UNOPS Senior External Relations Associate

UNOPS Senior External Relations Associate

UNHCR is the United Nations Refugee Agency. Since 2000, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been operating in Ecuador, supporting the Government in protecting the country's refugee population. Ecuador hosts the largest refugee population in Latin America. According to statistics provided by the Directorate for International Protection, approximately 81,000 individuals have been recognized as refugees.

The vast majority of asylum seekers are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals.

Ecuador is a State Party to the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (since 1955) and to the 1967 Protocol relating to the 1951 Geneva Convention (since 1969). Ecuador is also a State Party to the principal international and regional human rights instruments recognizing the right to seek asylum. In addition, Ecuador acceded to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (since 1970) and, in 2012, joined the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

UNHCR's operation in Ecuador began in 2000 as part of the organization's strategy to protect and assist victims of the Colombian conflict. The operation aims to support the Government of Ecuador in: (i) strengthening protection mechanisms; (ii) developing the national asylum system; and (iii) identifying durable solutions for refugees. The operation is coordinated at the national level through the Country Office in Quito.

In addition, UNHCR maintains Field Offices in Guayaquil and Tulcán;
Field Units in Esmeraldas, Lago Agrio, and Manta; and Field Presence in Ibarra and Cuenca.

Within this context, UNHCR and the Directorate for International Protection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility have developed a project to strengthen the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process in Ecuador. The project aims to establish efficient procedures that enable the timely and appropriate resolution of individual cases, improve decision-making in accordance with due process, and further consolidate the national refugee status determination system.

The Senior External Relations Associate will provide specialized technical support to the Undersecretariat of International Protection and Assistance to Immigrants- SPIAI to strengthen institutional coordination with international organizations, regional mechanisms and inter-agency coordination platforms on matters related to international protection, asylum, refugee protection, statelessness, mixed movements and migration, with particular attention to cooperation initiatives developed within the framework of the partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility and UNHCR.

The incumbent will support the Government of Ecuador in strengthening its engagement with international organizations, regional consultative processes and multilateral coordination mechanisms, contributing to policy coherence, effective inter-institutional coordination, information exchange and the identification of opportunities for technical cooperation and international support in the areas of international protection and migration.

The incumbent will support the preparation of country positions, technical briefs, speaking points, reports and background documents for bilateral and multilateral meetings, while ensuring follow-up to international commitments and cooperation initiatives relevant to Ecuador's asylum system, international protection framework and migration policies.

The position will also contribute to identifying international standards, comparative experiences and good practices that may strengthen the national asylum system and broader international protection framework.

The incumbent will work under the day-to-day supervision of the Undersecretariat of International Protection and Assistance to Immigrants- SPIAI. In order to ensure alignment with the objectives of the UNHCR-supported project, the incumbent will maintain regular technical coordination with the designated UNHCR focal point, including periodic planning, progress review and reporting on activities implemented under the project framework.

The duties include serving as a technical focal point for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility in its engagement with international organizations, regional coordination mechanisms and inter-agency platforms on issues related to international protection, asylum, refugee protection, statelessness, and mixed movements; facilitating coordination between the Government of Ecuador and international organizations, regional consultative processes, inter-agency coordination mechanisms and other relevant stakeholders on issues related to international protection and mix movements;

supporting the preparation of country positions, technical briefs, speaking points, background notes, reports and interventions for bilateral and multilateral meetings; monitoring commitments arising from international and regional forums,…