Special Notice

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. Extension of the appointment is subject to the availability of the funds.

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General, Department of Political Affairs. DPA, through the work of its regional and thematic divisions, provides the Secretary-General with analytical reports and briefing notes that aim to inform his decisions and shape diplomatic engagement with UN Member States, nongovernmental organizations and other stakeholders. DPA strives to help the Secretary-General to engage in preventive diplomacy and respond to potential crises before they erupt. In this respect, the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General covers four regional divisions (Europe, Americas, Middle East and Central Asia, Asia Pacific) and two thematic divisions (Palestinian Rights and Decolonization). The divisions reporting to ASGII provide backstopping and guidance to Special Political Missions, including in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Central Asia (UNRCCA), Iraq (UNAMI), Middle East (UNSCO, Lebanon (UNSCOL), Syria, Yemen, Cyprus, Greece-FYROM. Together with the Policy and Mediation Division, OASGII leads DPA's involvement in its Joint Programme with UNDP on Building National Capacity for Conflict Prevention. The position will place particular attention on Myanmar, against the background of the discontinuation of the Office of the Special Envoy at the end of 2016. It will be the focal point for Myanmar in the ASG’s office, and support the increased engagement by the Office on this file. The Political Affairs Officer will work under the supervision of the Special Assistant.

Responsibilities

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

?Gathers, selects and analyses information contained in communications and publications received from different sources, including the press.

?Maintains up-to-date knowledge of events relating to political 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.

Provides advice and recommendations to senior officials on key issues in the area of responsibility and ensures the quality standards are met for advice , recommendations and briefings provided by other parts of the organisation.

?Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters.

?Monitors actions taken by intergovernmental groups, UN organisations, government and non-governmental organizations.

?Participates in fact-finding and other missions to countries within assigned area of responsibility.

?Prepares meetings of the SG/DSG/USG with officials from countries under the Organization's purview.

?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.

?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.

?Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

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. Experience in a front office supporting senior officials is desirable. Experience covering the Asia region is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.