Country: Senegal
Closing date: 12 Oct 2017
Contract duration: 1 year renewable
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1.General Background
UNHCR Regional Representation for West Africa (RRWA) based in Dakar covers primarily 9 countries: Togo, Sierra-Leone, The Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. Within RRWA, there is the "*Senegal Unit*", comprised of 5 national and one international staff, a Senior Liaison Officer who heads the Unit. This Unit covers all UNHCR activities in Senegal including protection and granting of assistance to refugees and asylum seekers as well as the search for durable solutions. The Senegal Unit manages approximately 17,511 refugees and asylum seekers from various nationalities. Mauritanians constitute the largest group of refugees in Senegal. Their number is approximately 12,648 and they live mainly in the rural area in the valley of Senegal River since 1989. The main challenge of this group of refugees is their local integration in legal terms to acquire Senegalese nationality through naturalization or to benefit from long term residence permits. In addition, the Senegal Unit will run a repatriation process for Senegalese refugees from Gambia and Guinea-Bissau into the Casamance regions.
2.Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The incumbent should be a seasoned Protection Officer. In this respect, he will implement activities in accordance with the comprehensive solutions strategy for Mauritanians, with a view to finding durable solutions through particularly local integration in legal terms of the largest possible number of persons of concern. He or she will:
· Liaise with government officials and partners, and seek solutions to problems concerned with the voluntary repatriation process for Senegalese refugees in Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
· Support the senior management to ensure that the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan and the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
· Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
· Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on child protection.
· Ensure that 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 (civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
· Draft, implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
· Assist the supervisor in the preparation of statements that represent UNHCR’s overall policies and which highlight specific areas of concern.
· Ensure that the supervisor is prepared for meetings and missions by drafting talking points, by researching relevant information; and by establishing contacts (within and outside UNHCR) on the subject matters to be discussed.
· Perform other related duties as required by the supervisor. The incumbent should be available to travel to Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Mauritania and inside Senegal territory.
3.Monitoring and Progress Controls
The incumbent should work with protection team particularly to implement local integration in legal terms as the preferred solution for Mauritanian refugees and voluntary repatriation of Senegalese refugees. This is part of the action plan for the MYMP strategy which will need to be adapted to a changing context.
4.Qualifications and Experience
a) Education
The incumbent should have an advanced university degree in Law, Political Sciences or related field with good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law.
b) Work Experience
The incumbent should have minimum 6 years relevant professional experience of which 2 years in the field and 3 years in an international capacity and excellent knowledge of French and working knowledge of English.
c) Key competencies
The incumbent should have managerial and diplomatic skills. The knowledge of UNHCR environment and also the knowledge of legal work in local integration of refugees are desirable.
How to apply:
Expressions of interest should be sent with accompanying CVs and P11 (UN Personal History Form) to sendarh@unhcr.org with copy to sendali@unhcr.org
The deadline for submitting applications is 12 October 2017.