Job Title: Associate RSD Officer
Job ID: 7414
Location: Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia
APA Location: Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia
Salary Grade: P2
Hardship Level: A
Family Type Location: Family
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Associate RSD Officer is a member of the Refugee Status
Determination (RSD) team. Under the
direct supervision of the RSD Officer (RSD Supervisor), s/he is responsible for
conducting RSD interviews to determine eligibility for refugee status,
undertaking country of origin (COI) and other research related to the claim, as
required, and drafting RSD assessments, including for complex cases. The incumbent is also responsible for
carrying out supervisory responsibilities in the RSD procedure, as delegated by
the RSD Officer (RSD Supervisor), which may include responsibilities related to
the reception and registration of asylum seekers and refugees, file assignment
and scheduling of RSD interviews, coordination of the work of interpreters,
reviewing RSD assessments of members of the RSD team and providing legal and
procedural guidance and coaching, as required.
The Associate RSD Officer may liaise with Government authorities and
other partners about issues related to UNHCR's RSD procedure and relevant UNHCR
guidelines and standards related to RSD.
S/he may carry out training for Government authorities and other
partners on legal and procedural issues related to RSD and provide technical
advice to strengthen national asylum procedures.
FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- UNHCR's RSD procedures are implemented in accordance with
relevant UNHCR standards and
policies, including policies related to age, gender, and
diversity mainstreaming (AGDM).
- Persons of concern have fair and transparent access to the
RSD procedures.
- Fraud in the RSD process is identified and appropriately
addressed.
Responsibility
- Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other
developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on
protection delivery through RSD.
- Assist in the development of the RSD strategy of the
operation and in the annual planning exercise.
- Contribute to the development and enhancement of regional
and global RSD standards and policies.
- Assist in the supervision and oversight of RSD and
RSD-related activities to promote full compliance with written Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Review and endorse RSD decisions and provide appropriate
feedback and guidance to RSD staff.
- Conduct RSD interviews and draft RSD Assessments in
accordance with applicable standards and guidelines.
- Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related
to all work on individual cases.
- Provide counselling to asylum seekers and refugees.
- Assist in designing, implementing and revising
operation-specific SOPs for all aspects of the
RSD operation in
accordance with applicable standards and policies.
- Assist in preventing and identifying fraud in RSD through
oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of
concern.
- Assist in monitoring RSD trends and in compiling and
analysing RSD statistics related to RSD case processing to identify and respond
to developments or issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD
decision-making, and to propose remedial measures.
- Conduct research on country of origin information (COI)
and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a local repository of
relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the
operation.
- 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, policy and
practice.
- Assist in initiatives to advocate with and support
Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and
efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making.
- Regularly assess training needs of UNHCR staff engaged in
RSD and related activities and provide on-going training and coaching on legal
and procedural RSD issues.
- Support the development and implementation of RSD training
initiatives for Government authorities and legal partners.
Authority
- Approve decisions to accelerate RSD processing for cases
meeting established criteria.
- Enforce compliance by UNHCR staff engaged in RSD and
related activities with UNHCR standards, policies and operation-specific SOPs
for all aspects of the RSD operation.
- Decide and endorse RSD decisions.
ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
REQUIRED.
- University Degree in Law, political science, international
relations or another related field.
- Minimum 4 years (2 years with advanced University degree)
of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee
protection, human rights or international humanitarian law.
- Minimum 1 year of experience working directly with
procedures and principles related to RSD.
- Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights
Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.
- Strong research and analytical skills.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
(In offices where the working language is not English,
excellent knowledge of working language of duty station and working knowledge
of English.)
*** For National Officer positions, very good knowledge of
the local language and local institutions is essentials.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES.
- Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD
procedures is highly desirable.
- Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees.
- Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized
individuals.
- Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning
Programme, Protection Learning Programme.
- Experience in supervising and in providing training or
coaching, guidance or advice to staff.
- Knowledge of another UN language.
Operational Context
Malaysia
is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its Protocol and it has no
legislative or administrative framework for dealing with refugees. By Malaysian
law, refugees are not distinguished from undocumented migrants and are
therefore vulnerable to arrest for immigration offences and may be subject to
detention, prosecution, caning, and deportation.
As with regards to UNHCR¿s operational perspective, the
refugee situation is best described to be that of an urban population, within
the context of a mixed migration as refugees and asylum seekers are a part of
approximately 4 million migrants in Malaysia, of which half are
undocumented. In the absence of a national administrative framework, UNHCR
conducts all activities related to the reception, registration, documentation,
and status determination of asylum seekers and refugees.
As of the end of January 2011, the total number of persons
of concern registered with UNHCR Representation in Malaysia had reached 92,165
persons, comprising 80,956 recognised refugees and 11,209 asylum seekers at
various stages of RSD processing. Some
91% are from Myanmar
and 9% from other countries. While the UNHCR Representation in Malaysia receives asylum cases from over 50
countries, its five biggest caseloads are from the following countries: Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Iraq, Somalia, and Afghanistan.
The Associate RSD Officer, who will be recruited, will be a
part of the RSD Unit that is currently responsible for determining refugee
status of asylum seekers being registered by the UNHCR Representation in Malaysia. As mentioned, there are 11,209 asylum seekers,
who were registered by the end of January 2011. This means that the task of the
RSD Unit will be enormous given the high number of cases that needs to be
processed. The RSD Unit is currently comprised of 20 Eligibility staff, two
administrative staff, and an RSD Officer (at P3) level, who heads and manages
the RSD Unit.
The Associate RSD Officer, who will be recruited, will be
involved in different functions relating to RSD, including conducting the RSD
interview and adjudication (at all level of the process) as well as in
assisting the RSD Officer: in reviewing cases, in managing the RSD process and
in supervising the day to day operation of the Unit. On this basis, the Associate RSD Officer, who
will be recruited, shall have: a legal background with a high degree of
knowledge of refugee and human rights laws; solid and considerable years of
experience in conducting RSD interview and adjudication; some degree of
experience in managing RSD processes; and, has shown skills in managing and
supervising staff.
Iin case no internal candidates with demonstrated RSD skills
can be identified, it is desirable to have external candidates who have
experience in RSD in the country or in the region for at least two years and
who are immediately available.
Closing Date
Please note that the closing date for vacancies in Part I of
the September 2012 Compendium is Thursday 27 September 2012 (midnight Geneva time).
To apply for this position and others at UNHCR, click here
Social Plugin