Protection Associate

Update

In the last week of April 2024, the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil faced unprecedented heavy rainfall and extreme weather conditions lasting several weeks. Around 96 per cent of the cities in the state were impacted by the events, with many experiencing unprecedented floods. Entire neighbourhoods were flooded out and roads, communications networks and water systems were damaged. Overall, nearly 2.4 million people have been affected by the floods, and 183 people were reported killed. At the peak of the emergency, nearly 600,000 people were displaced with more than 80,000 sheltering in official facilities across the state. Some 43,000 refugees and people in need of international protection were estimated to be living in Rio Grande do Sul when the rains hit, mainly Venezuelans (67 per cent), Haitians (28 per cent) and Cubans (3 per cent).
Although the acute phase of the emergency has passed, significant challenges persist in bringing services and quality of living back to pre-events standards. In addition, in the last years, Rio Grande do Sul has established itself as a key destination for refugees and other persons in need of international protection. It is estimated that more than 43,000 refugees and other persons in need of international protection were living in Rio Grande do Sul at the outbreak of the emergency.
UNHCR works to promote livelihoods and economic inclusion for refugees. We advocate for their right to work and support them in becoming more resilient and achieve self-reliance. In Rio Grande do Sul, UNHCR has historically worked through implementing partners to ensure protection of refugees and solutions to their situation. UNHCR supports authorities in further expanding the progressive refugee public policies in place to ensure refugees’ effective access to rights and services. We work to promote their self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion and integration through their insertion into national programs. In the current scenario, UNHCR continues to support national and local government recovery efforts, as well as for the implementation of policies and initiatives to promote self-reliance and integration of refugees and other forcibly displaced populations. In this regard, UNHCR has been working with sister UN Agencies, the Government and other organizations in responding the challenges and needs of refugees and forcibly displaced in the post-emergency context. Brazil has always played a pioneering and leading role in the international protection of refugees. Refugees enjoy the protection of the Brazilian Government and can, therefore, obtain documents, work, study and exercise the same rights as any foreign citizen with regular status in the country.

Within the framework of delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Office Field Office and/or his/her designated representative, the UN Volunteer will carry out the following tasks:

• Explore partnerships with relevant stakeholders to enhance economic inclusion of refugees and other persons in need of international protection. This includes working with development agencies to adapt their programmes to become inclusive of refugees and other persons in need of international protection, working with the private sector to enhance inclusion of refugees and other persons in need of international protection in their labour force and supply chains, working with financial service providers to enhance financial inclusion, working with public and private sector service providers to include refugees and other persons in need of international protection in supporting services (business development, micro-finance, training, saving accounts, poverty alleviation and social protection, etc.), and working with Civil Society organizations that work with vulnerable populations to enhance possibilities in including refugees in job opportunities captured by these organizations and including in other services available.
• Support work with the multi-functional team, more specifically with the Protection Unit, to collect information about the legal framework for the right to work and rights at work.
• Work with Refugee-led organizations in designing and implementing livelihoods programs.
• Support the implementation of socioeconomic and wealth surveys to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of the engagement of development programmes.
• Work closely with and provide technical assistance on livelihoods interventions to help ensure they are market-based, and that the role of UNHCR has been strategically determined in consideration of its comparative advantage vis-à-vis other partners.
• Prepare field reports and other relevant reports relating to livelihoods and make recommendations for interventions that enhance refugee economic inclusion to the designated officer.
• Provide overall support to the supervisor including assistance in the organization of meetings, workshops and working sessions.
• Organize and participate in workshops, training programmes, monitoring visits and working groups with regards to livelihood programming.
• Provide support to ensure partnership agreements are implemented in a timely manner, are regularly monitored and reported on in accordance with established guidelines and procedures including in the framework for implementation with partners.
• In coordination with implementing partners, support and promote the implementation of initiatives aiming to promote self-reliance and integration of forcibly displaced persons.
• Support monitoring of refugees and other persons in need of international protection socioeconomic integration of refugees in the territory contributing to enhance their wellbeing and levels of integration.
• Draft routine documents, contribute to assessments, and participate in inter-agency meetings.
• Perform other related duties as required.

In addition to the above, UN Volunteers are encouraged to join the mandate of UNV within the framework of its assignment and promote voluntary action through integration into communities in the development of your work. As such, UN Volunteers must dedicate part of your work time to one of the following activities recommended:
• Strengthen your knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteering by reading relevant publications from both the UNV program and external, as well as playing an active role in the UNV activities (e.g. at UNV events, commemoration of International Volunteer Day);
• Know and develop traditional and/or local forms of volunteering in the host country;
• Provide annual and assignment self-assessment reports on UNV actions, results and opportunities;
• Contribute articles/reviews of your experiences in the field and submit them to headquarters for inclusion on the website, publications, pamphlets/newsletters, press releases, etc. of UNV;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.