Consultant Temporary support to the Office of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict

Project description and objective

Following the publication of the latest Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict to the Security Council and the General Assembly (A/76/871-S/2022/493), the Children and Armed Conflict mandate focuses on 24 situations in 5 geographic regions of the world, including the addition of three new situations of concern (Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ukraine), and two enhanced monitoring arrangements in the Lake Chad Basin and the Central Sahel regions. In each of these situations, Country Task Forces for Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMRs) and their equivalent in situations of concern monitor, verify, report, and respond to grave violations committed against children by parties to conflict.

To address the increasing number of situations on the CAAC agenda and corresponding capacity-building needs, the OSRSG CAAC is looking for a Consultant to support the Office’s efforts to reinforce the capacity of personnel in CTFMRs and their equivalent in situations of concern and provide expert guidance on child protection issues to the CTFMRs’ co-Chairs and their equivalent in situations of concern, as relevant and required.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Special Advisor to the SRSG CAAC, the Consultant will:

• Work closely with CTFMRs’ co-Chairs and their equivalent in situations of concern to identify capacity gaps and needs in relation to child protection;
• Develop and conduct regular induction, workshops, training programs and other capacity-building activities on child rights and child protection for personnel in CTFMRs and their equivalent in situations of concern, as identified by co-Chairs (and their equivalent in situations of concern);
• Assist in the development of capacities of personnel and partners to implement the CAAC agenda and reinforce the monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children in armed conflict, as recommended in the UNICEF/OSRSG CAAC-led report on the Consolidated Recommendations from the Regional Consultations on Children and Armed Conflict;
• Develop or enhance understanding of Security Council Resolutions on Children in Armed Conflict and other relevant international legal norms on child protection;
• Provide timely inputs and guidance on child protection issues as requested by the CTFMRs’ co-Chairs and equivalent in situations of concern;

Expected outcome/Performance Indicators

Reporting to the Special Advisor to the SRSG CAAC, the Consultant will:

• Provide monthly e-mail updates to OSRSG CAAC on support and capacity-building activities to CTFMRs and their equivalents in situations of concern;
• Provide individual mission reports (approximately 500 words) to OSRSG CAAC within one week after completion of each such mission;
• Develop capacity-building materials on CAAC for CTFMRs and their equivalents in situations of concern;
• Produce a mapping of capacity-building needs in CTFMRs and their equivalent in situations of concern, and formulate corresponding recommendations to address these needs at the end of assignment;
• Produce a final report of approximately 4000 words to OSRSG CAAC on support and capacity-building activities undertaken during the assignment. A first draft of the report shall be shared with OSRSG CAAC one month before the end of the assignment.

Location

The Consultant is expected to work remotely with travel to relevant situations on the CAAC agenda as assigned by OSRSG CAAC. The Consultant will be expected to be available for regular consultations with OSRSG CAAC during its working hours, namely Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm New York, USA, time.

Duration of Work

Six (6) months to begin in December 2022.

Qualifications

Functional competencies

• Solid expertise of child protection issues, including of the CAAC monitoring and reporting mechanism of grave violations against children in armed conflict.
• Ability to share knowledge and pass on expertise, including on very complex issues.
• Excellent research, writing, communication and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of gender and disability inclusion issues, particularly in relation to child protection.
• Familiarity with the UN system and solid knowledge of the children and armed conflict mandate.

Education

• Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations or other disciplines related to human rights and international law. A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience working on issues of human rights monitoring and reporting and/or child protection is required.
• Track record of developing and conducting workshops, training sessions and other capacity-building initiatives, preferably in the context of monitoring and reporting grave violations against children in armed conflict, is required.
• Experience of working with the UN or other international organizations is required.
• Experience of working in or on conflict situations is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of Russian or another UN language is desirable.

How to apply

Please refer to the Terms of Reference here.

Applications should be sent to Randall Tilson, randall.tilson@un.org as below and include:

1. Candidate Profile or (P11), go to www.inspira.un.org to register and create an account and candidate profile, if you do not already have one.
2. Motivation Statement (which is part of the Candidate Profile)
3. One writing sample unedited by others.

Please refer to “Consultant Capacity-Building” in the subject line of your email.