Government Liaison Officer

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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:

• Advise and assist senior managers to formulate and communicate UNHCR positions on Government-related matters on protection, assistance and inclusion of refugees, providing briefing notes, talking points and issue papers for relevant discussions with the Government.
• Promote UNHCR's policies and liaise with Government authorities on issues related to latest humanitarian and development processes.
• Establish and coordinate country-specific coordination mechanisms for situations co-led by UNHCR and the Government. Where applicable, support the development of country-specific refugee response plans (or refugee and migration response plan and refugee and resilience plan) and comprehensive responses.
• Contribute to ensuring the coherence of the work of the Multi-sector group (MSG) in accordance with the Government.
• Provide protection for persons of concern to UNHCR by ensuring the observance by the local authorities of the recognized principles of refugee law.
• Promote accession to refugee law convention in a way that reinforce the asylum institution in the country.
• Articulate UNHCR's priorities towards the Government, including the commitment to humanitarian principles.
• With support from senior management, promote the deeper understanding within UNHCR on agreements with the Government and inform other staff on developments with the Government. This includes promoting and stimulating UNHCR's implementation of key reforms with the Government;
• Where there is lack of clarity as to UNHCR's positions and priorities, identify the issues and bring this to senior management attention.
• Assist the Government to ensure timely preparedness activities, including through participation and where necessary coordination of inter-agency contingency planning processes.
• Liaise with the Government, inter-government agencies, UN agencies, local and international NGOs and other partners at the country level to find areas of cooperation, joint initiatives and where applicable negotiate joint agreements or work programmes to further protection and assistance for persons of concern.
• Organise and implement capacity-building seminars or training programmes for target groups (government officials, etc.).
• Maintain close relations with the press and develop public information activities to ensure greater knowledge in public opinion of refugee and asylum issues and promote UNHCR objectives.
• Maintain close contact with HQ on emerging issues.
• Maintain frequent formal and informal contacts with counterparts in other organisations.
• 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 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Relevant Job Experience:

• Essential
• Experience of working with partners at field or Headquarters level. Experience of liaising with governments and/or the donor community. Thorough understanding of UNHCR's protection mandate and core mission. Thorough understanding of humanitarian coordination processes and/or development coordination.
• Desirable
• Inter-agency coordination role. Drafting joint appeal/ refugee response plan/HRP. Experience with another UN agency or partner.

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.

Source:

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