Project Associate

International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides services and advice to governments and migrants. With 174 Member States, IOM continues to expand its scope of activities to address the evolving migration challenges by providing a comprehensive set of responses to complex migration issues at the operational and policy level.

IOM is part of the UN System in Sri Lanka and formally became a United Nations related Organization at the UN General Assembly in September 2016.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Sri Lanka prepared for the 2023- 2027 period articulates the collective vision and the contribution of the United Nations system to support Sri Lanka to accelerate actions towards the achievement of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable development. It is structured around four interdependent and mutually reinforcing Strategic Priorities, through which the United Nations system will strategically deploy its expertise to support Sri Lanka in achieving transformative and accelerated advancement across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and peace. The strategic priority 3 on ‘Social Cohesion and Inclusive Governance and Justice’ aims to establish inclusive, participatory, and transparent governance systems and mechanisms at all levels that effectively, efficiently, and equitably advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without leaving anyone behind, while equally prioritizing the promotion of a peaceful, inclusive, and cohesive society. This includes creating conditions for sustaining peace by enabling all individuals and communities to meaningfully engage with and address the legacies of the past, access justice, enjoy their human rights, and participate in shaping a shared and inclusive future—thereby reinforcing both accountable governance and long-term social cohesion as foundations for sustainable development.

The strategic priority is largely contributed by the initiatives under two outcome areas of UNSDCF, namely Outcome area 4 on Inclusive Governance, Justice and Rule of Law and Outcome area 5 on Social Cohesion, Sustaining Peace and Human Rights.

A significant element of the role will include the coordinating functions of Outcome Results Group 4 &5, working with the participating UN agencies. Hence, the UN Youth Volunteer will support the work of the UN in the areas of Social Cohesion and Inclusive Governance and Justice contributing to both Outcome areas 4 &5 working in close coordination with the Resident Coordinators Office (RCO).
To help advance work under UNSDCF Outcomes 4 and 5, the UN Resident Coordinator also formally submitted to the Peacebuilding Fund a concept note for a $3 million project entitled “Land and Trust-building Engagement in the Regions of the North & East (LANTERN),” a joint project developed jointly by UNDP and IOM, with support from UN Habitat, the RCO Peace and Development and Human Rights teams, that seeks to address State-citizen land disputes in the north and east of the country.
The UN Youth Volunteer will directly support the IOM in implementing project interventions contributing to social cohesion, and inclusive governance and justice including the LANTERN project and related analytical and coordination work.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Mission (and focal point for ORG 4&5) the UN Youth Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Support the implementation of project interventions on Social Cohesion and Inclusive Governance and Justice including the LANTERN project under the Sri Lanka SDG Fund.
• Support the coordination of meetings, joint workplan updates, monitoring of indicators and various reporting process of UNSDCF Outcome Results Groups 4 & 5.
• Support increased coordination of thematically related projects in the Northern and Eastern provinces, e.g. through the production of overview documents.
• Develop working level partnerships with technical focal points in member UN agen-cies and with the Resident Coordinators Office, to support the UN’s work on Social Cohesion and Inclusive Governance and Justice.
• Contribute to the development of close working relationships with the government agencies responsible for Social Cohesion and Inclusive Governance and Justice, fa-cilitating support in policy development and technical assistance.
• Provide assistance in identifying strategic entry points for programming and promote inclusive, conflict-sensitive methodologies to strengthen national capacities for conflict prevention, with particular emphasis on empowering civil society actors, women, and youth as key contributors to peacebuilding efforts.
• Contribute to the development of proposals for joint projects and programmes on Peace and Recovery, and Transitional Justice.
• Support to prepare communications products to give greater visibility to the work of the UN in the field of on Peace and Recovery, and Transitional Justice.
• Conduct research and produce knowledge products on Social Cohesion, Inclusive Governance, and Justice, with a particular focus on supporting peacebuilding and conflict prevention through information gathering and analytical support.