Political Affairs Officer, P-4

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

This post is located in the Haiti Team/Americas Division (AD) of the Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs (DPPA) and the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). The Americas Division leads efforts for the prevention of conflict, mediation and sustaining peace in the region. It is responsible for the delivery of the strategic priorities of DPPA and DPO with regard to the countries as well as regional and sub-regional organizations in the Western Hemisphere. AD is structured in three sub-regional teams and two field-mission backstopping teams, each composed of a Team Leader, Desk Officers and a Team Assistant. The teams are overseen by the division’s Director and Deputy-Director. The Haiti Team provides backstopping support to the UN special political mission in Haiti (BINUH). The Political Affairs officer (P4) reports to the Haiti Team Leader.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Monitors and analyzes political developments and operational activities related to the mandate of BINUH, with particular focus on gender-sensitive analysis and the participation of vulnerable and marginalized communities in political processes;
• Reviews available information on the region that have a bearing on Haiti in situation reports, cables, correspondence, media, etc. and identifies matters for follow-up and the need for action;
• Prepares timely responses to issues and questions raised in the field and at HQ related to Haiti and makes recommendations on actions to take;
• Prepares responses to requests for information (verbal and written) from a range of sources with respect to operational and political issues, collects advice and inputs from units in the Secretariat and United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes and maintains liaison with a wide-range of actors within the Department, Secretariat offices and UN agencies as well as members of the Security Council, other relevant regional Member States, police contributing countries, and regional organizations;
• Drafts and reviews various documents, including reports of the Secretary-General, briefing notes to the Security Council, talking points and briefing notes for meetings of senior officials with parties, contributors, Member States etc.;
• Prepares draft press releases and reviews draft reports and publications prepared by others to ensure accuracy;
• Participates in fact finding, planning and other missions and drafts related reports;
• Promotes action to achieve DPPA goals in women, peace and security by including a gender perspective in all activities and reporting; providing advice and support to Senior Officials on ways to increase political participation of women in Haiti; formulating proposals for UN support to increasing women’s participation in consolidating peace and security in Haiti.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of general office and administrative support including administrative policies, processes and procedures. Knowledge of the work of the Division and immediate work unit. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
• Judgement/decision making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, economics, development management, conflict resolution, public affairs or related area is required. Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions) – or similar international or non-governmental organization- in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required. Experience drafting reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies or international organizations is required. Experience working to support political processes, including consensus building, constitutional reform and transition planning, is desirable. Haiti experience either in country or at the organizational HQ level is desirable. Experience in gender-sensitive political and conflict analysis is desirable. Extensive experience engaging with Security Council members and tracking Security Council mandated tasks is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

Application instructions

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