Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA4
Target Start Date2023-08-01
Job Posting End DateJune 18, 2023
Terms of Reference1. General Background
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The UN Refugee Agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. UNHCR has helped millions of people to restart their lives. They include asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, stateless people and internally displaced persons. Its interventions in the areas of protection, shelter, health and education have been crucial, healing broken pasts and building brighter futures.
The UNHCR Office in China was established in 1979. Although China has been party to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol since 1982, it has no law comprehensively governing asylum. In the absence of national refugee legislation, UNHCR continues to register asylum seekers, conducts individual refugee status determination under its mandate, seeks durable solutions for refugees, and provides direct assistance to the refugee population in China’s mainland. UNHCR works with the Government authorities to build domestic capacity and will continue working with all stakeholders in China to ensure refugees and asylum-seekers receive adequate protection and assistance.
Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection team and is under the overall supervision of the Community-based Protection Associate while the Associate Admin Officer provides functional oversight on the administrative related tasks in accordance with the TORs. S/he provides counselling to individuals by telephone. S/he also provides functional and administrative support to the protection unit on protection related liaison, correspondence, monitoring, case management and reporting activities.
S/he ensures the office landline functions effectively, providing general information to refugees and asylum-seekers on assistance and services available, answering questions on the status of their cases, and referring cases with protection emergencies to the relevant staff member. S/he may also assist occasionally in face-to-face meetings with refugees and asylum-seekers through participatory assessment.
The responsibilities of the position are listed as below:
Communication with refugees and asylum-seekers:
- Respond to the calls from refugees and asylum-seekers in a kind, helpful and professional manner.
- Remain abreast of all information and updates on assistance and services to refugees and asylum-seekers. Liaise with relevant functions to ensure information being provided is accurate and up to date.
- Support compiling and report on trends emerging from the calls – including concerns, frustrations and information coming from refugees and asylum-seekers.
- Support in generating monthly reports on the number of calls received, number of referrals made, etc.
- Refer cases to protection colleagues for assistance as needed.
- Answer and respond immediately to emergency calls, including collecting relevant information and forwarding to the appropriate colleague for assistance.
- Provide basic counselling to refugees and asylum-seekers.
- Provide functional and administrative support in case management, monitoring, reporting and participatory assessment.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Administrative tasks:
- Transfer phone calls that are not from refugees or asylum-seekers to relevant units and/or take messages should the relevant unit not be available to respond to the call or provide general information on the functioning of the office. All communication is conducted with the understanding of the importance and the confidentiality of the issues treated.
- Receive and assist visitors/clients and escort them where needed to the responsible officer.
- Adopt tactful attitude to inform and convince interlocutors to accept unforeseen situations, such as waiting longer than expected, meet with a different officer than expected or accepting the cancellation of an appointment.
- Record the incoming and outgoing mail and manage internal courier distribution, as appropriate
- Register/keep records of visitors/clients, as requested.
- Provide appropriate backup support to administrative and executive units when required
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Skills
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): International Law (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Relations (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social and behavioural sciences (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Work (Required)
Certifications
Work ExperienceProtection
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance