Protection Officer

Hardship LevelA (least hardship)

Family TypeFamily

Family TypeFamily

Residential location (if applicable)

GradeNOC

Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer

ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment

Remote work acceptedNo

Target Start Date2024-04-01

Job Posting End DateFebruary 15, 2024

Standard Job Description

Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In the Bureaux, the Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Coordinator or Senior Protection Officer. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Deputy or Assistant Representative (Protection), Head of Sub Office or Senior Protection Officer as appropriate. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, complementary pathways, internal displacement and education, among other areas. In HQ, the incumbent may report to a Senior Protection Officer, Chief of Section or Deputy Director and may supervise other protection staff.

The incumbent acts as an advisor to senior management in, when not responsible for, designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.

The Protection Officer coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. S/he ensures that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including programme; PI and external relations; IM) and with DIP, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

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
- Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
- Stay abreast of and report as relevant on legal political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Engage relevant national authorities and structures in identifying and expanding opportunities in view of developing or strengthening national asylum/RSD systems.
- Facilitate a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, seek to ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Support senior management to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian response plan where applicable, as well as with the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.
- Promote relevant International, Regional and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities in mainstreaming protection.
- Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR's updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver I and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
- Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies.
- Support the establishment of feedback and response systems and the incorporation of feedback received from persons of concern into programme design and adaptation.
- Support the operation to develop and implement robust prevention, identification, and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures, including registration, RSD, resettlement and complementary pathways, ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities.
- Assist UNHCR management at country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection.
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (including women and others in need of civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
- As designated Data Protection Focal Point, assist the data controller in carrying out his or her responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Policy (7.2 DPP).
- Oversee and undertake eligibility and status determination within the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement effective strategies and measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness within the AoR.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of an education plan as part of protection strategy within the AoR as relevant.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of a child protection plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach.
- Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
- Work to safeguard the rights of persons of concern in the context of mixed movements as relevant.
- Coordinate the preparation of, implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement and complementary pathways are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern, including undertaking and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities.
- Contribute to the coordination of the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which: provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery.
- Build the protection capacity of national and local government, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-à-vis all persons of concern through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities.
- Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.

- 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.

For positions in Bureaux

- Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of persons of concern within regional processes.
- Support Country Operations in the development of strategies to build and further develop national asylum/RSD systems with a view to ensuring their fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity, favourable protection environment and solutions.
- Assist UNHCR management at regional and country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.
- In close collaboration with DIP, (a) contribute to the development of background and general normative, policy, and legal positions, in compliance with UNHCR's global protection policies and standards; (b) contribute to the development of strategies at the regional and country level on the usage of law and policy approaches, including legislative and judicial engagement and UN human rights mechanisms - and/or regional ones - and other protection frameworks, and integrated human rights standards in protection strategies and advocacy; and (c) support coordination and review of UNHCR's country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms.
- Engage in relevant international and regional fora and contribute to forging regional partnerships to advocate for key protection and mandate issues, and engage in cross-cutting protection-related matters, including mixed movement, internal displacement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses, as well as Statelessness, in cooperation with DIP and where relevant RSD.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Law; International Law; International Refugee Law;
International Human Rights Law; International Humanitarian Law;
Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; Political Sciences
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Protection Learning Programme
RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Field Offices. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting.

Desirable
Diverse field experience. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills
*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework
LE-Judicial Engagement
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
(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 The incumbent must have excellent command of English and Arabic languages, both oral and written. The incumbent must also have excellent IT skills including database management skills, including proGres and RAISE tools.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level): Arabic

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Desired languages

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations

The majority of Egypt is at Security Level 2 (Low) with the exception of the Western Desert (Security Level 3, Moderate) and the North Sinai (Security Level 5, High). UNHCR currently operates only in Low to Moderate security level areas. The security situation is relatively stable; however there have been a number of attacks on security (police and military) forces and on rare occasions religious and tourism sites. Civil unrest since 2015 is low, there are very rarely large demonstrations or public disorder incidents. The crime rate in the country is moderate with some incidents particularly in the crowded neighbourhoods of large cities (Cairo and Alexandria) such as thefts, burglary and robbery (e.g. bag snatchers especially against females). Sexual harassment against women and girls is high in the country targeting both Egyptian and foreigners. Hazards are the most challenging safety issue. Road accidents are common in Egypt, due to poor road conditions, dangerous driving and non-enforcement of traffic laws. Fires in apartments are a hazard, with electricity standards low causing electrical fires. Vulnerability to staff is exacerbated by disregard of safety advisories, such as installing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in their residences.

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.

Nature of Position

The Arab Republic of Egypt is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol and the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention governing specific aspects of refugee issues in Africa. In the absence of a national asylum legislation and system, the functional responsibilities for all aspects of registration, documentation, and refugee status determination (RSD) of asylum-seekers and refugees have been delegated to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), under a 1954 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Government of Egypt (GoE). The Government grants refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR a six-month renewable residence permit pursuant to the Law of Foreign Nationals No. 89 of 1960, amended by Law No. 88 of 2005, which regulates the legal stay and entry of foreigners in Egypt, including asylum-seekers and refugees. UNHCR in Egypt has Offices in Greater Cairo (6th October City and Zamalek district) as well as a Field Office in Alexandria.

Egypt hosts over 374,725 registered asylum-seekers and refugees from 55 countries. The majority are from Syria, followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Somalia. In 2012, Syrians fleeing their war-torn land started seeking asylum in Egypt. Representing diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds, the number of Syrians registered with UNHCR Egypt rose dramatically from 12,800 at the end of 2012 to more than 145,000 people. As a result of the Syrian crisis, we now assist the largest number of registered refugees and asylum-seekers in history. In response to the needs of the large influx, UNHCR set up a field office in Alexandria in December 2013. At the same time, renewed conflicts and political instability in East Africa, and the Horn of Africa as well as the unrest in Iraq and Yemen, have driven thousands of Sudanese, South Sudanese, Ethiopian, Iraqi, and Yemeni individuals to seek refuge in Egypt.

Following the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023, large numbers of civilians have been forced to flee, including people who were already internally displaced because of previous conflicts in Sudan and refugees from other countries who had sought safety in Sudan. According to the latest available official data as of 15 September, 317,230 persons fleeing Sudan have arrived in the country, including 310,000 Sudanese and 7,230 third country nationals.

The incumbent will report to the Senior Protection Officer. The incumbent will be responsible for the Legal Physical Protection Unit, including access to territory in a mixed-movement context; detention; legal aid and counselling; regularisation of stay/residency; and civil documentation/birth registration procedures, managing a staff of 17.

In addition to the duties listed in the job description, the incumbent will be undertaking the following duties:

Analysing the protection environment, identifying gaps and suggesting solutions thereto;

Overall oversight on functions under the LPP Unit including supervision and provision of guidance on the below-mentioned tasks undertaken by the team;

Producing reports on aspects under the legal unit and contributing to other office reports as needed;

Monitoring of legal partners;

Providing legal advice to the Office in relation to the legal framework impacting refugees in the country and to the protection service units in relation to the individual case management;

Monitoring trends related to detention, legislative reforms and residence procedures;

Managing support provided to RST on exit permit;

Managing communication with government authorities related to the Unit’s functions;

Managing communication with refugee communities;

Advocating for solutions for protection cases at the working level as well as having them placed on the Office’s advocacy agenda;

Providing capacity building activities with the GoE and other stakeholders;

Living and Working Conditions

Cairo is a family, category A duty station, has good residential areas and offers multiple touristic sites and locations to visit and enjoy. Cairo also offers excellent and frequent air connections to a wide range of international destinations. When it comes to accommodation, food, furniture and clothing, there is variety of choice withs the costs depending on the preferences of the incumbent. International banks and a wide variety of private health facilities are available, even though some international staff members opt to seek specialized medical services abroad. Bilingual and international schools are many, but some colleagues have experienced overt discrimination on the basis of nationality when trying to register their children into certain schools. Some international staff have experienced difficulties importing or exporting private vehicles as the customs-clearance process is cumbersome. Also, some staff members have experienced significant delays in the customs clearance of their personal belongings, leading to high demurrage and storage charges. Heavy traffic, air & noise pollution, and long commuting hours are often mentioned as challenging aspects of living in Cairo.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): International Humanitarian Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Human Rights Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Refugee Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

CertificationsHCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR, HCR Resettlement Learning Program - UNHCR

Work Experience

CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

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Additional Information

Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance