General
Description of assignment title: Associate Civil Affairs Officer
Assignment country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Expected start date: 08/01/2023
Sustainable Development Goal: 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
Volunteer category: International UN Volunteer Specialist
DoA reserved for persons with disabilities: No
Accessibility measures in place
–
Host entity: MONUSCO
Type: Onsite
Duration: 11 months (with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments: 1
Duty stations: Goma
Reasonable accommodation
No
Additional accessibility info
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Details
Mission and objectives
MONUSCO/MONUC was established in 1999 under the auspices of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). SCR 2277 (2016) requests MONUSCO to support efforts of the Government of DRC towards the protection of civilians, through a comprehensive approach involving all components of MONUSCO, including through reduction of the threat posed by Congolese and foreign armed groups and of violence against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence and violence against children to a level that can be effectively managed by the Congolese justice and security institutions; and to support Stabilization through the establishment of functional, professional, and accountable state institutions, including security and judicial institutions. The project aims at a better understanding of the most serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in DRC and supports the leadership of the Mission through informed policy and decision making on future vetting of security forces through risk assessment and mitigation, joint planning for MONUSCO operations, as well as advocacy efforts.
Context
Assignment is non-family (GOMA)
Task description
Under the direct supervision of the Civil Affairs Planning and Reporting Coordinator, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: Reporting and Program Management
- Contribute to the formulation of the Mission’s strategic provincial plan; identify emerging issues and analyse their implications;
- Gather information and prepare analytical reports on the impact of political, social and economic issues on conflict dynamics at the local level and how these relate to the developments at the national level (and conversely), and impact on Mission mandate implementation;
- Report on Civil Affairs activities carried out in support to and coordinated with local authorities, civilian institutions and NGOs;
- Contribute to overall mission monitoring and planning as required;
- Prepare or contribute to the preparation of various written reports and communications, e.g. Security Council reports, draft sections of studies, background papers, policy guidelines, briefings, case studies, presentations;
- Coordinate with Civil Affairs Pillar leads of Protection of Civilians (POC) and Stabilisation and Civil Affairs Coordinator in the field monitoring and evaluation of respective programmatic activities.
- Act as a gender Focal Point for Civil Affairs Section in close collaboration with gender focal points in the field and MONUSCO Gender Office
- Perform other related duties as may be required. Protection of Civilians
- Support existing protection mechanisms at the local level in their reporting and analysis of key challenges to the protection of civilians as well as of early warnings of potential threats against civilians and of community conflicts. Formulate actionable recommendations for the good offices of Mission Leadership to help address these challenges and threats;
- Contribute to the facilitation and support to dialogue between groups in conflict through the organisation of structured meetings, dialogue sessions and similar activities;
- Provide support to initiatives that build the capacity of local authorities and civil servants;
- Participate to Joint Assessment Missions and Joint Protection Teams, together with MONUSCO substantive sections, in support of protection of civilians and stabilisation activities. Coordination with Government/Civil Society/NGOs
- Participate in the identification of new or emerging civil society issues and support the development of programs to address them;
- Establish and maintain contacts with local interlocutors, including representatives of local authorities and communities, civil society actors, non-governmental organisations as well as representatives of local interest groups on protection of civilians and stabilization matters, in line with the Mission’s political engagement strategy;
- Engage with and provide technical assistance and advice to civil society groups or institution that promotes a culture of peace and reconciliation, in support of the Mission’s protection priorities;
- Provide support to events or activities (e.g. public fora, town hall meetings) to foster the development of political space at the local level, and in particular, dialogue and cooperation between local authorities and relevant interest groups;
- Liaise, assist, coordinate and share information with local government and humanitarian/development actors active in the region to plan and coordinate peace consolidation and stabilisation development and assistance programmes.
Eligibility criteria
Age: 27 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in Social science
Area(s) of expertise
Crisis and emergency response
Driving license
YES Required
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required French, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
Required education level
Bachelor degree or equivalent in Social science
Competencies and values
Professionalism, Team work, Respect for diversity, Integrity.
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse. Living conditions therefore vary between MONUSCO duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water. The ability to live and work in difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential. Accommodation is very expensive in both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Supermarkets exist in the large towns (e.g. Bukavu, Kisangani), but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative. All MONUSCO duty stations are considered non-family duty stations, except for Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Entebbe which are now considered family duty stations, and most are currently under UN Security Phase III (“relocation phase”: internationally-recruited staff are temporarily concentrated or relocated to specified sites/locations). In addition to insecurity related to the relatively volatile political situation as well as various conflict situations, certain places are subject to increasing street and residential crime, including in Kinshasa and Goma. Some degree of medical service is provided in all MONUSCO duty stations. Certain vaccinations are mandatory for MONUSCO personnel to enter the DRC, while others are compulsory for all other incoming persons. It is possible for incoming MONUSCO personnel, including UN Volunteers, to be asked to provide proof of some or all vaccinations, though this is unlikely. All UN Volunteers must ensure that they are up-to-date with all appropriate vaccinations, which should be clearly and properly endorsed in the International Certificate of Vaccination (“carte jaune”). Malaria is present virtually throughout the DRC, and it is therefore recommended to take prophylaxis. The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller’s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), UN Volunteers are recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and VLA payments will be processed in cash. UN Volunteers have the possibility to send part of their allowances to a bank account abroad. In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy
