Overview
The Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for developing and maintaining a departmental strategy and system for knowledge management, guidance, lessons learning, and training. This role also involves policy issues related to Special Political Missions.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitates and prepares guidance material for the Department in priority gap areas.
- Gathers, selects and analyses information contained in communications and publications.
- Facilitates and conducts knowledge management and lessons learning exercises.
- Maintains up-to-date knowledge of events relating to political issues.
- Participates in assessment, planning and other missions to countries.
- Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments in the area of assignment.
- Provides inputs on issues to senior officials and colleagues.
- Monitors national and regional level political developments.
- Provides advice to field mission/UN agencies.
- Provides technical and substantive back up in the implementation of mandates.
- Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and governments.
- Monitors actions taken by intergovernmental groups, UN organisations, government and non-governmental organizations.
- Selects, classifies and stores in computerised databases guidance, lessons learning and training material.
- Performs other related duties as required.
Required 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 in political analysis is required.
- Experience in the area of guidance development, knowledge management and lessons learning in the area of peace and security is required.
- Experience supporting Special Political Missions in issues related to mission planning is required.
- Experience working with United Nations special political missions and peacekeeping operations is required.
- Experience mainstreaming gender, peace and security into training, guidance development and knowledge management activities is desirable.
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related fields. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
