Hardship LevelB
Family TypeFamily
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeNOA
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Target Start Date2024-06-01
Job Posting End DateMay 28, 2024
Standard Job Description
Assistant Government Liaison Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant Government Liaison Officer is usually located in country operations. S/he plays a crucial support role in ensuring UNHCR's approach to the Government is consistent, strategic and coherent. UNHCR assists the Government on coordination, response delivery and protection issues. Typically, this involves joint coordination arrangements, partnership with various government departments in service delivery, and regular dialogue at all levels on refugee protection issues. The main aim is to assist senior management to ensure that UNHCR can fulfil its role to support the Government to lead the refugee response ensuring the protection of refugees and - in line with the GCR - promote the inclusion of refugees into national systems by coordinating with other actors - including development actors at the early stages of a refugee response and in mixed situations supporting the Government to prevent, respond to and resolve internal displacement while complementing and reinforcing national response efforts. This should be done in line with UNHCR's Mandate, the Global Compact for Refugees, the IDP policy, and agreed inter-agency commitments. More specifically, s/he advises the senior management on issues and processes concerning the relationship with the Government and related positioning, coordination, advocacy, information, resource allocation, fundraising, reporting, and communication with other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society actors, private sector, media and other relevant actors through strong engagement in humanitarian inter-agency processes, but also with a focus on development processes as they impact on UNHCR. The overall goal of the position is to support the effectiveness of UNHCR's leadership roles and responses to situations affecting people of concern to UNHCR (refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, stateless persons, returnees, host communities) through an open and transparent partnership approach with the Government.
The Assistant Government Liaison Officer ensures that support is provided for strategic planning, assessment, monitoring and analysis concerning the relationship with the Government. The Assistant Government Liaison Officer will support all planning and reporting activities. The incumbent will support the supervisor in maintaining a constant dialogue with the Government on the overall protection context. A key tool in this regard will be the facilitation and support of periodic meetings with the Government, as well as to support the broadening of mutual information through meeting reports, situation updates and newsletters.
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
- Assist in the establishment of close working relations with Government Officials and/or other external parties.
- Provide suggestions for promoting UNHCR's policies and liaising with Government authorities on issues related to latest humanitarian and development processes.
- Support coordination meetings as required, including by preparing meetings and background information, drafting minutes and follow-up documentation.
- Manage the flow of information to/from the supervisor and other senior staff; identifies priority matters that need to be urgently addressed by the supervisor.
- Draft correspondence, documents and reports, and prepares tables and ensures follow-up.
- Assist in ensuring appropriate links with the Government through establishment/maintenance of appropriate coordination and information exchange.
- Act on behalf of the supervisor to convey, clarify and explain UNHCR's positions to Government or other external parties as applicable.
- Inform the supervisor on a continuing basis of relevant information on the outcome of discussions with external parties.
- Act as interpreter during meetings held by the supervisor with senior officials or other external parties.
- Accompany the supervisor and Headquarters visitors to camps, border missions and provincial cities.
- May be required to coordinate the work of lower level staff.
- 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 P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Law/International Law;
Political Science;
Social Science;
Business Administration;
or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.
Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
Not specified.
Desirable:
Not specified.
Functional Skills
CO-Drafting and Documentation
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
SO-Networking
(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.
Desired Candidate Profile Experience with government relations and advocacy
Demonstrated interagency coordination skills
Ability to oversee a portfolio of infrastructure projects
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
,
,
Desired languages
,
,
Operational context
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit/copy this link to the Operational context: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
The Zahle Office covers 2 governorates; Bekaa and Baalbek, which host an estimated 300,000 refugees. Refugees are concentrated in Aarsal, Central Bekaa and Baalbek while approximately 45% live in in Informal Tented Settlements. Like other areas of Lebanon, the Bekaa has been affected by the economic collapse, strain on basic services, and ongoing political deadlock, which has resulted in increasing tensions, calls for return of refugees, and in some cases restrictive measures and increased scrutiny of humanitarian organizations. This position aims to facilitate relations with local authorities, oversee Community Support Projects, and provide support to interagency coordination mechanism.
