Associate Protection Officer | Addis Ababa

Job Description

– Demonstrated understanding of the operational context and critical issues pertaining to refugees and internally displaced persons including risks of detention, refoulement, restriction of freedom of movement, documentation and access to services, and inclusion into the national system.

– Demonstrated knowledge and experience of engagement with the national refugee response architecture as well as the IDP response through the cluster system.

– Field experience, including working directly with communities.

Essential

– Previous professional experience relevant to the function in the humanitarian context in the areas of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights, or international humanitarian law and the ability to apply relevant principles.

– Proven experience working on access to justice to forcibly displaced and stateless persons that include, among others, provision of legal aid service, capacity building to justice stakeholders, transitional justice, detention monitoring, and House, Land and Property (HLP).

– Demonstrated knowledge of relevant international and national legal and policy instruments pertaining to the rights of forcibly displaced and stateless persons including the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).

1. Nature of the position

As of 30 Sept 2023, Ethiopia is hosting nearly 1 million refugees from neighboring countries. UNHCR in Ethiopia continues to respond to new emergency refugee influxes, currently from Las Anod in Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. In addition, since 2020, internally displaced people across Ethiopia faced multiple displacement emergencies due to conflict and a drought which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Protection remains central to all interventions in support of all displaced communities, yet the protection risks change rapidly, requiring constant monitoring and adaptability.

The Associate Protection Officer, under the supervision of the Protection Officer, is responsible to provide legal and protection advice and support on issues pertaining to forcibly displaced persons. S/he will in particular offer legal and protection advice to functional units and external partners on issues related to forced displacement, engage in the analysis of legal and policy matters, support the drafting and review of refugee rights mapping and analysis exercise, and ensure compliance with fraud strategy and policy. S/he also supports efforts of the Government of Ethiopia to develop national laws and policies that support the implementation of the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, partners working on protection and assistance, as well as contribute to the designing and implementation of programs and projects that promote protection and solutions to forcibly displaced and stateless persons.

As result manager for access to justice, the incumbent oversees the implementation of access to justice interventions including provision of legal aid services for refugees, IDPs, and host communities well as promotes the inclusion of forcibly displaced persons in the national Transitional Justice process. He/she will serve as a co-chair of the national House, Land and Property (HLP) Working Group.

The incumbent is also expected to proactively support advocacy efforts including advocating for the inclusion of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the national systems, policies, and strategies. It also includes preparing legal briefs and concept notes to promote the recognition of the rights of individuals in need of international protection, supporting initiatives to strengthen the asylum system, and contributing to similar activities for the realization of objectives set by the organization and the protection unit.

2. Living and working conditions

Addis Ababa is a category B duty station in UN security Level 1 with relatively calm environment with minimal reported crimes within the city. However, a sense of vigilance and alertness is required especially in view of the current situation in the country. Applicants are requested to adhere to security advisory before travelling to the country.

Addis Ababa is a family duty station, the medical facilities are moderately available with the main services being offered at the UN operated clinic which is available to all staff members and their dependents. Transportation outside the country is readily available as major airlines operate from Addis Ababa. There are schools to accommodate international students. Hotels are of international standards with recreational facilities available within the city. Addis Ababa has good working and living conditions.

Standard Job Description

Associate Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Associate Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community-based protection registration, resettlement and education. S/he provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024), Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, Child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses. S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.

The Associate Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern, ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. The incumbent contributes to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. S/he also ensures that persons of concern are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities and capacities of persons of concern. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

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.
– Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
– Foster their consistent and coherent interpretation and application through mainstreaming in all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations.
– Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern.
– Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
– Conduct eligibility and status determination for persons of concern in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
– Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
– Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy to ensure programmes use a child protection systems approach.
– Contribute to a country-level education plan.
– Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities which integrate AGD sensitive procedures.
– Oversee and manage individual protection cases, including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
– Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
– Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other persons of concern.
– Participate in the organisation and implementation of participatory assessments and methodologies throughout the operations management cycle and promote AGD sensitive programming with implementing and operational partners.
– Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
– Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
– Promote and integrate community-based approaches to protection and contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
– Support activities in the area of risk management related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, fraud, case-processing, data protection, and human rights due diligence at country level.
– Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
– Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
– Negotiate locally on behalf of UNHCR.
– Decide priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
– Enforce compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
– Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.

– 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

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law, International Law, Political Sciences or other relevant field

Certificates and/or Licenses

Protection Learning Programme
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

• Professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law.
• Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.

Desirable

Field experience, including in working directly with communities. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills

*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
MG-Project Management
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
CO-Drafting and Documentation
(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.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

• CO-Drafting and Documentation,
• MG-Project Management,
• PR-Age,
• Gender and Diversity (AGD),
• PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights,
• Obligation,
• PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement,
• PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination,
• PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards,
• PR-International Humanitarian Law,
• PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science

Certifications

• HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR

Other information

• An eliminatory or complementary written test for shortlisted candidates may be conducted which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

• No