Persons with disabilities are a key constituency in Zimbabwe and are estimated to make up 9.2% of the total population, however, they remain invisible at all levels of society and face numerous challenges in accessing healthcare, jobs, education, and justice among others. In order to meet its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which it ratified in 2013, the Government of Zimbabwe is making every effort to advance disability rights and inclusion across all sectors a. A Department within the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare was designated to exclusively deal with, and coordinate the disability agenda in the country; Gender and Disability Inclusion Focal Points have been designated in each of the Ministries; 2 senators were appointed to represent persons with disabilities; a National Disability Policy was adopted in 2021; and a bill on Persons with Disabilities to replace the Disabled Persons Act of 1992 is currently undergoing the legislative process. Despite these positive developments, persons with disabilities continue to face a plethora of challenges and barriers which relegate them to the periphery of society, resulting in exclusion, discrimination and being left behind in national development processes and thereby hamper them from fully enjoying their human rights. More still needs to be done to ensure the full implementation and domestication of these frameworks, creation of an inclusive and accessible society for all persons with disabilities, and institutionalizing a culture of inclusivity, equality, and diversity across all sectors.

It is within this context that the role of the United Nations in Zimbabwe has become increasingly important, as both the Government of Zimbabwe and its Development Partners consider the UNCT to be a key strategic partner and one which plays a crucial role in coordinating and channelling support to the country, and ensuring inclusion, and leaving no one behind in all development processes. The UNRCO is strategically placed to support and ensure the UNCT delivers disability inclusive programmes, that promotes the rights of persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe. The UNRCO also supports the Government of Zimbabwe to fulfil its obligations and ensure an inclusive society for all as set out in the National Development Strategy 1, the ZUNSDCF and also in line with national, regional, and international frameworks that the country is party to.

Within the ambit of the “delivering as one modality” and under the guidance of the UNRCO Senior Human Rights Adviser, the Disability Inclusion Coordination Officer will support the coordination and execution of the UNCT’s disability inclusive programming. He/she will support the UNRCO’s oversight and coordination role on disability issues, ensuring high quality, accuracy and consistency of work related to the implementation of UNCT disability related projects and interventions, including the UNDIS implementation. The incumbent will also assist in providing strategic guidance and technical support to UNCT and RCO’s partners on disability inclusive programming, support resource mobilization initiatives targeting disability issues, and support promotion and implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe. The incumbent will undertake the following tasks:

1. Support mainstreaming of disability rights and inclusion in UNCT programmining and implementation of the ZUNDSCF
2. Support implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy by the UNCT including through its programming and operational structures
3. Support RCO in engaging and maintaining strategic partnerships with all relevant national stakeholders
4. Support RCO in resource mobilisation for the disability rights and inclusion agenda
5. Support knowledge building and sharing on disability rights and inclusion within the UNCT and other stakeholders
6. Perform any other duties as required

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• 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.

Results/expected outputs:

• Strengthened mainstreaming of disability rights and inclusion in the UNCT strategic and programming documents including the annual reports, CCA, Workplans as well as activities
• Strengthened engagement and knowledge on disability rights and inclusion with various stakeholders including Government, the legislature, development partners and organisations of persons with disabilities
• Improved knowledge of disability rights and inclusion within the UNCT, it programmatic and operational structures
• Improved ratings of the UNCT under the UN Disability Inclusion Scorecard
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNRCO; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNRCO procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNRCO in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNRCO’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

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• Professional experience in the rights of persons with disabilities, inclusive development programming, and in several broad areas of human rights and development.
• Knowledge of contemporary development issues nationally and globally especially on disability rights and inclusion, HRBA, national development priorities, national and global planning frameworks (, SDGs, NDS1, UNSDCF, NDP) is necessary
• Demonstrable knowledge of result-based management, UN programme management policies, and procedures
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and database packages.
• Excellent command of English and good communication Skills.

The conditions of life in Zimbabwe are permissive to persons with disability. Several progressive steps have been undertaken by the Government of Zimbabwe and partners to ensure an inclusive and accessible society. Some of these measures include the development and implementation of policy frameworks to advance rights of persons with disability, capacitating persons with disabilities on their rights to enable them to claim their rights and hold institution accountable, and institutional strengthening for effective delivery of disability inclusive services. At the national level there is growing political commitment towards disability inclusion characterised by the appointment of the special advisor to the president on disability issues and the 2 disabilities senators, formulation of the Disability Affairs Department, and the rollout of the recently launched National Disability policy. Meanwhile there is a growing and vibrant Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) community representing all facets of disability and playing a significant role in advancing the CRPDs implementation in Zimbabwe. In terms of infrastructure, most residential houses are single story and allow for easy access to person with disability. Private transport is not really accessible, while deliberate measures have been put in place to ensure information is accessible to persons with disabilities. Office spaces have both stairways, ramps, and elevators to ensure physical accessibility for all. The ground floor at Block 10 which houses UNDP and RCO is accessible for persons with disabilities, including offices, bathroom, and meeting rooms. Furthermore, through the operationalization of the UNDIS Strategy, there has been progress in terms of undertaking accessibility checks of the UN premises and developing an action plan to address all barriers to physical and information access by persons with disabilities.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION The UN system wishes to create an inclusive workplace and
commits to taking appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to access and benefit equally from employment and other engagement opportunities such as volunteering, by providing reasonable accommodation. In this context, “reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.