HLP Project Associate – Northwest Syria

The armed conflict that erupted in Syria in 2011 had devastating effects on the country with the widespread damage of housing and productive assets, mass displacement within the country and abroad and deterioration of living standards to unprecedent low levels. All these were accompanied by gross violations of human rights, housing, land and property rights (HLP) included, perpetrated by the different conflict parties.

With the fallout of al-Assad regime in December 2024, despite the human rights violations reported in several parts of the country, new horizons for grievances suffered by the Syrian people to be addressed are open.

Syria continues to face layered challenges of displacement, widespread housing and infrastructure destruction, complex land tenure systems, and fragile governance structures. An estimated 6.7 million Syrians remain internally displaced, and recovery efforts are hampered by unresolved HLP issues that obstruct voluntary return, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the UN agency dedicated to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable urban development and adequate shelter for all. Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978, UN-Habitat brings over four decades of expertise in addressing urban growth challenges. It plays a key role in implementing the New Urban Agenda, adopted at Habitat III in 2016, and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11 to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Working with governments, the private sector, and civil society, UN-Habitat develops practical, forward-looking solutions to create affordable, vibrant, and equitable urban spaces worldwide.

Syria continues to face layered challenges of displacement, widespread housing and infrastructure destruction, complex land tenure systems, and fragile governance structures. An estimated 6.7 million Syrians remain internally displaced, and recovery efforts are hampered by unresolved HLP issues that obstruct voluntary return, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

Since 2015, UN‑Habitat Syria has supported Syrian cities and communities through a comprehensive approach to urban resilience, recovery, housing, land and property (HLP) challenges, local governance, and related thematic areas. More recently, following the collapse of the former regime in December 2024, support to urban land development systems—within the broader reform agenda of the land sector—has become an increasingly critical element of Syria’s humanitarian‑development‑peace nexus. With the dramatic shifts the country has witnessed since late 2024, the geographic scope of HLP engagement has expanded to include Idleb in the north‑west and the coastal governorates of Lattakia and Tartous.

A central pillar of this support is the EU‑funded “Joint Programme on Housing, Land and Property Issues – Phase II” (JP HLP II), implemented by UN‑Habitat together with UNDP and NRC since December 2022. The programme was recently extended until the end of 2026 with an additional top‑up contribution and the inclusion of new partners, IOM and UNHCR. UN‑Habitat has also launched additional initiatives, including a Joint Programme with UNHCR titled “Supporting Sustainable Returns and Reintegration in Syrian Cities,” funded by the Government of the Netherlands, and the “Informal Settlements Upgrading Project” in Homs and Aleppo, funded by the Government of Japan, among others.

UN‑Habitat further co‑leads the HLP Technical Working Group (HLP‑TWG), composed of UN agencies, international NGOs, and national organizations. Established in 2017, the HLP‑TWG provides a platform for coordinated discussion on emerging HLP issues, collective response planning, and knowledge exchange. Two sub‑national branches—the North‑West Syria HLP‑TWG (NWS) covering Aleppo and Idleb, and the North‑East Syria HLP‑TWG (NES)—were formed in 2025 to address issues specific to these respective regions. The NWS HLP‑TWG is led by UN‑Habitat and the NES HLP‑TWG led by NRC.

To strengthen UN‑Habitat’s contribution to Housing, Land and Property (HLP) in Syria by providing strategic guidance, enhancing inter‑agency coordination, and aligning HLP efforts with broader housing and urban land management initiatives. At the same time, the programme aims to improve tenure security in the northwest and coastal areas by delivering efficient, rights‑based services to HLP rightsholders and claimants through strengthened project implementation and coordinated NWS HLP TWG, supported by the HLP team in the Damascus hub.

The HLP Associate will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Urban Land Expert (HLP Unit Lead) and in close coordination with the International HLP Programmes & TWG Lead as well as the Aleppo Hub team under the overall guidance of the Deputy Head of the UN-Habitat Syria Programme. The key functions of the HLP Associate are as follows.

1. Coordination and representation of the Sub- National HLP Technical Working Group (TWG)Its 

• Support the operational and technical activities of the sub-national HLP Technical Working Group (TWG) in Northwest Syria, under the guidance of the technical manager.

• Coordinate, organize, and facilitate HLP sub-national TWG meetings, and represent the group in relevant coordination forums, clusters, and working groups.

• Support the operationalization and maintenance of TWG tools and archiving systems, ensuring proper information and data management in Northwest Syria.

• Facilitate the HLP mainstreaming sessions and targeted training on HLP issues, policies, and tools for TWG members and other stakeholders together with the TWG members.

• Facilitate the identification of priority HLP advocacy issues in Northwest Syria, and contribute to the preparation of advocacy briefs, legal analyses, and research to support broader HLP advocacy and promote preventive and remedial actions.

2. Strengthen the understanding of HLP issues and challenges

• Monitor, document, and report emerging HLP issues on a regular basis using available sources, including traditional and social media, local partners, and key informants. Issues to be monitored include individual and mass violations of HLP rights, as well as relevant statements, announcements, and circulars related to HLP rights.

• Contribute to needs assessments carried out by UN-Habitat in northwest and coastal areas, as instructed by the direct and/or technical manager.

• Participate in developing HLP profiles of selected areas of concern, as required, in relation to ongoing and planned projects.

• Support analysis of HLP challenges and opportunities related to housing recovery, return and reintegration, and urban recovery processes.

3. Project design and implementation

• Participate in the design and development of HLP projects, or HLP components within broader urban recovery and housing programmes.

• Ensure that HLP projects and activities are implemented in line with approved proposals and donor requirements.

• Support the integration of HLP considerations into urban recovery planning, housing reconstruction initiatives, and neighbourhood-level recovery interventions.

• Contribute to activities aimed at strengthening land administration and land governance systems, including documentation, land records management, and fit-for-purpose approaches to land and property rights.

• Support monitoring of project targets and progress, including activities, outputs, and outcomes, in coordination with the M&E focal point and the HLP team in Damascus.

• Promote and share recommendations for improvements or adjustments to project activities as required.

• Provide regular progress updates and reports to the direct line manager and/or technical manager.

• Provide legal and technical support to HLP projects, including conducting or supervising HLP due diligence processes where required.

4. Other duties

• Perform any other tasks relevant to the position as requested by the direct manager, technical manager, or the relevant technical unit.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, law, social sciences, political sciences, project management or other relevant fields. 

Desired:

• Training or certification in HLP or land administration-related field 

Required:

• Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in housing, land and property (HLP), land governance, legal analysis, urban planning, or related fields in humanitarian, early recovery, or development contexts.

• Experience managing projects or programmes, including assessments, reporting, and coordination with government and humanitarian actors, ideally related to HLP.

Desired:

• Professional experience with international organizations related to HLP, urban recovery and/or sector coordination.

• Good understanding of the Syrian legal and institutional framework related to HLP rights, land administration, and property documentation.

• Knowledge of international HLP frameworks.

• Skills in data analysis and reporting for evidence-based programming.

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