Regional Programme Specialist (Regional Responses to Climate Displacement (RE2CLID)) (P)

Introduction

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 

IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.

IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration.

Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process. 

For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates
2. Candidates from the following IOM Member States that are not represented among staff members in the Professional and higher categories:

Bahamas, Barbados, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Congo (the), Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu 
 

Second-tier candidates include:
All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM.

Organizational Context and Scope

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the UN Migration Agency. With 175 member states, it is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. Established in 1951 and now active in over 400 field locations worldwide, IOM works with partners, governments, and civil society to: 

1. Assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration and human mobility;

2. Advance understanding of migration issues;

3. Encourage social and economic development through migration; and

4. Uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

Over the past years, IOM has worked closely with national and local authorities and communities across sub-Saharan Africa to address displacement, supporting the planning of and implementation of evacuation measures, the provision of humanitarian assistance to displaced populations, the coordination and management of sites hosting displaced communities, and promoting the achievement of durable solutions. IOM is also at the forefront of efforts to support the mainstreaming of migration into disaster preparedness, disaster response, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation into continental, regional, and national development policies and plans, and actively engages with governments, communities, and local partners to build the resilience of communities to climate change.

In May 2023, representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission began discussions on an action to be implemented under the Regional Multi-Annual Indicative Plan for Sub-Saharan Africa (RMIP SSA) for 2024, which resulted in the development of the “Regional Responses to Climate Displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa” programme (RE2CLID) outlining a regional response to climate displacement. 

The RE2CLID programme seeks to enhance the resilience, self-reliance, and protection of Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs) living in areas at risk of disasters, environmental degradation, and the adverse effects of climate change. The programme operates across two highly vulnerable sub-regional clusters, inclusive of Cluster 1 - the Lake Tanganyika Basin, encompassing Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania, and Cluster 2 - the Southern Africa and South-West Indian Ocean region, including Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Comoros. The objective of the programme is to improve overall capacity to respond to and increase overall resilience to disaster displacement at the regional level through strategic interventions regionally, nationally, and locally. 

The action is framed around three main objectives: Strengthen systems that enable us to avert, minimize, and address displacement, and promote effective adaptation and resilience of communities most exposed to displacement risks due to climate hazards; Improve the governance and management of natural resources and agricultural land use in ways that create sustainable livelihoods for displaced and host communities; Help population displaced attain climate resilient durable solutions and enable social cohesion in host and return communities. By addressing the root causes of disaster-induced displacement and fostering inclusive, climate-resilient solutions, RE2CLID aims to reduce vulnerability and enhance long-term resilience in displacement-affected communities.

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Deputy Director for Operations, the overall supervision of the Regional Director for East Horn and Southern Africa, and in close coordination with Managing  Missions and Country project teams, the Regional Thematic Specialists and the Global Office, the Regional Programme Specialist, Regional Responses to Climate Displacement (RE2CLID) will be responsible and accountable for the overall strategic and technical coordination of the RE2CLID programme to ensure the implementation of harmonized, coherent, and technically sound activities based on timely and informed decision-making at regional level. The Regional Programme Specialist, Regional Responses to Climate Displacement (RE2CLID), will also lead regional activities of the RE2CLID, supervise the Regional Support Team, act as the principal focal point for regional organizations, and serve as the primary liaison with the European Commission and other institutional partners at the regional level.