UNHCR Senior Field Associate: “For anyone considering work in the UN, it is important to see both sides”

Mariia Khrapunenko from the UN Refugee Agency’s branch in Estonia has agreed to talk about the organisation’s and her own work a little closer. 

“Hi, I am Mariia Khrapunenko, a Senior Field Associate at UNHCR Estonia. 

UNHCR works to protect the rights of people forced to flee war, violence and persecution. In the Nordic and Baltic region, this includes supporting fair and effective asylum systems, reducing statelessness, promoting refugee integration, improving access to legal aid, and raising awareness about forced displacement. 

Our UNHCR Estonia office in Tallinn is quite small – just three people, but we are part of UNHCR’s Multi-Country Office based in Stockholm, which covers eight Nordic and Baltic countries: Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. 

My work at UNHCR is centered around assessing the needs of refugee communities in Estonia. In a team we conduct focus group discussions with the refugees, monitor conditions in reception and detention centres for asylum seekers, carry out border monitoring, coordinate with public officials, and prepare reports as well as statistical overviews.  

In Estonia, we have three strategic partners – the Estonian Human Rights Centre, Estonian Refugee Council and Mondo, with whom we stay in regular contact to monitor the refugee situation. 

Working in the UN was never my ultimate goal, but it was always somewhere on my radar. During my student years, I was involved in the UN Volunteers programme, and later my Master’s thesis focused on how European Union interests are voiced in the UN Security Council. Looking back, these experiences gradually brought me closer to the work I do today. 

Working in the UN system has been different from my previous professional experience. It is a large international organisation with colleagues across the world, diverse teams, local staff and international colleagues who rotate between duty stations. At the same time, because of its size and complexity, many processes are multi-layered and take time.  

For anyone considering work in the UN, I think it is important to see both sides: the strong sense of purpose, and the technical and administrative context that comes with working in a global organisation. For me, being part of this work in Estonia is both a responsibility and a privilege.”