 2 active volcanoes, namely Nyamulagira and Nyiragongo which last erupted in 2021; both are monitored by Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG). Gomaโs climate is classified as tropical wet and dry although temperate as the city sits at altitude. Staff posted in Goma reside in commercial accommodation available in town. Noting that the local currency is the Congolese Franc and that the US dollar is also widely used, banking facilities are currently not easily available while credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels and some supermarkets. There is an acceptable access to communication means, such as internet, telephones, etc. Medical facilities in Goma are equipped to deal with moderate medical cases. Candidates with conditions requiring regular treatment or medical supervision should be appropriately advised. The security situation in North Kivu remains volatile. Despite all security measures, UN and other organizationsโ staff members remain at risk due to rampant and persistent criminality fueled by economic hardship and the presence of armed groups. Strict adherence to security measures is advised to all staffs in order to preserve them from being victims of serious security incidents and enable a smooth and secure conduct of UN operations. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.