External Relations Assistant

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Globally, UNHCR operates in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions. UNHCR established offices in Central Asia in response to the 1992-93 civil war in Tajikistan and the war in northern Afghanistan that had displaced thousands of people. As these displacement situations stabilised, and the displaced populations reduced, UNHCR shifted focus from emergency response to advocacy and capacity building. Protection underpins all UNHCR activities aimed at ensuring the rights of asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless people are recognized. UNHCR Multi-Country Office (MCO) for Central Asia is located in Almaty and provides overall coordination and strategic oversight of UNHCR operations across the region, including through National Offices in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The MCO also covers operations and programmes for Kazakhstan and remotely implements programmes in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, where UNHCR functions as a non-resident agency through joint workplans with respective government entities, as well as through engagement and coordination with the UN RCOs and UN Country Teams. Across the region, UNHCR and partners work together to implement programmes that uphold the basic human rights of people forced to flee and the stateless. In Central Asia, UNHCR works to: Strengthen asylum systems: UNHCR works with Central Asian governments to strengthen asylum procedures and establish fair and effective referral mechanisms from border to responsible authorities, so that refugees and asylum-seekers can safely access territory and their rights as people forced to flee. UNHCR has advised and assisted Central Asian governments to draft refugee laws, train relevant authorities, and establish refugee status determination procedures and referral mechanisms. Integrate refugees: Most refugees in Central Asia have been living there for years, or even decades. They often speak local languages, and many have family ties with citizens. Without permanent residency status, however, they do not have access to most socio-economic rights, including naturalisation. UNHCR advocates for improvements in national legislation to ensure that all refugees have access to the rights and services stipulated in the Refugee Convention and other international treaties – including education, healthcare, and local integration. With due rights, refugees can more meaningfully integrate into host communities and contribute to their economic and social development. Eradicate statelessness: Without legal identity, stateless people often have difficulty accessing basic rights and services such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement. Together with partners, UNHCR supports the governments to identify and document people with undetermined nationality, resolve existing situations of statelessness, and prevent statelessness from occurring. UNHCR promotes alignment of national citizenship and statelessness laws with international standards, and advocates for Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to join Turkmenistan in acceding to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions. As only States can grant or confirm nationality, the cooperation of governments in preventing and reducing statelessness is crucial.

The UN Volunteer will closely work with colleagues across all units at UNHCR MCO Almaty. Under this assignment, the UN Volunteer will support the team in preparing a variety of materials, such as briefing notes, factsheets, information brochures, and newsletters. The UN Volunteer will also assist with organizing events, collecting information, and supporting basic data analysis. Under the supervision of the manager, s/he will provide support in organising visits of UNHCR senior management, foreign delegations, donors, press and media by contributing to the drafting of briefings and reports/materials for external partners. The UN Volunteer will receive guidance from staff, gaining exposure to both communications and advocacy work. This role is designed for undergraduate students, providing hands-on learning, practical skills development, and insight into humanitarian work during the six-month assignment. The UN Volunteer will also have the opportunity to contribute to discussions, participate in team meetings, and observe coordination with partners and other UN agencies.

Under the direct supervision of External Relations Associate, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: - Learn from team members about UN processes, protection standards, advocacy, and external relations, gaining practical experience in a UN operational environment. - Support the drafting and release of a wide range of external and internal materials, including briefing notes, reports, factsheets, information brochures, newsletters, as re-quired. - Support the organization of visibility events, and liaise with colleagues and partners, to design and implement. - Contribute to the planning and organization of events, workshops, and missions. - Support day-to-day activities, including note-taking, and maintaining relevant resources or databases. - Assist in compilation of weekly, monthly, annual/quarterly thematic reports, situations reports etc. - Perform other related duties as required.