Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

Le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés (HCR) a pour mandat de diriger et de coordonner l’action internationale visant à protéger les réfugiés. Il a pour but premier de sauvegarder les droits et le bien être des réfugiés. Il met en œuvre ses programmes de protection dans le monde entier et sensibilise le grand public à la situation des personnes réfugiées dans le monde. Le HCR Mauritanie fournit protection et assistance à quelque 65 000 réfugiés maliens dans la région aride du sud-est où se trouve le camp de réfugiés de Mbera, et à quelque 9 000 réfugiés urbains et demandeurs d'asile dans les villes de Nouakchott et Nouadhibou. La situation sécuritaire au Mali est toujours instable et des retours à grande échelle ne sont pas attendus. Les Maliens continuent d'arriver en Mauritanie dans le cadre de flux de population mixtes.

Context

16. Conditions of Service for national UN Volunteers Note on novel coronavirus – COVID-19. The rapidly changing nature of novel coronavirus COVID-19 has placed significant and increasing restrictions on the freedom of movement of people, even within countries. Such restrictions may affect the ability of UN Volunteers to begin their assignments at their assigned duty station or limit the ability to enter UN premises. Thus, UNV cannot guarantee assignments will proceed as normal. Candidates for UN Volunteer assignments requiring travel to the duty station may be exceptionally granted during this period alternative working arrangements to work from their place of recruitment until restrictions are lifted. Candidates for UN Volunteer assignments may also need to begin their assignments remotely in cases where access to UN premises is restricted. These are decisions at the discretion of the host entity. Candidates proceeding to interview are recommended to discuss travel requirements, any restrictions, and possible alternative arrangements with the host entity. If selected, candidates should carefully consider the circumstances before accepting UNV’s offer. The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. Travel to duty station (if applicable) and a Settling-In-Grant will be provided in the event the duty station is not within commuting distance from the place of recruitment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service. Furthermore, in non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, a Well-Being Differential (WBD) will be provided monthly.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will: - Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD. - Provide counselling to, and respond to queries from, asylum seekers and refugees, including in the context of the notification of negative RSD decisions. - Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to all work on individual cases. - Assist in preventing and identifying fraud in RSD through oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of concern. - Systematically apply an age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective in the performance of assigned functions. - Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and other issues related to RSD and maintain the Operation's local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation. - Assist in monitoring RSD trends and in compiling and analysing RSD statistics related to RSD case processing. - Assist in developing and maintaining processes to ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policies and practice. - Draft correspondence and reports relating to the RSD activities of the Operation. - Refer individual cases to other functional units in the Operation and/or external partners for appropriate follow-up, in accordance with established criteria. - Counsel individual asylum-seekers on the reasons for negative RSD decisions, in accordance with the RSD SOPs. - Perform other related duties as required. 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. 13. 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: • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated, and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • 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