, Addis Ababa
UNHCR
Vacancy Notice No.:  ETH/AA/UNOPS/VN/41/18 Grade: L-ICA 8 (Under UNOPS Salary Scale)Type of Appointment: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)Number of Vacant post: OneClosing Date: 21/06/2018Duration of the contract: 12 monthsOrganizational Context: UNHCR has had long-standing cooperation with the African Union and its predecessor body, the Organization of the African Union (OAU). The 1969 OAU Convention on the Protection and Assistance to Refugees and the 2009 AU Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, which entered into force in December 2012, are key AU instruments concerning persons under UNHCR’s mandate. In addition to these and within the framework of the long-term vision encapsulated in Agenda 2063, the African Union’s (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government adopted a Common African Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness (CAP) in 2016 and called for a ten-year period of transformation to strengthen humanitarian action on the continent. The CAP defines Africa’s new humanitarian architecture, which also emphasizes addressing root causes and achieving durable solutions, as well as bolstering the capacity of States and other stakeholders to tackle the challenges of forced displacement on the continent. The year 2019 will mark the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (OAU Refugee Convention) as well as the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the 2009 AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa ( Kampala Convention).  To mark these events on the Continent, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government (The Assembly) decided to declare 2019 the Year of Refugees, Returnees and IDPs. The Assembly also requested the AU to work with the Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations, UNHCR and other stakeholders to organize a series of activities to commemorate the anniversaries. In order to ensure the implementation of all commemorative activities in a coordinated manner, a temporary Secretariat is established by the African Union and hosted within the AU Commission Department of Political Affairs.  The Secretariat will be responsible for providing the overall administrative and planning support to the African Union in the implementation of the activities. The Assistant Communication and Liaison Officer is a position within the Secretariat. The incumbent is closely supervised on issues concerning external relations and public information by the Communication and Reporting Adviser. On issues concerning liaison s/he is supervised by the Senior Liaison Officer. Advice and operational support may also be received from other senior staff.  External contacts are generally with a broad range of officials from national and international institutions, media or general public on matters of importance to the Organization. Accountability: The African Union and UNHCR's media relations and advocacy work in geographic and thematic area are supported. The African Union and UNHCR's standing with its counterparts is maintained. Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Communication and Reporting Adviser the Assistant Communication and Liaison Officer will undertake the following:Assist  in the development and implementation of joint AU-UNHCR communication strategies, campaigns, events and other initiatives  on Project 2019 involving all;Contribute in  maintaining media relations for the Secretariat, ensuring that media (and other important external stakeholders, such as governments, embassies, NGOs etc.) are briefed regularly and have access to information relating to the commemorative activities; Assist in establishment of close working relationships with television, radio and news agencies to promote and ensure the dissemination of the AU theme for 2019,  activities and events under the commemoration of the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention and Kampala Convention anniversaries;Assist in the development of working relationships with the AU, UN Agencies, NGOs and other partners in order to raise interest and develop co-operation in the commemorative activities. Draft bulletins and updates on the anniversary commemorations.Assist in planning and organizing advertisements, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, meetings, social events and other activities relating to the AU theme for 2019 and Commemorative activities.Perform other duties as required. Authority: Organize the distribution of UNHCR publications and the provision of materials to various institutions and individuals to respond to the interest of the public on issues related to the commemorative eventsDraft various reports for internal and external purposes as required.