Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in Libreville, Gabon. Under the direct supervision of a Senior Political Affairs Officer, the Political Affairs Officer will report to the Chief Political Affairs Officer and is part of UNOCA's Political Affairs Service.

UNOCA covers the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States, namely: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda and Sao Tome and Principe. Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Political Analysis and Advice: Maintain an understanding of the general dynamics and political/security trends in the Central Africa region; Assess implications and make recommendations to senior management on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives.

Reporting and Information Management: Prepare regional, country-specific and thematic reports including, but not limited to, situation reports, briefing notes, analytical notes, options papers, code cables and input for the reports of the Secretary-General to the Security Council, General Assembly or other bodies; Prepare contextual information materials, such as background notes, political profiles and databases of relevance to political/security trends in the Central Africa region; Manage information to ensure its accessibility and utility; carry out regular in-depth research on emerging or persisting peace and security challenges facing the Central Africa region or the countries under the purview of UNOCA and recommend options for good offices and other UN actions. Provide substantive support to the good offices of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, including by preparing background notes and updated political/conflict analyses, maintaining contacts with stakeholders, preparing options for conflict/crisis resolution, following up on the implementation of political/peace agreements, etc.

Planning, Coordination and Facilitation: Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with UN Common System colleagues and counterparts, Government representatives, civil society actors, military and law enforcement actors, academic and research institutions, and other national and international partners on information-sharing, policy and coordination matters; Consult and cooperate with partners to develop strategies and plans of action to address political challenges, in pursuit of shared objectives; Monitor, evaluate and report on implementation; Support preparations for official meetings, events and visits, including through the provision of Secretariat services and by drafting talking points and speeches for senior UN officials; Participate in fact-finding –and other- missions; prepare written summaries of meetings/visits and assist with follow-up activities, as appropriate; Participates in the provision or coordination of secretariat services to the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee for Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC); Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international and regional organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters, with a view to facilitating, in close coordination with the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), cooperation and experience sharing between ECCAS and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in addressing cross-border security threats; Supports the coordination of UNOCA’s engagement with regional and sub regional organizations (AU, ECCAS, CEMAC, GGC, ICC) as well as UN presences (including peacekeeping operations, Special political missions, regional offices of UN agencies and offices of resident coordinators); Supports the operationalization of the regional network of civil society organizations (COPAC) as well as partnership between the latter and ECCAS in the area of early warning and conflict prevention; Participates in conferences, seminars and academic fora related to his/her assigned area of expertise.

Management/Administration: Contribute to the formulation and implementation of the Political Affairs Service's programme of work; Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff; assist with the selection of new staff; Carries out, in consultation with the Team Leader and the Chief of Service, administrative functions relating to staffing, planning and budget; Performs other related duties as required.

Performs other related duties as may be assigned. Competencies

Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and in depth knowledge of political affairs; Strong analytical skills, and experience in information collection and management; excellent drafting and editing skills with the proven ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to political problems in specific areas and/or countries; Shows pride in work and in achievements; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments and adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda.

Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive responsible work experience in political science, international relations, development, conflict resolution or international crisis management at national and international levels is required.

Work experience in political outreach, facilitation, analysis, advice and reporting is required.

Work experience in establishing and maintaining partnerships with regional actors and other UN entities is desirable.

Work experience in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) or similar international or non-governmental organization is desirable. Languages

English and French are the two working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in both English and French (oral and written) is required. Assessment

Previously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and as such, will not be invited for such an assessment. Special Notice

This \"Recruit from Roster\" job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

This vacancy is archived.

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