Associate Durable Solutions Officer

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. UNHCR also has a mandate to help stateless people.

As of 31 December 2021, UNHCR had recruited 18,879 people, of whom around nearly 91 per cent are based in the field.

UNHCR works in 137 countries and territories, with personnel based in a mixture of regional and branch offices and sub and field offices. Our teams work hard to help the displaced, specializing in a wide range of disciplines, including legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs and health.

As part of the Protection Team, in the Multi Country Office (ZAMCO), Lusaka, Zambia, led by the Senior Protection Officer to whom the incumbent will report, the Assistant Durable Solutions Officer plays a vital role in advancing existing and new opportunities for durable solutions for refugees and former refugees in Zambia, supporting a Representation Office in Lusaka, two field offices (one in Solwezi and in Kaoma), as well as a Field Unit in Kawambwa. The Multi Country Office also oversees operations in Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The Associate Durable Solutions Officer will build on commitments made in the Global Compact on Refugees to support the development and maintenance of strategic partnerships with all relevant actors, not limited to UN agencies, development agencies, civil society, peacebuilding actors and more. This will require an analysis of risks and obstacles to solutions for priority areas of engagement.

The Associate Durable Solutions Officer will explore and expand opportunities for refugees in Zambia to take advantage of pathways to long-term local solutions for refugees and former refugees. Further, the Associate Durable Solutions Officer will seek to enhance local integration for populations where it may be the most appropriate solution.
The Associate Durable Solutions Officer will assist with the development of communications strategies with populations of concern to ensure that they are engaged to identify the most appropriate solutions, with a focus on local integration of former Rwandan and Angolan refugees; including the enhancement of two-way communications, participatory assessments, intention surveys and other forms of community-based assessments are undertaken. He/she will support the strengthening of mechanisms and initiatives that facilitate the local solutions and integration of refugees and former refugees in Zambia in legal, socio-economic, socio-cultural dimensions of their lives.

When necessary, the Associate Durable Solutions Officer will assist with third-country resettlement processing. Finally, the Associate Durable Solutions Officer will work collaboratively with staff who are already working on facilitation of voluntary repatriation of those refugees who may choose to return to their countries of origin in safety and dignity.

The Associate Durable Solutions Officer will undertake the following tasks:

• Implement activities in accordance with the comprehensive solutions strategy, with a view to finding durable solutions to the maximum number of forcedly displaced persons. Emphasis will be on long-term local integration solutions for former Rwandan and Angolan refugees.
• Participate in the planning of, and advise on opportunities for alternative solutions, including available regional and national legal frameworks.
• Participate in consultative processes within UNHCR and with a broad range of regional and national external partners to promote voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement.
• Meet displaced populations, assess their durable solutions needs and identify the most appropriate solutions for them.
• Monitor the implementation of the durable solutions strategy and provide advice for improvements.
• Analyse statistics, trends, and other documents, and draft reports.
• Interview and prepare Resettlement Referral Forms (RRF), in line with Resettlement SOPs.
• Interview candidates for local integration and prepare the appropriate documentation for onward submission to local authorities or partners, in line with Local Integration SOPs.
• Implement and contribute to the designing of national and regional comprehensive durable solutions strategies.
• Engage national and local interlocutors on durable solutions issues.
• Provide counselling to refugees, former refugees, and other displaced population to identify the most appropriate durable solution and to enable them to make a well-informed decision.
• Interview candidates for voluntary repatriation and prepare documentation for their return, in line with Voluntary Repatriation SOPs.
• Assist in updating the electronic database for resettlement, voluntary repatriation and local integration, in line with Standard Operating Procedures.
• Process documentation to ensure that displaced populations receive the documents required for their durable solutions in a timely manner.
• Prepare statistical and ad-hoc reports to ensure accurate information is available and shared with relevant offices and partners.
• Interview and advise on the appropriate durable solution to be provided to forcibly displaced population.
• Prepare documents relating to durable solutions.
• Enter information into available database, in line with SOPs.
• Draft and submit reports relating to durable solutions.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives around 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.