Home-based: Capacity Building Consultant

Job Opening ID: 239768
Job Network: Political, Peace and Humanitarian
Job Family: Political Affairs
Category and Level: Consultants, CON
Duty Station: Remote
Department/Office: Office of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict

Result of Service: 
This work will support the implementation of the children and armed conflict mandate through strengthening capacity building efforts on children and armed conflict, including through the provision of expert guidance in relation to the protection of conflict affected children.

Work 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, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Brussels, Belgium, time.

Expected Duration: 2 months until 30 November 2024.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Background: 

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC) serves as the leading UN advocate for the protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict. The mandate of the SRSG CAAC was created by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/51/77 following the publication, in 1996, of the report by Graça Machel on the impact of armed conflict on children. Since 1999, the systematic engagement of the UN Security Council has placed the protection of children affected by armed conflict at the heart of its international peace and security agenda. In 2005, the Security Council adopted resolution 1612 which established the UN Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict, including: 1. recruitment and use of children 2. killing or maiming of children 3. rape and other forms of sexual violence against children 4. attacks on schools and/or hospitals 5. abduction of children 6. denial of humanitarian access for children. The SRSG CAAC regularly reports to the United Nations bodies (Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights Council) on the situation of children in armed conflict (CAAC). In addition to the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict presented to the Security Council that covers all country situations on the CAAC agenda, country-specific reports are also regularly submitted to the Security Council Working Group on CAAC, as well as quarterly Global Horizontal Notes covering all situations. 

Project Description and Objective: 

Between 2018 and 2020, the OSRSG-CAAC and UNICEF organized high-level and
technical consultations at regional level with UN Country Task Forces for Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR), their equivalents in non-Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) countries, including United Nations Country Teams (CTs), and the regional offices of UN entities to discuss strategic and political engagement on the CAAC mandate and provide a forum to exchange among senior UN officials and technical experts on best practices and lessons learned in its implementation. OSRSG-CAAC seeks to provide enhanced support to
accelerate the implementation of the recommendations from those consultations, which notably include the identification of capacity gaps to undertake monitoring and reporting of grave violations and the provision of increased and targeted training and capacity-building initiatives delivered by Headquarters to address those gaps. Furthermore, UN Member States have consistently called for systematic expertise to be provided on child
protection for UN partners in the field, for instance, to bolster support for monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children in situations on the CAAC agenda. This is with the inherent view that equipping actors with robust knowledge of this agenda’s tools and mechanisms would facilitate and improve response for children, increasing their protection, and preventing grave violations of their rights. At a briefing on Children and Armed Conflict at the UN Security Council, a recommendation was made to establish a rapidly deployable
child protection capacity to respond to situations quickly and support prevention efforts, with the view towards preventing grave violations and, ultimately, conflict . Subsequently, and to address the increasing number of situations on the CAAC agenda and corresponding capacity-building needs, and bearing in mind UN mission drawdowns in several contexts, the OSRSG-CAAC seeks 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 guidance of the Head of Office of the SRSG CAAC Europe Liaison
Office, and in close cooperation with relevant colleagues, the consultant will:

• Follow up on the implementation of the UNICEF/OSRSG CAAC-led Consolidated Recommendations from the Regional Consultations on Children and Armed Conflict;
• Seek a broader UN-system participation in CTFMRs and CTs through recommitments from UN agencies to contribute to the MRM;
• Identify capacity gaps on children and armed conflict and on that basis recommend targeted training and capacity-building initiatives;
• Work closely with relevant UN departments, offices and agencies to support their capacity-building efforts in the field. 

Expected Outcomes: 

Subject to satisfactory review, the consultant will:

• Develop a roll-out plan for the UNICEF/OSRSG-CAAC-led Consolidated Recommendations from the Regional Consultations on Children and Armed Conflict with concrete steps and time-bound steps that can be submitted to the Monitoring and Reporting Technical Reference Group;
• Develop a plan for broader UN-system participation in the MRM;
• Develop a gap analysis on children and armed conflict capacities with recommendations for targeted training and capacity building initiatives;
• Provide weekly updates by email or agreed template to OSRSG-CAAC on above mentioned activities and detailed mission reports in case of travel to HQ or the field.

Qualifications/Special Skills: 

Education:

• Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law, political sciences, international relations or other disciplines related to international human rights law and/or international humanitarian 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 seven years of progressively responsible experience working on human rights monitoring and reporting and/or child protection is required;
• Minimum of two years of experience working on protection matters in or on a conflict or post-conflict situation is required;
• Track record of developing and conducting workshops, training sessions and other capacity-building initiatives, preferably in the context of monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children in armed conflict, is required.
• Experience of working with the UN or other international organizations on human rights monitoring and reporting and or child protection is required. Functional Competencies
• Solid expertise of child protection issues, including the children and armed conflict agenda in particular its Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism.
• Ability to share knowledge and pass on expertise, including on very complex issues.
  Excellent communication and proven writing skills.
• Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities.
• Knowledge of gender and disability inclusion issues, particularly in relation to child protection.
• Ability to engage constructively and proactively while using tact and discretion with a diverse range of UN, NGO, governmental and non-state actors and to present sensitive issues and positions.
• Familiarity with the UN system and solid knowledge of children and armed conflict mandate.

Languages: 

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Knowledge of other UN official languages is desirable.

How to Apply: 

Application Link. As part of the application process, a writing sample unedited by others should be sent to: vlatka.anic@un.org.

No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT
PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.