Mission and objectives

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people.

Context

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is a global organization protecting people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We work in over 130 countries, helping millions of people with life-saving support, safeguarding fundamental human rights, and helping them build a better future (see www.unhcr.org). Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, over 3,5 million refugees from Ukraine have entered Bulgaria and until the December 2024, and the Government of Bulgaria has granted Temporary Protection to more than 197,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine, of whom the majority are women and children. The Council of Ministers has formed a Task Force for the Ukrainian Refugee Response, focusing on inter-ministerial coordination. Under its mandate, UNHCR leads and coordinates the Inter-Agency refugee response for the Ukraine Situation, in alignment with the Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation (RRP) – co-leading with and in support of the Government. Under the Refugee Coordination Mechanism, UNHCR has established the national refugee coordination forum – along with an inter-agency Cash Working Group (led by UNHCR), an Education Working Group (led by UNICEF), a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Working Group (led by WHO), a Protection and Inclusion Working Group (led by UNHCR), a Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) network (co-led by UNHCR, UNICEF and a local organization) which fall under the inter-agency refugee coordination mechanism. There are currently 19 partners involved in the Refugee Response Plan for 2024. Additionally, Bulgaria as an external EU border, plays a strategic role in refugee protection within Europe. In 2024, Bulgaria’s State Agency for Refugees (SAR) registered over 11,800 asylum seekers, most from Syria and Afghanistan, showing a decrease in the asylum application numbers from 2023. SAR operates six reception centers for the registration, Refugee Status Determination procedures and accommodation of asylum seekers. Amid continuous arrivals of Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers since 2022, UNHCR supports Bulgaria’s Government to ensure policies and legislation are in line with international and EU standards, and promotes a comprehensive refugee response, grounded in a multi-stakeholder, whole-of-society approach. UNHCR supports government-led efforts to provide key protection – including legal assistance, information on services, education and psychosocial support – reception and accommodation, as well as the delivery of core relief items for winterization and cash assistance for the most vulnerable groups. UNHCR’s priority protection interventions include access to territory and asylum procedures, inclusion of refugees in state-led programs, Child Protection and Gender Based Violence prevention, risk mitigation and response, support to persons with specific needs, and mitigation of the risks relating to trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation. UNHCR is also providing technical support to asylum authorities for digitalised systems.

Task Description

This UNV assignment is part of UNHCR’s core protection initiative to assess and support the national social protection system on refugee protection and the protection of forcibly displaced and stateless children, in line with the legal framework and the Migration and Asylum Law. A key priority is to strengthen child protection capacity across UNHCR’s programmes and in coordination with partners and institutional actors. Among other provisions of the Asylum and Migration Pact files, Article 6 of the Asylum Procedures Regulation provides for UNHCR’s access to asylum-seekers and refugees in reception centres and detention and at the borders and transit zones, among other places where they may be. It refers that UNHCR should “have access to information on individual applications for international protection, on the course of the procedure and on the decisions taken, subject to the consent of the applicant; and should be able to present its views, in the exercise of its supervisory responsibilities to any competent authorities regarding individual applications for international protection at any stage of the procedure”. This refers to broader supervisory responsibilities of UNHCR, as contained in its Statute and in Article 35 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and in Article II of the 1967 Protocol, with regards to the protection of refugees, that entails, among others, supporting the Governments to provide protection and solutions for international protection applicants and beneficiaries in line with international law, including as evolved under the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the EU. Task description: • Support in the formulation of the child protection key considerations in multi-sectoral and protection specific assessments. • Contribute to the formulation of child protection strategy as part of the operation’s broader Protection and Solutions Strategy, which incorporates age, gender and diversity analysis, identifies the protection needs and capacities of children of concern, communities and services and reflects UNHCR’s policies, standards and priorities, including the Framework for the Protection of Children. • Participate in defining context – appropriate approaches for a meaningful participation of children, adolescents and youth in the development and implementation of strategies that address key child protection priorities. • Undertake consultation with children, youth and communities and provide information on appropriate and meaningful approaches for their effective participation and programmatic responses on child protection issues, and to inform child protection strategy and programme activities. • Support the analysis of the national systems and ensure that child protection programmes complement national child protection systems and work towards the inclusion of children of concern into national child protection laws, policies and services. • Support in implementing quality child protection programmes, including multi-sectoral activities, in collaboration with partners and key stakeholders. • Support the design, implementation and monitoring of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for child protection. • Support UNHCR and partners’ case workers to ensure that child protection information management is maintained in accordance with UNHCR’s Policy and procedure as well as data sharing protocols. • Support partners and communities in strengthening/ establishing community-based child protection programming. • Support the monitoring of child protection partners’ programmes in line with relevant partnerships-agreements to ensure all children at risk are identified and supported. • Support protection and programme teams in identifying gaps and needs for the child protection and other related partners, participating closely in the annual programme cycle and partnerships revision. • Assist in strengthening strategic and innovative partnerships for Child Protection with community-based, local, national, and international organizations, with a focus on ensuring continuity and sustainability. • Work with partners to ensure statistics and reporting on children at risk are provided on a regular basis. • Support coordination among CP relevant stakeholders at the local level. • Monitor, advocate for, and support appropriate/alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children. • Assist the Child Protection interagency coordination and information management activities as needed. • Provide technical support and monitoring to child protection partners. • Assist in the preparation of legal advice and drafting of position papers and guidelines on pertinent legal and operational issues. • Stay abreast of the domestic legal issues and pertinent laws regarding forcibly displaced and stateless children in Bulgaria and advise the Office accordingly. • Contribute to advocacy towards proper interpretation of law and doctrine as well as in the development of standards for child protection. • Consistently apply international and national law and UNHCR policies and standards. • Assist the Office in providing legal counselling to forcibly displaced and stateless persons. • Liaise and intervene with local authorities on the legal issues pertaining to forcibly displaced and stateless persons, in particular regarding unaccompanied or separated children. • Participate in initiatives to build capacity of authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures. • Support interpretation during meetings with authorities, if required. • Participate in meetings within UNHCR and with external counterparts at the relevant level. • Assist in the development of project proposals and project implementation. • Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Integrity • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

The UN Volunteer position will entail travel to field locations, particularly to areas with high presence of forcibly displaced and stateless populations. The UN Volunteer will be responsible for his/her own accommodation. This assignment requires full time engagement (8 hours/5 days). The contract lasts for the period indicated above with the possibility of extensions subject to the availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteer’s service. Contingent on specific eligibility criteria, location of the volunteer assignment, and contractual type and category, the payment of allowances will begin from the date of Commencement of Service. Monthly Living Allowance (per month): BGN 3690 Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 400 Exit allowance: BGN 219 for each month served, paid on completion of the contract Please note that the amounts can vary according to fluctuations in exchange rates. Health and life insurance: • Health insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible dependents will receive UNV-provided medical insurance coverage. • Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. Leave entitlements: • Annual leave: UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment. • Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period. • Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. • Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/UNVcos20221%20Complete%20hi-res-final_compressed_NOV22.pdf

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements