Home-based: Consultant - Study on the Linkages between Trafficking in Children and the Six Grave Violations against Children in Armed Conflict

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 (SCWG) on CAAC, as well as quarterly Global Horizontal Notes covering all situations.

B. Project Description and Objective: 

There are multiple factors dictating specific risks and vulnerabilities that children may face, such as displacement and trafficking. In recent years, the UN Secretary-General and his Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict have expressed concern over the complex nature of conflicts which are often protracted, take place across borders and internally within states, involve armed groups and a range of non-state armed actors, and impact upon children differently depending on their age, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and other key factors. Unaccompanied and separated children and adolescents have been highlighted as at particular risk. In his annual report (A/76/871 S/2022/493) on children and armed conflict to the UN Security Council published on 11 July 2022, the UN Secretary-General expressed that cross-border conflicts and intercommunal violence in regions such as the central Sahel and the Lake Chad basin particularly affected children, impacting their protection. In addition, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children has pointed out that trafficking of children is closely linked to the six grave violations in armed conflict situations and that in such situations, the recruitment and use of children nearly always constitutes trafficking in light of the presence of two required elements: i) the action (recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt); and ii) the purpose (exploitation) – for forced marriage or sexual exploitation and sexual slavery, forced labour, including child recruitment and use (also designated by the ILO Convention 182 as constituting a worst form of child labour), or forced criminality. The Special Rapporteur has highlighted the need for strengthened prevention and protection of children in conflict settings, in her recent country visits (South Sudan, Colombia, Bangladesh (including Cox’s Bazaar)), and in engagement with the Global Protection Cluster. This work has highlighted significant gaps in operational measures and capacities to effectively prevent child trafficking and to protect children in conflict situations.

The UN Security Council resolution 2331 (2016) on trafficking in persons in armed conflict encouraged information exchange and other appropriate forms of cooperation between relevant UN entities, including the Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, within their respective mandates, regarding initiatives and strategies to curb trafficking in persons in the context of armed conflict. Both mandate holders, the Special Representative and the Special Rapporteur, possess enough information through the reporting mechanisms available to them that is indicative of the interlinkages between child trafficking and the six grave violations, but their investigation merits a deeper and more systematic process, to maximize capacity in the field and in operational programming, and to ensure more effective international cooperation. Strengthening an understanding between these linkages would contribute to better monitoring and response for the protection of children by governments, regional and subregional bodies, and the UN.

A dedicated research study overseen by the Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children will contribute to the following key objectives:

• Understanding the drivers and the impact of child trafficking on specific grave violations (ex. with abduction, the motivation of perpetrators, increased risks linked to attacks on schools, the gender dimension of sexual violence and its link to trafficking risks) and vice versa, so as to better inform protection and prevention measures,
• Strengthening accountability for trafficking of children in armed conflict through enhanced understanding and knowledge of the links to grave violations against children in armed conflict and increased capacity for effective investigations including through international cooperation,
• Mapping the existing legal concepts and highlighting their potential application with the aim of refining those concepts to bring to the fore the scope of the applicable law, and all relevant legal frameworks and the need to ensure their comprehensive application to child trafficking,
• With the view of strengthening accountability through legal analysis and ultimately application, strengthening the effectiveness of prevention and protection efforts through concrete policy recommendations at national, sub-regional and regional, and international levels, to tackle root causes of child trafficking as linked to the six grave violations, and to ensure that prevention of child trafficking is integrated into peacebuilding,
• Analyzing the gender dimensions of trafficking of children, as linked to the grave violations against children in armed conflict and developing concrete policy recommendations so as to strengthen gender-responsive and child-sensitive responses.

C. Responsibilities: 

Under the supervision of the Programme Officer of the Front Office of OSRSG CAAC, the Consultant will:

• Produce a study on the linkages between trafficking in children and the six grave violations against children in armed conflict:
  • The study should be based on desk research, surveys, interviews with relevant experts working on child protection and trafficking;
  • The study should focus on case studies selected from situations on the CAAC agenda where data points to trafficking as an issue.
  • The research should analyze the following aspects:
    • the challenges to application of relevant national and international law sources to trafficking of children in the context of the grave violations against children in armed conflict including abduction;
    • examples of situations and contexts where trafficking of children related to abductions and other grave violations has been monitored and reported, and follow up on these examples;
    • challenges to inclusion of information on trafficking of children in monitoring and reporting procedures on abduction as a grave violation against children and armed conflict and the grave violations;
    • suggestions for how to strengthen access to justice and accountability for abductions and trafficking of children in armed conflict, and trafficking of children linked to other grave violations;
  • The study will also seek to produce actionable recommendations for those monitoring and reporting violations at the field level, as well as policymakers, including proposals for mainstreaming in existing relevant platforms such as in the Secretary-General’s annual reports on CAAC or in the Security Council Working Group on CAAC, and will include recommendations to key international justice institutions, within a view to strengthening cooperation;
  • The consultant is expected to revise the draft based on OSRSG CAAC and Special Rapporteur’s feedback, up to two rounds of review.
• In addition, prepare a 2-page summary presenting key findings and recommendations in an accessible format.

D. Expected outcome/Performance Indicators: 

Reporting to the Programme Officer of the Front Office of OSRSG CAAC, the Consultant will:

• Produce a study on the linkages between trafficking in children and the six grave violations against children in armed conflict, that includes relevant and actionable recommendations on the topic.
• Prepare a 2-page summary presenting key findings and recommendations in an accessible format.

E. Location: 

The Consultant is expected to work remotely and 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.

F. Duration of Work: 

The work is expected to take place between August and November 2023.

G. Qualifications: 

Functional Competencies: 

• Knowledge and experience of application of International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law, International Refugee Law and International Human Rights Law related to trafficking in conflict situations.
• Familiarity with the UN system and knowledge of the children and armed conflict mandate and its Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism.
• Understanding of the gender and child rights dimensions of trafficking in persons.
• Ability to share knowledge and pass on expertise, including on very complex issues.
• Excellent research, writing, communication, and analytical skills.

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 producing studies and recommendations on issues relating to children and trafficking, 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 an asset.
• Experience of working in or on conflict situations is an asset.

Languages: 

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

How to Apply: 

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 Trafficking Study” in the subject line of your email.
**Deadline to apply is 21 July, 2023.