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.
• 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.
• (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Core Competencies:

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:

• Empowering and Building Trust

Cross-Functional Competencies:

• Stakeholder Management
• Political Awareness
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Functional Skills

• MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation;
• MG-Negotiation;
• CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
• MS-Networking;
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• 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.

Position Competencies

• Competencies as defined in Job Profile