• Protection Assistant – TYR073 – G4 – UNOPS Contract - Tyre, Lebanon

Eight years into the Syria crisis, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with nearly 950,000  Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR, about 20,000 refugees of other origins - mostly Iraqi - and Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate.  There are no formal camps for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and refugees are living in hundreds of communities and locations across the country.

The refugee response is led by the Government and UNHCR and UNDP, supported by the international community. As the designated lead agency in the refugee response, UNHCR has established a sector-based structure in Beirut and in the field. The structure brings together over 150 UN agencies, national and international NGO partners [over 150 actors, including UN agencies, national and international NGOs and Ministries] in identifying and agreeing on the strategic priorities to address the needs of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese communities. The Lebanon Chapter of the Response Plan falls under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), whereby UNHCR guides the refugee response and UNDP facilitates the resilience and stabilization component.

The UNHCR operational response in Lebanon is one of the largest for the organization. Media attention and the frequency of influential high-profile visitors is high. The Office has grown substantially in the past years and is currently operating with around 650 staff. Aside from the country office in the capital city of Beirut, UNHCR has field offices in Mount Lebanon, Qobayat, Tripoli, Tyre and Zahle.

In September 2017, the Personal Status Department (PSD) of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities adopted a simplification of birth and marriage registration procedures for Syrian nationals and Palestine Refugees from Syria, which means that valid legal residency of the parents of a child is no longer required for birth registration. In addition, only one spouse (instead of two) requires valid legal residency or entry card to register their marriage. In March 2018, the PSD also waived late birth registration procedures for Syrian children born between 1st January 2011 and 8th February 2018. In light of these positive developments, UNHCR wishes to scale up support on birth registration to help refugee families to register the birth of their children with the competent civil registry authority, the Foreigners’ Registry.

The incumbent will be responsible to counsel refugee families on how to register the birth of their children born in Lebanon and to support vulnerable refugees to register the birth of their children with the Foreigners’ Registry by facilitating liaison with competent authorities for the obtainment of birth registration documents, according to established SOPs.

Tasks:

1-            Counsel parents of Syrian children on birth registration procedures in line with UNHCR counselling guidelines.

2-            Counsel potential beneficiaries on the assistance provided by UNHCR to support refugees to register the birth of their children born in Lebanon.

3-            Assist vulnerable refugees to register the birth of their children born in Lebanon according to existing SOPs, including by facilitating liaison with competent authorities for the issuance of birth registration documents.

4-            Enter relevant data directly to the database system during counselling and maintain updated physical and electronical files of beneficiaries.

5-            Produce monthly reports on counselling and assistance provided on birth registration.

6-            Undertake follow up calls with people counselled during the survey to monitor effectiveness of assistance provided.

7-            Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics for the protection unit/section.

8-            Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.

9-            Observe and respect protection related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

10-          Perform other relevant duties as required.

Accountability (key results that will be achieved)

1-            Syrian parents are informed about birth registration procedures and enabled to register the birth of their children born in Lebanon;

2-            Vulnerable refugee families are identified and receive assistance to register the birth of their children born in Lebanon in line with existing SOPs;

3-            Physical and electronic files of refugees receiving assistance on birth registration are created, updated and their integrity is maintained;

4-            Regular monthly progress reports are prepared and submitted to the Protection Unit.