UNV Associate Humanitarian Affairs Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific covers 41 countries, including the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam); eight SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka); five countries in North-East Asia (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea) as well as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. This region includes five OCHA country offices – Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan (until April 2020), Philippines and the Office of the Pacific Islands, a multi-country office that provides primary support for the 14 countries in the Pacific.

Context

The rapidly changing context in Asia and the Pacific necessitates continual review and renewal of OCHA's role in the region. Over the past several years, ROAP has adjusted its priorities to reflect the rapidly increasing capacity and political will among UN Member States and regional organizations to lead on response to humanitarian emergencies. In this changing context, OCHA and its international humanitarian partners are increasingly providing targeted support and technical expertise only when affected States are overwhelmed by major emergencies. There is limited appetite on the part of Member States to be seen to appeal for international assistance. In that context, ROAP's partnership and preparedness work is seen as a prerequisite for a productive collaboration in emergencies, while the approach to emergency response is focused on achieving a measurable impact in key areas. The Office has adjusted its structure and emphasis to most effectively meet these requirements through a recent office realignment exercise. 2018 will bring new challenges for humanitarian response in the region, including how national, regional and international actors interact with each other and, more importantly, with people who are affected by disasters and conflicts. Among potential change factors are the emergence of and interplay between people, technology, social media; the use of cash transfers in response; and the growing role of the private sector in emergency response. It is clear that all of these factors can have positive as well as negative repercussions depending on how they are understood and capitalized on by the various parties involved in humanitarian action. OCHA has a major role to play in facilitating and coordinating such engagement. As Asia and the Pacific remain the world's most disaster and conflict affected regions, the need for humanitarian action is unlikely to decrease as factors such as climate change, urbanization, poverty and inequity continue to create vulnerability and exacerbate tensions across the region. However, in this new context - one in which affected communities are able to communicate their needs immediately and directly to a global audience – there is a growing need for new modalities, tools and partnerships to ensure that the humanitarian community is able to reach the vulnerable and remain relevant. Maintaining a focus on the region's complex emergencies, which often receive less attention, will also require innovative forms of advocacy, preparedness work and response. The UNV will be assigned to the Operations Team in OCHA’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand, with the possibility of travel to OCHA’s country offices (COs), Humanitarian Advisory Teams (HATs) and Resident Coordinator Offices across the region. The Operations Team is responsible for OCHA’s work on partnership building, preparedness for response and emergency response in the region. The UNV will support the Operations Team in each of these areas of work.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Head of Unit of the Preparedness and Response Unit, or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will provide support in • Maintaining awareness of current humanitarian affairs and related issues, to include relevant political, policy, gender • considerations or other developments in specific subject areas, countries and or regional issues; • Responding to various inquiries and information requests internally and externally; • Participating in technical assistance, disaster assessment or other missions, including country level response preparedness, and • response, missions; • Supporting the production of appeals for international assistance and strategic response plans; ensures the proper use and • spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA; • Participating in project/programme formulation and mobilization of relevant resources; • Assisting in the design and preparation of studies on humanitarian, disaster, emergency relief and related issues and in various • follow-up activities; • Researching, analyzing and presenting information gathered from diverse sources on assigned topics/issues; • Contributing to the preparation of various written documents, e.g. drafts sections of studies, background papers, policy • guidelines, etc; • Assisting in the organization of meetings, seminars, workshops, etc. with agencies and other partners to facilitate exchanges of • views on specific humanitarian- related subjects/issues; serves as reporter to such events; • Developing and maintaining reference/resource information on specific topics or policy-related issues; • Setting aside dedicated time for capacity development through coaching, mentoring and formal and on-the-job training when • working with national staff or (non-)governmental counterparts; • Performs other 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. Results/expected outputs • As an active UNOCHA team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNOCHA and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality coordination support and services rendered to colleagues and o concerned parties internally and externally; o Contributes to response preparedness activities as well as institutional humanitarian and emergency relief initiatives through o strong project management, good research and effective analysis of assigned topics and thorough, well-reasoned written o contributions. Efficiently, and in a timely manner, liaises and interacts with colleagues and concerned parties internally and o externally. • 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