Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeCONTR Local Entry and Mid-Level Support
Target Start Date2024-07-01
Job Posting End DateJune 30, 2024
Terms of ReferenceLocation: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
The Protection Assistant reports to the Statelessness Officer, UNHCR Representation to Central Asia.
With approximately 3,500 registered stateless people in Turkmenistan and a strong commitment of the authorities to eradicate statelessness by the end of 2024 as part of the IBelong global campaign, there is a need to accelerate efforts. The government of Turkmenistan, the only country in Central Asia that has acceded to both Statelessness Conventions and the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, is collaborating closely with UNHCR to achieve this ambitious goal.
Turkmenistan hosts 13 mandate refugees of whom 9 are from Afghanistan, 3 from Azerbaijan and from the Russian Federation. These 13 individuals had been individually recognized under UNHCR’s mandate before the agency departed the country in 2016. There have not been any new asylum-seekers officially registered in Turkmenistan since 2005 and there are no available official statistics related to asylum.
The contractor, through monitoring, analysis, advocacy, and capacity-building, will focus on promoting Turkmenistan's legal framework aligning with international standards on asylum and advancing the country’s ambitious goal to end statelessness by 2024. The contractor's role will be central to this effort, bridging the gap between legal developments and the needs of the refugee and stateless community. He/she will ensure collaboration and continuous engagement with relevant authorities and partners. In addition, the contractor will explore opportunities for strategic litigation to respond to the needs of people in need of international protection. The contractor will provide protection support to the staff of UNHCR NGO Partner in Turkmenistan.
As part of Turkmenistan's ambitious plan to eradicate statelessness by 2024 and improve the protection space for forcibly displaced and stateless people, there is a need for dedicated efforts in monitoring and influencing legislative development. The Contractor will provide specialized support in monitoring the development of legislation and normative acts, assist in capacity-building efforts, and contribute to legal analysis for enhancing protection responses.
Key Responsibilities:
III. Key Responsibilities:
Monitoring Legislation:
- Track the development of legislation and normative acts related to statelessness and forcibly displaced people in Turkmenistan and share it with UNHCR.
- Analyse legal trends and emerging issues to assess their impact on the protection landscape.
Preparing Legislative Comments:
- Review and analyse new legislative amendments.
- Prepare brief comments and recommendations for consideration by UNHCR and relevant authorities.
Assisting in Capacity-Building Events:
- Assist UNHCR and relevant authorities in organizing and implementing asylum and statelessness capacity-building events.
Advocacy:
- Work with UNHCR and relevant stakeholders to advocate for improvements in the protection space for forcibly displaced and stateless people in Turkmenistan.
- Engage with governmental and non-governmental bodies to foster collaboration and support for the legislative changes needed.
Legal Analysis and Protection Support:
- Assist the Statelessness Officer, UNHCR, Almaty in preparing legal analysis to inform quality, timely, and effective protection responses.
- Facilitate involvement of refugees and stateless people in decision-making processes affecting them, in coordination with relevant authorities.
- Provide support to lawyers of UNHCR NGO Partner.
Qualification and experience required (degree required, years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):
- Bachelor or equivalent or higher;
- Proven experience in the field of asylum and statelessness (at least 5 years);
- Knowledge of legislation on refugee protection, ability to apply the same in practice;
- Ability to organize events and build relationships;
- Fluent in Turkmen and Russian, English command will constitute and advantage;
- Strong understanding of international human rights law and national regulations.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
,Turkmen
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SkillsPR-International Legal Standards on Statelessness
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): Law
Certifications
Work ExperienceWorking with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless
Other informationSelection is suggested to be conducted through desk review.This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Home-BasedNo