Protection Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

The UNHCR Representation in Venezuela has the Country Office in Caracas, four Field Offices (Guasdualito, San Cristobal, Maracaibo, and Ciudad Guayana), as well as Field Units in Caracas, Puerto Ayacucho, and Santa Elena de Uairen. The overall context in Venezuela remains challenging with an estimated 7.7 million people in need, according to the Humanitarian Response Plan, and recurring issues related to humanitarian access. While the humanitarian crisis continues to produce population outflows from Venezuela, since 2022 there has been a noticeable increase in the proportion of spontaneous returns to the country. Returnees face a range of challenges for successful reintegration and to break the repeated cycle of displacement and human mobility. As a result, the UN Country Team has identified reintegration as an interagency priority for which UNHCR is co-leading coordination efforts and the operational response. Based on the current operational context, the operation needs to better understand the returnee situation; operationally adapt; and seek collaboration and leadership within the humanitarian response on returns. The position reports to the Deputy Representative.

Context

The UNHCR Representation in Venezuela works through the Country Office, three Field Offices (Maracaibo, San Cristobal, Guasdualito) as well as four Field Units (Caracas, Carupano, Santa Elena de Uairen, and Puerto Ayacucho). UNHCR Field Unit in Carúpano covers Sucre state and occasionally neighbouring Bolivar, Monagas, Anzoátegui and Delta Amacuro States and supports essential services and community-based interventions to strengthen self-management of heightened protection risks, including human trafficking and gender-based violence. Moreover, it implements directly and with its partners community mobilization activities with community leaders and volunteers on activities focused on awareness, prevention/mitigation, and response pathways. Furthermore, it supports community spaces and infrastructure as complementary interventions to facilitate community-based activities. UNHCR in Venezuela is working through a community-based approach to prevent displacement, mitigate protection risks and support resilience of affected communities. UNHCR works closely with operational and implementing partners and coordinates activities with local authorities, including the Office of the Ombudsperson, CONARE (National Refugee Commission), Civil Registry, as well as regional and municipal authorities, among others. The Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent provides functional and administrative support to the protection unit on protection related liaison, correspondence, monitoring, case management and reporting activities. The Protection Assistant also supports the protection unit in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and in providing quality, timely and effective protection responses to persons of concern (PoC). S/he may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on correspondence and/or protection issues as guided by the supervisor. The Protection Assistant also facilitates the involvement of PoC in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Field Associate in Carupano, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles. • Protection activities are guided by the UNHCR country protection strategy. • The participation of persons of concern is facilitated through supporting participatory, rights and community-based approaches. • Support is provided to identify and report protection incidents. • Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. • Provide counselling on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. • Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. • Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment. • Contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness. • Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy. • Contribute to a country-level education plan for persons of concern as part of the protection strategy. • Contribute to the national protection plan to strengthen disaster response capabilities. • Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities. • Participate in individual protection case management including cases of SGBV and child protection only for Persons of Concern to UNHCR (refugees, asylum seekers and persons in need of international protection). Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents. • Carry out border monitoring and prepare reports on mobility trends as well as participate in meetings with UNHCR Trinidad and Tobago. • Assist in identifying durable solutions for persons of concern in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. • Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. • Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics for the protection unit / section. • Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities. • Facilitate training and support for partners in the legal framework of international protection and National Refugee Law and procedures. • Establish a protection referral system to support effective case management. • Enhance coordination and synergies among protection cluster’s partners, facilitate dialogue and flow of information at local level. • Prepare Protection Cluster information products. • Regularly update the Protection Custer strategy and workplans. • Ensure centrality of protection by ensuring that that leadership, coordination, and engagement in all sectors is more strategic, aligned and directed toward a stronger response.