Hardship LevelH (no hardship)
Family TypeFamily
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeGS5
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeGeneral Service
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Target Start Date2025-01-01
Deadline for ApplicationsDecember 15, 2024
Standard Job Description
Senior Protection Assistant
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.
The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor.
The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
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
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
- Contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
- Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
- Contribute to a country-level education plan for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
- Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
- Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
- Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
- 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
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Field(s) of Education
Not applicable
Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law;
Political Science;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential: Not specified.
Desirable: Not specified.
Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
(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 - Advanced knowledge of international, European and national law, standards and procedures pertaining to asylum and human rights
- Advanced knowledge of the AGD, SGBV, and Child Protection policies and standards
- Advanced knowledge of the UNHCR Guidelines in relation to Refugee Status -Determination and Judicial Engagement
- Advanced knowledge of the local context in Cyprus, including relevant jurisprudence.
- Previous experience working with eligibility officers of the Asylum Service or with Judges and Officers of the International Protection Administrative Court.
- Previous experience in the provision of legal advice and guidance to the authorities as well as to refugees and asylum seekers
- Previous experience in refugee status determination and assessment of the compliance of the RSDP with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Previous experience in the provision of refugee law related training
- Previous experience in working in protection monitoring in camp settings.
Additional Information:
Candidates must be legally present in Cyprus at the time of application, recruitment, and hire.
UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees)
The recruitment process might include a written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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 this link:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
The protection situation has deteriorated since 2020, with restrictions on access to the asylum procedures but simultaneously an unprecedented increase in the number of asylum applications. Pushbacks at sea, which intensified since April 2024, result to the refoulement of Syrians through Lebanon. Pushbacks over the Green Line have also been introduced, with asylum seekers remaining stranded without access to the asylum procedures or any reception conditions. Special measures taken regarding Syrian asylum-seekers, led to the non-processing of asylum applications despite the 21 months mandatory processing deadline, their deprivation from reception conditions in the community without an individual assessment and the revocation of their status in case they are considered to have visited their country of origin. In addition, a universal prohibition of access to the labor market for the maximum permissible period of nine months from the date of submission of an asylum application has been introduced in late 2023, resulting to destitution and homelessness due to the inadequacy of the reception conditions. No special needs allowance is provided to vulnerable asylum seekers, including children with disabilities, despite specific international obligations stemming from the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons and the Convention on the Rights of the Children. Family reunification policies are restrictive and prohibit the reunification of subsidiary protection beneficiaries with their core family members, including reunification of parents with their underaged children.
An essential means to address the serious shortcomings and the emerging challenges of the asylum system in Cyprus is the judicial engagement. The Senior Protection Assistant will assess the potential cases in relation to the UNHCR strategic litigation guidelines and procedures, and carefully select those potentially precedent-setting decisions. The incumbent will also provide advice and guidance to the NGO implementing partner as well as to private human rights and immigration lawyers, who would pursue such cases through the international protection administrative court. Moreover, Senior Protection Assistant will provide guidance and legal and technical advice to the legal advisors of the Court, as well as the Law Service of the Republic engaged in relevant cases. The Senior Protection Assistant shall also provide tailored training sessions to the aforementioned officers, in line with international and European standards.
The incumbent shall also contribute in addressing the above challenges by assisting in the preparation of comments on proposed draft laws or amendments, premised on international and European instruments, as well as an interpretation and analysis of long-standing precedent setting decisions of as well as new ECHR and CJEU jurisprudence.
As regards the Refugee Status Determination Process, the incumbent will provide support in developing the standard operating procedures that are still lacking, affecting both the screening as well as the appropriate streaming of the cases into the regular, accelerated or prioritized procedures. In addition, despite positive steps taken, decisions on specific aspects of the refugee definition, such as membership of a particular social group, in particular as regards survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and the almost universal granting of subsidiary protection status instead of refugee status despite meeting the requirements of the refugee definition are not in compliance with the international and EU standards. To this end, the Senior Protection Assistant will advocate for the compliance with the International and EU standards. Moreover, she/he will address the significant gaps in the appropriate processing and comprehensive assessment of claims submitted by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, survivors of trafficking and survivors of torture. In this regard, she/he will collaborate on the audit of the asylum process and decisions issued, carried by a UNOPS consultant, as well identify the gaps and prepare and provide RSD training to the officers of the Asylum Service.
The incumbent may also be required to provide protection monitoring services in reception facilities, supporting in the identification of vulnerable persons and advocating for adherence to international, European an national standards.
Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus, is classified as a Category H duty station offering all amenities and high quality living conditions. The island of Cyprus is divided since 1974, UNFICYP maintaining a buffer zone between the lines of the Cyprus National Guard and of the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot forces. The Republic of Cyprus became a full member of the European Union in 2004 and adopted the Euro in 2008. The population of Cyprus is estimated at 1.1 million combined. The island is rich in culture, shaped over its 7,000 year-long history influenced both by the West and the East. The official languages are Greek and Turkish, with English also widely spoken by most locals. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean and is frequented by tourists. Cyprus has a pleasant Mediterranean climate, enjoying year-round sunshine, with mild winters (mean daily minimum 5°C and maximum 13°C) and sunny, dry summers (mean daily minimum and maximum temperatures are 21°C and 36°C). Cyprus is in general a very safe environment to live and work in.
Additional Qualifications
SkillsIT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
Education
CertificationsInternational Law - Other, Political Science - Other
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
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Additional Information
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance