Political Affairs Officer, P-3

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

The post is located in the Mediation Support Unit (MSU), within Policy and Mediation Division (PMD), in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (PMD/DPPA). MSU serves as a system-wide resource that assists the mediation and dialogue initiatives of the UN and provides technical and operational support of mediation and dialogue processes; capacity-building; and mediation guidance, lessons learned and comparative analysis. The Political Affairs Officer will report to the Chief and to the Team Leader of the Mediation Support Unit (MSU).

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties: (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all Political Affairs Officers.)

• Coordinates operational support to on-going and/or future peace and prevention processes in one of the following geographic regions as assigned: the Americas, the Middle East or Asia and the Pacific; including the sharing of relevant advice, lessons learnt and the development of mediation support strategies;
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of events relating to political and mediation-related issues, in general, and in particular as they affect the countries and thematic mandates for which the staff member is responsible;
• Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments in the area of assignment and provides inputs on issues to senior officials and colleagues in missions and elsewhere in the Secretariat;
• Monitors national and regional level political developments and provides advice to field mission/UN agencies active on the ground;
• Provides technical and substantive back up in the implementation of mandates of MSU;
• Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters;
• Monitors mediation and dialogue initiatives taken by intergovernmental groups, UN organisations, government and non-governmental organizations;
• Selects, classifies and stores in computerised databases information relating to potential disputes, conflicts and mediation and dialogue processes involving assigned countries or region and contributes to lessons learnt studies and the development of guidance and training material on mediation issues;
• Participates in fact-finding and other missions to countries within assigned area of responsibility;
• Participates in provision of secretariat services to Security Council, General Assembly, subsidiary organizations, negotiating bodies, conferences, meetings, and /or special missions;
• Prepares meetings of the SG/DSG/USG with officials from countries under the Organization’s purview;
• Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Ability to identify and analyze political, ethnic, racial, social and economic problems that cause civil unrest in a country or geographic area. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management;
• 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.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required;
• Experience working with international organizations in conflict prevention, management and resolution in at least one of the following regions is required: the Americas, the Middle East or Asia and the Pacific;
• Field experience working in a conflict or post-conflict context is desirable;
• Experience in providing mediation support and/or advice to senior leadership and senior representatives is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this Position, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of Arabic or Spanish is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Application instructions

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