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Associate Refugee Status Ditermination (RSD) Officer

International Specialist

Host entity UNHCR

Country Malawi

Duty station Lilongwe (MWI)

Language skills

English

Start date Immediate

Duration 12 months

Application deadline 01 April 2021

Eligibility criteria

Minimum age: 25 years old. Nationals of the country of assignment are not eligible, except the assignments in Headquarters duty stations.

Description of task

Under the direct supervision of Protection Officer, and through technical and legal support by the Regional Representation for Southern Africa (ROSA) overseeing the RSD strategy the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

  • Assist in implementing UNHCR's regional RSD strategy
  • Assist in implementing accelerated procedures for selected caseloads
  • Built in mechanisms to ensure frontloading from the time of registration
  • Review Government RSD assessments and provide appropriate feedback to Gov-ernment Officials through mechanism for quality assurance.
  • Assist the Government RSD Unit in carrying out exclusion analysis for complex cases
  • Participate in training of RSD staff on RSD, exclusion analysis and Country of Origin Information
  • Monitor RSD trends, data and policies that will enable UNHCR Malawi and ROSA to identify and respond to developments or issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD decision-making, and to propose remedial measures.
  • Draft progress reports on asylum applications processed by the Government and submit them to the UNHCR Office in Malawi with ROSA's RST and RSD Unit in copy.
  • Systematically apply an age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective in the perfor-mance of assigned functions.
  • Attend meetings and participate in sensitisation of refugees on RSD
  • Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a record of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the Government RSD unit
  • Assist in initiatives to advocate with and support Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making.
  • Assist in designing, implementing and revising, as required, operation-specific SOPs for all aspects of the RSD operation in accordance with applicable standards and policies
  • Conduct RSD interviews under UNHCR mandate for exceptional urgent cases
  • Provide counselling to asylum seekers and refugees on UNHCR's RSD proce-dures and on their status, rights and obligations in the country of asylum.

Strategic Direction and Coordination:

  • Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD.
  • Assist in the development of the RSD strategy of the operation and in the annual planning exercise.
  • Contribute to the development and enhancement of regional and global RSD standards and policies.

Response and Advice:

  • Review RSD decisions and provide appropriate feedback and guidance to RSD staff.
  • Conduct RSD interviews and draft RSD Assessments in accordance with applicable standards and guidelines.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to all work on individual cases.
  • Provide counselling to asylum seekers and refugees.
  • Assist in designing, implementing and revising, as required, operation-specific SOPs for all aspects of the RSD operation in accordance with applicable standards and policies.
  • Systematically apply an age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective in the performance of assigned functions.
  • Assist in monitoring RSD trends and in compiling and analysing RSD statistics related to RSD case processing to identify and respond to developments or issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD decision-making, and to propose remedial measures.

Advocacy, Information Management and Research:

  • Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation.
  • Ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and legal partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policy and practice.
  • Assist in developing and maintaining processes to ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policy and practice.
  • Assist in initiatives to advocate with and support Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making.

Promotion and Capacity Building:

  • Assess training needs of UNHCR staff engaged in RSD and related activities and provide on-going training and coaching on legal and procedural RSD issues.
  • Support the development and implementation of RSD training initiatives for Government authorities and legal partners.

Human resources:

  • Assist in evaluating and projecting RSD staffing needs using the RSD Staffing Benchmarks.
  • Support UNHCR staff engaged in RSD and related activities and exercise effective oversight.

Qualifications/Requirements

Required degree level: Bachelor degree or equivalent

Education - Additional Comments:

  • Minimum years of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law: 2 years (with a postgraduate degree) or 4 years (with an undergraduate degree)

Required experience: 24 Months

Experience remark:

  • Minimum 1 year of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to RSD.
  • Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.
  • Strong research and analytical skills.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
  • Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) awareness and demonstrated ability to perform effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
  • The ability to work effectively under stress and in crisis situations.

Language skills:

  • English(Mandatory), Level - Fluent

Area of expertise: International law

Area of expertise details:

  • Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures is highly desirable.
  • Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees.
  • Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals.
  • Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme.
  • Experience in supervising and in providing training or coaching, guidance or advice to staff.

Driving license: No

Competencies values: Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Integrity, Planning and Organizing, Professionalism, Working in Teams

Application procedure:

  • Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account, complete all sections

of your profile and submit it. Then go to 'My Page' at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the 'Special Calls' hyperlink.

Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

  • Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to 'My Page' at

https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the 'Special Calls' hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to

apply.

Application deadline: 01 April 2021

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This vacancy is archived.

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