Position Title: Civil Affairs Officer (Civil-Military Liaison Officer)
Receiving Agency: GSFS Haiti
P Level: P4
Location: Port au Prince, Haiti
Duration: 12 months renewable 
Language: Fluency in French and English is required

Background

On 30 September 2025, the United Nations Security Council authorized, in resolution 2793 (UNSCR 2793), Member States to transition the deployed Multinational Security Support (MSS) in Haiti to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), in close cooperation and coordination with the Government of Haiti, for an initial period of twelve months. The GSF mandate includes multiple tasks, including to conduct intelligence-led targeted, counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter gangs that continue to threaten the civilian population, abuse human rights and undermine Haitian institutions.

The United Nations Secretary-General is authorized to establish a UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH) to provide comprehensive logistical and operational support to the GSF and to the Haitian National police (HNP) and the Haitian armed forces on any joint operations with the GSF. UNSOH will also provide technical support, through voluntary funding contributions, to the Organization of American States (OAS) SECURE-Haiti project and will provide standard United Nations mission support services to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).

The Standing Group of Partners (SGP) has the role of providing, in consultation with the Government of Haiti, high-level strategic direction, oversight, and relevant political decision-making for the GSF as appropriate. The SGP is overall responsible for (a) securing voluntary financial contributions for GSF personnel costs reimbursements; (b) facilitating force (military and police) generation; and (c) providing high level strategic representation and coordination for the GSF.

The SGP shall appoint a Special Representative (SR) who, as in-country head of the GSF, will report to the SGP and provide strategic oversight, representation and coordination for the GSF. The SGP appointed GSF Force Commander shall report to the SR and is responsible for operational command and day-to-day operational decision-making for the uniformed components of the GSF.

The SR is supported by an Office of the SR (the civilian component of the GSF).

Career Experience

The Civil Affairs Officer shall have a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in civil affairs, political affairs, international relations, law, security, development management, conflict resolution, community engagement, peacebuilding, stabilization, humanitarian coordination, or other relevant areas. Experience engaging local authorities, civil society organizations, community leaders, women and youth groups, UN entities, humanitarian actors, and/or uniformed military or police components is required. Experience supporting local-level conflict prevention, confidence-building, community-based protection, extension of state authority, or civil-military/humanitarian coordination is desirable. Experience supporting senior officials, preparing analytical reports, briefing notes, talking points, meeting checklists, concept notes, correspondence and other strategic documents is required. Experience working in a conflict or post-conflict field mission is required. An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, social sciences, anthropology, law, public administration or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Languages

Fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required.

Responsibilities of the Civil Affairs Officer

The Civil Affairs Officer reports to the Deputy Chief of Staff and is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The Civil Affairs Officer will develop their own work plan for approval by the Deputy Chief of Staff.

Within the delegation of authority and under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Civil Affairs Officer shall be responsible for the following duties:

• Serve as the principal liaison capacity for the Human Rights, Protection and Civil Affairs Unit, facilitating coordination and information sharing between the Unit, the Force Headquarters, the Police Component, other elements of the Office of the Special Representative, and the uniformed components of the GSF.
• Coordinate the preparation of integrated work plans, briefing materials, reports, meeting agendas, follow-up actions, readouts, correspondence, concept notes, analytical updates, talking points, speeches, presentations and other documents related to the Unit’s areas of responsibility.
• Supervise efforts to support and facilitate local level engagement with a broad spectrum of stakeholders to enhance confidence in the GSF mandate, promote responsiveness to local priorities, and foster national ownership of strategies supporting peacebuilding, stabilization and mandate implementation.
• Develop, in consultation with relevant GSF units, community outreach strategies to foster two-way communication with local stakeholders, address misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, and ensure that local perceptions are understood and integrated into strategic planning, reporting and operational advice.
• Maintain effective relations and support coordination with GSF components, UN entities, government counterparts, humanitarian organizations, civil society organizations, community representatives, women and youth groups, academia, international partners and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support local efforts to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflict, mediate disputes, build trust, promote social cohesion, and contribute to community-based protection initiatives, as relevant to the GSF mandate.
• Strengthen coordination with local governance actors and mechanisms that promote inclusive and participatory approaches, while supporting efforts by national institutions and partners to restore state presence and public service delivery in conflict-affected areas, as mandated.
• Manage and coordinate monitoring, in coordination with relevant GSF units, research and analysis of developments related to peace and security, protection, humanitarian coordination, community engagement and civil-military cooperation in assigned geographic or thematic areas, including through digital technologies and data analytics, where appropriate.
• Monitor progress on cross cutting initiatives involving human rights, protection, humanitarian liaison, community engagement, DDR liaison, civil affairs and civil-military cooperation, and provide updates and recommendations to the Deputy Chief of Staff.
• Lead the planning, coordination and organization of programmatic activities in the assigned area of work, including internal and inter-agency coordination mechanisms, field missions, stakeholder consultations, workshops, conferences, seminars and other activities supporting mandate implementation.
• Support the development and implementation of strategies, plans and activities related to early warning, conflict prevention, mediation, protection, community engagement, humanitarian coordination and civil-military cooperation.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies, standard operating procedures, guidance documents and coordination mechanisms relating to human rights, protection, humanitarian liaison, civil affairs and related civilian functions.
• Coordinate the consolidation of inputs from the Unit for mission-wide reporting, planning, strategic assessments and senior leadership decision-making, ensuring coherence with GSF priorities and reporting requirements.
• In consultation with the Joint Planning Unit, promote organizational learning and knowledge sharing by facilitating the collection, analysis and dissemination of lessons learned and best practices related to civil affairs, protection, humanitarian liaison, community outreach and civil-military cooperation.
• Support budgeting, project implementation, reporting, administrative and recruitment processes related to the Human Rights, Protection and Civil Affairs Unit, as required.
• Represent the GSF in meetings, conferences, working groups and other fora, when required.

The Civil Affairs Officer may be requested by the Deputy Chief of Staff to perform other duties, as required.

Additional Notes

This position is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The incumbent may be required to travel within Haiti and engage with relevant stakeholders, subject to operational and security requirements.



CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.