Mission and objectives
UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations to lead and coordinate international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems. UNHCR’s primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. In its efforts to achieve this objective, UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, and to return home voluntarily. By assisting refugees to return to their own country or to settle permanently in an other country, UNHCR also seeks lasting solutions to their plight
Context
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950, during the aftermath of the Second World War, to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes. We had three years to complete our work and then disband. Today, over 70 years later, our organization is still hard at work, protecting and assisting refugees around the world. Since 24 February 2022, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic have received nearly 900,000 refugees fleeing directly from Ukraine. While many refugees are passing through Hungary on their way to Poland, Germany, Czechia, Italy, or other countries, a growing number are remaining in Hungary, and either seeking temporary protection or applying for work visas. Hungary’s status as both a transit and a destination country necessitate a response premised on two key directions: first, providing immediate, urgently needed protection and assistance to arrivals to Hungary; and second, ensuring information about and access to legal statuses to which arrivals to Hungary may apply, alongside nondiscriminatory access to rights and services provided by the government and humanitarian actors. This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine in accordance with UNHCR’s Administrative Instruction on Covid-19 Vaccination and related Safety Measures. Application to these assignments is exclusively open to individuals residing in Hungary, with stateless, refugee or similar protective status, including Temporary Protection. Official document as a proof of refugee status is mandatory to submit. The applicant with abovementioned refugee status should submit the official document as a proof of refugee status before and/or during the interview. The applications without the respective document will not be considered for this assignment. The maximum years of service as a Refugee UN Volunteer is 4 years.
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the overall supervision of the Senior Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Refugee Field Assistant will: • Establish regular and stable communication mechanisms with refugees and asylum seekers in order to gain a better understanding of the refugee population, their concerns and priorities; • Assist UNHCR in disseminating information on available services and their providers, on the rights and duties of refugees and asylum-seekers in Hungary; • Promote and support community mobilization for organizing social, cultural and recreational events among refugee and host communities; • Provide information and referrals to refugees and asylum seekers in need of UNHCR’s humanitarian support and ensure proper feedback is provided to persons of concern; • Assist UNHCR in organizing participatory activities and awareness-raising sessions with persons of different age groups, gender and background; • Assist in exploring opportunities for mainstreaming persons of concern into available national services and contribute to developing communication strategies with persons of concern to access such services; • In coordination with the supervisor, assist in monitoring visits to Community Based Organizations/Refugee-led NGOs/Initiatives and other partners to oversee programme implementation and provide inputs for further planning; • Regularly update and share information related to areas of work, utilizing agreed data collection methods to identify gaps, assess trends and developments; • Contribute to the planning, monitoring and evaluation of any further community outreach activities; • Contribute age, gender and diversity mainstreaming in all of UNHCR Hungary’s activities; • Performs other relevant duties as required by the supervisor; • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. 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: • Develop network with refugee groups; • Establish communication protocol including feedback loops; • Link refugees to services; • Act as liaison between Refugee groups/Refugee lead NGOs/Refugee association and UNHCR and other service providers; • 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.
Eligibility criteria
Age
27 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in the national and/or international level in working with vulnerable people, refugees or IDPs, or other relevant programmes; experience with humanitarian work is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in enabling access to services to vulnerable refugees with constant aim to assist in providing durable solutions, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System; • Candidate must be a refugee or a stateless person, legally residing in the country of assignment; • Application to these assignments is exclusively open to individuals residing in Hungary, with stateless, refugee or similar protective status, including Temporary Protection; • Official document as a proof of refugee status is mandatory to submit. The applicant with abovementioned refugee status should submit the official document as a proof of refugee status before and/or during the interview. The applications without the respective document will not be considered for this assignment.