Job Opening: Protection Intern (JR2435581)

Deadline to Apply: February 5, 2024

Organizational context
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a humanitarian and non-political organization mandated by the United Nations to protect refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons and help them find lasting solutions to their problems. UNHCR’s activities are based on a framework of international refugee law and standards that includes the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as an array of international and regional treaties on human rights and humanitarian law. UNHCR works with States, civil society organizations, the legal community, the media and other actors to ensure the protection of refugees and promote their participation and integration in the economic, social, cultural and political life of their host society.

The protection unit serves asylum-seekers, refugees, and stateless persons in Cyprus, promoting protection in law and policy in the field of reception, refugee status determination and integration. The protection unit advises the authorities, NGOs and lawyers about international standards of refugee protection, provides comments on proposed legislation and regulations, monitors compliance with international standards, and conducts training and public presentations to a range of audiences.

The position
The legal intern will support the work undertaken by the Protection Unit while acquiring experience on interaction and teamwork. The intern will support the protection unit of the UNHCR Cyprus Office in all relevant activities with a particular focus on data collection and analysis, drafting of legal notes, routine correspondence, documents and reports.
The intern will be supervised by the Protection Officer who will give regular guidance and advice to the incumbent.

Duties and responsibilities
• Consistently applies International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct
• Observes and respects protection related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Provides functional and administrative support in implementing participatory approaches, needs assessments, monitoring, reporting and case management
• Provides functional and administrative support in all protection related activities with implementing and operational partners
• Assists in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics for the protection unit
• Maintains up-to-date filing systems
• Performs other relevant duties

Minimum qualifications required
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.

Desirable qualifications and skills

Working Experience:
• Previous relevant working experience with refugees and asylum issues will be considered an asset

Functional skills:
• Computer skills (MS Office and People Soft applications)
• Strong legal analysis skills
• Understanding of international asylum law

Competency requirements:
• Excellent oral & written communication skills
• Have good inter-personal skills and be a keen team-player
• Respect of diversity and capacity to work in stressful contexts.

Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English and Greek is essential; knowledge of French and/or Arabic will be considered an asset.

Conditions:
This is a full/part-time role with working hours starting from 8.00am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday. The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

Additional Information: Candidates must have the legal right to work in Cyprus.