ThaiNGO

Background/IRC Summary:  

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) Thailand country program was established in 1976 to assist refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and currently assists refugees and migrants from Burma. IRC operates one of the largest and programmatically diverse humanitarian programs providing essential services to displaced populations in Thailand. Assistance programs encompass health, education, institutional capacity building, gender-based violence prevention and response, water and sanitation, advocacy, protection and legal assistance

IRC’s Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) project promotes the rule of law and access to justice for Burmese refugees in Thailand. Since 2007, the project has established Legal Assistance Centres in three camps (Mae La in Tak Province, and Ban Mai Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin in Mae Hong Son Province) and in June 2011 expanded to two additional camps in Tak Province (Umpiem Mai and Nupo). LAC is currently serving approximately 100,000 refugee beneficiaries in total.

The LAC project focuses on strengthening engagement and capacity of camp and Thai authorities, increasing legal awareness, and helping refugees assert their rights and access legal remedies. Refugees in the camps often face significant barriers to accessing Thailand’s justice system. The camps are geographically remote, As a result, LAC is now able to assist refugees who previously would not have had access to appropriate legal remedies to bring criminal cases to the Thai courts. The project also enhances protection environment within the camps through different activities.

Job Overview/Summary:

The LAC Legal Advisor provides advice, consultation and guidance to refugee clients, camp authorities and CBOs on matters relating to Thai laws, policies and regulations, camp law, or human rights law; and provides training on Thai law when required for the camp authorities. In addition, the Legal Advisor performs a key liaison role in establishing linkages and good relations between the LAC project, community beneficiaries, CBOs, NGOs, Thai authorities, Thai civil society organizations and other related organizations, referring legal and human rights violation cases to appropriate organizations in order that LAC clients can receive services they need and in furtherance of the objectives of the LAC project.

Major Responsibilities:

- Assist the Legal Manager in overseeing the operation of the Legal Assistance Centers (in terms of ensuring that all clients and prospective clients receive appropriate legal services) in camp.

- Assist the Legal Manager in the monitoring and evaluation of the legal assistance work of the LAC project in Mae Sot and in identifying trends and areas for strengthening or improvement.

- Provide direct legal counselling services to refugee clients facing problems with Thai law, policies and regulations, and other human rights violations.

- Ensure the referral of legal and human rights violation cases to appropriate organizations for further legal and technical assistance.

- Assist the Legal Manager in planning and providing information and advice to camp committees, Justice Committees, community-based organizations, and refugee clients on Thai government policies and other matters affecting the rights of refugees.

- In close liaison with the Legal Manager, the Training Manager, the Rule of Law Senior Officer, provide technical support and guidance for members of camp committees, security committees and MAT committees to deal appropriately with dispute and conflicts in camp.

- Assist the Legal Manager in providing technical support and training to LAC CBA as agreed with the LAC Training Manager and the LAC Manager.

- Assist the Legal Manager in providing technical oversight to the LAC Training Manager, LAC Training Officer, LAC Rule of Law Senior Officer and LAC CBA in the development of training modules and awareness-raising materials, and in the conduct of their training.

- Assist the Legal Manager in working with the Training Manager, the Training Officer, the rule of Law Senior Officer to focus their training on issues identified as prominent through the LAC case management work.

- Assist the Legal Manager in working with the Training Manager and the Rule of Law Senior Officer to develop the role that LAC CBA perform in the operation of the LAC, the provision of legal services, and the work of the project with the camp justice system, including by ensuring that they are trained, monitored and supervised appropriately in relation to case management work.

- Assist the Legal Manager in identifying and facilitating training opportunities for the project, including for camp and Thai authorities, NGOs and CBOs.

- Assist the Legal Manager in identifying and facilitating opportunities to strengthen the engagement of relevant Thai authorities on refugee justice issues, and the relationship between Thai and camp authorities, for example through joint training workshops.

- Liaise regularly with KRC, camp committees (including justice and security committees), related local authorities, officers of UNHCR, relevant NGOs/CBOs (Thai, international and refugee), lawyers, and other relevant organizations/persons concerning refugee legal and human rights issues.

- Identify and develop linkages with civil society organizations, CBOs, NGOs and other agencies that will further the objectives of the LAC project.

- Prepare monthly activity plans with the whole of the Mae Sot LAC team in order to ensure close integration of LAC project activities.

- Assist the Legal Manager in preparing monthly and other reports, including the monthly LAC reports to the Ministry of Interior, as required.

- Represent IRC officially at designated meetings, conferences and workshops

- Perform other duties as requested by supervisor/ senior management

HOW TO APPLY

Application letter and most recent CV in English stating qualifications and experience should be submitted to the IRC Human Resources Department at: Thailand.HR@Rescue.org 

IRC is an equal opportunity employer, considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability.

**********Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. **********