Living and Working Conditions (March 2024) :
Lebanon continues to host the highest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometre in the world. The Government of Lebanon estimates that there are 1.5 million displaced Syrians living in Lebanon in addition to some 11,200 refugees of other nationalities as well as asylum seekers. Refugees live across nearly all municipalities in Lebanon in both urban and rural areas, as well as in informal tented settlements. The 2023 Vulnerability Assessment for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon (VASyR) indicates that 9 out of 10 Syrian refugees continue relying on humanitarian assistance to survive.
Under the auspices of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UNHCR co-led the planning process to develop a new, integrated humanitarian and stabilization response framework in 2024. The new ‘Lebanon Response Plan’ (LRP) will seek to respond comprehensively to the impact of the multiple crises in Lebanon on both people and institutions in a holistic and integrated manner.
Compounding the refugee situation are the unprecedented economic and financial crises, further exacerbated by the hostilities in southern Lebanon since October 2023, that Lebanon is facing, which have contributed to a substantial deterioration of the socio-economic situation since 2019 and affected everyone, including refugees and Lebanese people.
Lebanon is currently amid an unprecedented combination of an economic and financial crisis, extensive unemployment, political instability, a deteriorating security situation and a negative rhetoric against Syrian refugees. On 31 October 2022 Lebanon officially entered an institutional vacuum in both the Presidency and Premiership. This has created a heightened tension environment that might evolve into politically motivated protests, intermittent skirmishes, and terrorist attacks in the coming period if the impasse continues to be prolonged. Subsequently, ongoing clashes along the Blue Line across Lebanon's southern border with a possible expansion of hostilities to other areas in the country, the current notable increase in crime rate, bank break-ins, prison breaks and smuggling of individuals by sea, are likely to continue in the light of the large proliferation of weapons, but also the limited capacity of security authorities given the financial crises. UN staff remain indirectly affected by crime and the overall deteriorating security situation.
Further deterioration of support services is affecting the overall living conditions across the country. The major challenge is the provision of reliable electricity supply across the country. Many of the residential buildings had installed generator-based backup systems, however, due to diesel shortages and increased fuel prices, electricity cuts are noticeable, between 6 to 20 hours a day. The cost of reliable electricity supply increased significantly and can be up to USD 1,000 per month. The shortage in medical supplies and the availability of medical specialists also need to be considered during the application process. Due to the collapse in the banking sector, many international staff are not using local banks for their finances and relying more on international bank accounts to make transfers or on transfers through financial service companies, or bringing larger amounts of USD in cash into the country.
UNHCR in Lebanon has over 500 staff across offices in Beirut and Zahle (classified by ICSC in July 2023 as ‘B’ family duty stations), as well in Tripoli, Qobayat, and Tyre (classified as category ‘C’ family duty stations). The current overall situation in the region is closely monitored and the applicants should be aware of overall developments in the security situation on the ground that may affect the classification of the duty stations.
The timely issuing of entry visas and residence permits has proven to be a challenge for UNHCR Lebanon, which may delay the staff member's assignment process, including their dependents. Even though personnel can visit Lebanon using the UNLP and will receive a 6-month visa upon arrival, such visas cannot be converted into residency permits to regularize the stay of international staff in Lebanon. It is imperative that staff arriving from abroad to take up an assignment in Lebanon has to secure an official visa to be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government entities (if needed). The process of obtaining approvals on official visas varies with the type of visa granted. In a normal situation, it takes between 15 and 30 working days (depending on the type of visa). As for the residency permit process for international staff members and their dependents, it can only be initiated after securing the official visa and entering Lebanon using it.
Additional Qualifications
SkillsCL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, CO-Drafting and Documentation, SO-Networking
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Science
Certifications
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Additional Information
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance