Programme Support Officer (Drug Control & Forensics)

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was established in 1997 and is the global leader in the fight for global peace and security, human rights, and development by making the world safer from drugs, crime, corruption, and terrorism by working for and with Member States to promote justice and the rule of law and build resilient societies. UNODC has its HQ in Vienna, Austria, and operates in more than 80 countries around the world through its network of 115 field offices as well as liaison offices in New York and Brussels with 2,400 UNODC personnel globally. UNODC works closely with Governments and civil society towards building security and justice for all. The UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) covers 18 countries (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen). In addition to the Regional Office located in Cairo, Egypt, there are 10 Programmes Offices in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen. The Regional Office in Cairo where the UN Volunteer will be placed has a total of 122 staff members. ROMENA has in place a Regional Framework for the Arab States (2023-2028) (RF) which sets out UNODC’s mission to contribute to peace and security, human rights, and development by making the region safer from drugs, crime, corruption, and terrorism, including by reducing violence and inequalities within society. The RF lays out a roadmap to guide UNODC programming and accelerate progress towards Agenda 2030 in pursuit of key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by framing how UNODC will strengthen, prioritize, customize, and deliver support to the Arab region in effective response to some of the most pressing challenges faced by these countries.

This United Nations Volunteer (UNV) assignment is based within the UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA), based in Cairo, Egypt. ROMENA oversees UNODC’s technical cooperation across 18 countries in the region, promoting balanced, evidence-based, and human rights–compliant approaches to drug control, crime prevention, and criminal justice reform. The assignment supports the Regional Programme for Drug Control and Forensics, implemented under the UNODC Regional Framework for the Arab States (2023–2028). This programme aims to strengthen the drug problem response in the region, with a human rights and people centered approach, and including research, prevention, access to treatment, rehabilitation, reduction of harm caused by drug use, supply chain of controlled and non-controlled substances, as well as supply and institutional capacities in the region, while promoting regional cooperation and operational coordination between Member States. The UN Volunteer will work directly under the supervision of the Regional Programme Coordinator (Drug Control and Forensics) and will play a key role in coordinating programme activities, managing documentation, facilitating communication and liaison across ROMENA field offices offices. The assignment provides an opportunity to contribute to UNODC’s strategic and technical work in promoting balanced drug control policies and strengthening forensic and criminal justice systems across the MENA region.

Under the supervision of the Regional Programme Coordinator (Drug Control and Forensics) at UNODC ROMENA, the UN Volunteer will provide high-level executive, programmatic, and operational support to ensure effective coordination and delivery of the Regional Programme for Drug Control and Forensics. The incumbent will: - Provide executive and administrative support, including managing the coordinator’s agenda, correspondence, travel, and meetings. - Draft, edit, and finalize communications, reports, meeting minutes, and presentations in English and, where applicable, in Arabic (or French if applicable). - Maintain systematic records and archives of programme documents, reports, project files, and visibility materials. - Support programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, including work plans and budgets, and assist in ensuring compliance with UNODC and donor reporting requirements. - Assist in the preparation, review, and coordination of programme documentation, including project proposals, contribution agreements, reporting documents, visibility products, activity reports, planning documentation, progress reports, and any other document. - Support internal coordination across UNODC ROMENA sections and field offices, facilitating information exchange and operational consistency. - Assist in liaising with national, regional, and international partners, and contribute to the organization of technical meetings, workshops, and missions. - Support the monitoring of implementation progress and support the drafting of analytical briefs, background notes, and meeting summaries. - Support portfolio data collection, trend analysis, and visualization of programme results and indicators. - Ensure effective administrative and logistical support for events, missions, and procurement processes, in close collaboration with operations and finance teams. - Promote the principles of volunteerism through engagement with colleagues and local initiatives. - Provide logistical and operational support to the Drug Control Programme, including when required ERP requisitioning and financial workflows (shopping carts, service entry sheets, goods receipts), ensuring timely processing, documentation accuracy, and coordination with Operations, Procurement, and Finance units. - Perform other related duties as required.