Communications Assistant

Host entity: UNRCO

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Communication, advocacy, public information, Digital and social media, Event organisation, protocol services

Application deadline: 14/09/2026

Mission and objectives

Thirteen years after the end of the armed conflict, Sri Lanka has not returned to active conflict and has remained a largely peaceful country. However, stresses on peace and social cohesion remain, including new fault lines, exacerbated by the Easter Bombings of 2019, the current economic crisis and the legacy of the armed conflict which are not yet fully addressed. While a return to armed conflict is not viewed as a near-term risk, Sustaining Peace requires continuous engagement in addressing existing challenges, improving governance and social cohesion, as well as the robust monitoring of emerging risks. There has been a growing recognition of the need to systematically mainstream conflict sensitive approaches into all programme activities in the country.
In this context, the UN in Sri Lanka has in recent years continued to invest in a wide portfolio of peacebuilding priorities, including those supported by the UN Peace Building Fund. Among the peacebuilding priorities has been developing a deep contextual analysis of emerging risks such as climate security and land use, organized crime, and the impact of online hate speech that would support the Secretary General’s global agenda on Prevention.
Looking ahead, the main instruments to advance these priorities will be the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027 and the UN SDG Multi Partner Trust Fund. Through increased coordination around these two mechanisms, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) is expected to significantly increase integrated approaches and joint programming in support of Sustaining Peace and more broadly, SDG 16

Assignment context

The UNV’s assignment is to support the UNCG, specifically in organizing a joint event with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to commemorate 80 years of the UN and 70 years of the UN-Sri Lanka Partnership. The UNV will also support other joint communication initiatives, linked to the UNCG strategy and workplan.

Task description

• Support the UNCG in organizing a high-level event to mark 80 years of the United Nations and 70 years of Sri Lanka’s membership in the UN.
• Liaise with the contracted event management company to facilitate event planning, logistics and implementation.
• Support in the UN’s engagement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Government counterparts to facilitate required approvals and protocol arrangements.
• Contribute to the preparation of communications materials for the event, including visibility products.
• Support post-event communications and visibility, including social media content, web stories and other materials highlighting the UN–Sri Lanka partnership.
• Produce content, including UNPlugged videos and social media posts, for joint UN communication products, including for hallmark observances.
• Coordinate the production of joint UN visibility materials.
• Support in organizing a staff commemoration for UN Day.
• Other duties, related to joint communication activities, as assigned.

Skills and experience

• Excellent interpersonal skills to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including Government officials.
• Strong self-motivation and the ability to work independently under minimal supervision to meet tight deadlines.
• Proficiency in computer literacy, including Microsoft Office applications (such as Excel and Word).
• Familiarity in developing audiovisual content, including basic graphic design and video editing skills using Canva and/or other tools.
Experience and skills in the following areas would be an advantage:
• Skilled in capturing photographs and/or videos.

Competencies and values

• Inclusion
• Integrity
• Humility
• Humanity
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity

Living conditions

Sri Lanka is an island nation located off the south coast of India. It’s home to an estimated population of over 21 million people. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi- religious country. It is a tropical country with moderate temperate and high humidity all throughout the year. The climate is fairly temperate all throughout the year but humidity is usually high. From March to April the temperature averages around 32 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). The only major change in the Colombo weather occurs during the monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January when heavy rainfalls occur. Colombo is situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka and is the commercial capital of the country. The city is located on the west coast of the island, adjacent to the administrative capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. Bandaranaike International Airport is located 35km from Colombo and is served by the main international airlines. Sri Lanka currently has stable and safe living environment. Cost of living is relatively high with increased food and accommodation costs. The UN Volunteer will be based in Colombo, Sri Lanka (during the construction period, the UN Volunteer will be relocated to the field location). Colombo is the administrative centre and offers a range of accommodation, transportation, medical, banking and other services. Sri Lanka is classified as a Family Duty Station. The security level in Colombo is UNDSS Level 1 (Low).

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.