Associate Development Officer

Mission and objectivesThe mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees. Its main objective is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It implements its protection programs worldwide and raises public awareness of the situation of refugees worldwide. UNHCR Mauritania provides protection and assistance to some 65,000 Malian refugees in the arid southeast, where the Mbera refugee camp is located, and to some 9,000 urban refugees and asylum seekers in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The security situation in Mali remains unstable, and large-scale returns are not expected. Malians continue to arrive in Mauritania as part of mixed population flows.

ContextMauritania is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. A draft law on asylum is still pending. Despite this, the Mauritanian authorities are determined to maintain an open-border policy towards refugees. Mauritania currently hosts more than 260,000 refugees, including around 20,000 in urban areas and over 111,000 in the Mbera camp and surrounding villages in the Hodh Chargui region. In support of the Mauritanian government and in the absence of a national asylum system, UNHCR continues to register asylum seekers and determine refugee status. The UNHCR operation in Mauritania has a staff of around 180, divided between a country office in Nouakchott, two sub-offices in Bassikounou and Nouadhibou, and a field unit in Néma. The objectives and initiatives of the UNHCR operation in Mauritania are aligned with UNHCR's global strategic priorities for 2017-2021 and the Global Compact for Refugees. The Mauritania operation thus focuses on the core priorities of protection and response, but also on those aimed at ensuring sustainable livelihood solutions for people of concern. Under Objective 2, \"Include, Empower and Solve\", the UNHCR operation in Mauritania carries out advocacy and initiatives aimed at including refugees in national protection systems. These include social protection, health, water and sanitation, urbanization, education and access to employment. The operation also implements initiatives to ensure peaceful coexistence between host communities and refugees, with a particular focus on young people. The results and impact of these initiatives will contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 17, as well as the objectives of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the government’s pledges at the Global Refugee Forums of 2019 and 2023, in particular to alleviate pressure on the host country and empower refugees

Task DescriptionWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Senior Development Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Development Officer will: Support strategic and knowledge management: • Participate in the coordination of initiatives aimed at the inclusion of refugees in national protection systems, as well as their socio-economic inclusion, notably through World Bank projects linked to the Refugee Funding Sub-Window, European Union projects or other UN agencies; • Support sectoral policies and strategic initiatives at local, national and international levels that have the potential to leverage UNHCR's protection and inclusion objectives; • Draft factsheets, policy briefs and other documents to reinforce knowledge management and dissemination • Oversee the change management approach to ensure that the HDP nexus approach is fully integrated within the operation; Project coordination: • Support the planning, monitoring and evaluation of the results and activities of the 'nexus' projects under UNHCR's responsibility, as indicated in the project documents ; • Identify and record best practices and lessons learned from initiatives and projects relating to the humanitarian-peace-development nexus for displaced persons under the responsibility of UNHCR; • Focal point for the Peacebuilding fund and leading the implementation of the 2025 PBF Project. • Support donor relations with development actors, notably the European Union, and support the drafting of project proposals relating to development. Social protection lead • Support advocacy efforts with the government for the inclusion of refugees in national social protection schemes (ex: through a roadmap) and identify new opportunities and avenues for inclusion of refugees in social protection schemes, ranging from social assistance to social insurance, as well as contributing to broader inclusion efforts (e.g. financial inclusion). • Support the inclusion of refugees in the targeting exercises conducted by the social registry, including the integral and continuous updates of the social registry, in collaboration with the World Bank, Government (Social Registry), and other actors. • Contribute to policy development, providing key messages to UNHCR senior management and other technical staff engaged in external processes and partnerships linked to refugees’ access to social protection and economic inclusion opportunities. • Represent UNHCR at social protection technical working groups (and it’s sub-groups, such as the economic inclusion working group), government events, workshops, and other relevant forums. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs • As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Support initiatives aimed at the inclusion of refugees in national protection systems, particularly social protection, as well as their socio-economic inclusion. o Participate in supporting policies and strategies relevant to UNHCR's work; o Contribute to ensuring that projects relating to the humanitarian-peace-development nexus for displaced people under UNHCR's responsibility meet strategic, qualitative and budgetary expectations, while respecting the implementation schedule; o Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment o A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

Competencies and values• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCR’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Living conditions and remarksBasic needs such as housing, medical care, banking services and telecommunications are covered in Nouakchott. Staple foods such as rice, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables can be found in supermarkets. Numerous imported products are also available in the city. Nouakchott is not prone to traffic jams, and it's easy to get around by private or shared cab. Alcohol consumption is illegal in Mauritania. Mauritania is considered a stable country in terms of security. The situation in the Sahel, particularly in neighboring Mali, nevertheless exposes the country to the risk of infiltration by violent armed groups, likely to carry out actions (kidnapping, attacks) against individuals resident in Mauritania. In this context, it is advisable to maintain the utmost vigilance and to refer to security instructions such as those transmitted by UNDSS. This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, unless the UNHCR Medical Service approves an exemption from this requirement on medical grounds