1. Strategic programme planning, coordination, and implementation support.
2. Technical support to mainstream youth-led climate change and environmental issues across SAR programming
3. Evidence generation, policy and positioning of UNICEF youth engagement and climate change in South Asia
4. Support external partnerships and linkages to regional and global efforts
5. Capacity Building, Youth-led climate innovation and knowledge management

Strategic programme planning, coordination, and implementation:

Coordinate strategic planning, coordination, and implementation of UNICEF-supported youth-led climate change interventions. Liaise with regional and country teams. Mapping of existing stakeholder and potential partners and interventions relevant to UNICEF’s focused areas on defining pathways for young people to be more effective champions for sustainability, aligned to the SCAP and Green Rising.

• Support in developing a Regional Adolescent and Youth Engagement strategy and action plan on sustainability and climate action, including implementing, and monitoring the regional strategy. Lead the creation of the SAR Young Climate Activists Toolkit and regional training package.
• Identify, support and promote youth-driven evidence generation activities and research to enhance understanding on how climate change and environmental degradation are affecting children and young people in South Asia and inform advocacy to mitigate climate, and environmental risks on children’s and young people’s welfare and development
• Participate in cross-substantive area technical dialogue, common strategic visioning, mainstreaming, programming and role of youth engagement and other collaboration within the regional team. Identify any recurrent problems or trends and identify and suggest remedies and solutions such as training, guidelines, etc. Promote gender equality/empowerment disability and indigenous groups inclusion in climate and cross sector programming coordination.
• Support the development of strategic UNICEF position papers and internal briefing notes on climate change, environmental issues and involvement of children and young people as agents of climate change as envisioned by SCAP and Green Rising.

Technical support to mainstream and accelerate youth-led climate change and environmental issues across SAR programming:

• Provide technical support to UNICEF Country Offices to mainstream and accelerate the youth engagement and empowerment activities of the SCAP and Green Rising. Develop materials and trainings to guide country offices to mobilise and empower youth on climate action.
• Support Country offices in maintaining and coordinating networks of young people in Climate Action and link them with opportunities for participation, social and civic engagement initiatives at country and regional levels
• Coordinate cross-sectoral integration of youth-led environment and climate change and development of effective programmatic response at all levels from strategy development to design and costing specific interventions.
• Provide technical support to country office engagements with internal and external partners, donors related to climate action, contributing to the preparation and follow-up of documentation, evidence generation analyses  studies.
• Contribute to the coordination of UNICEF engagement in existing climate change adaptation and environment specific interventions and assist in the integration of these dimensions in programs.
• Assist in the identification of potential donors and projects for resource mobilization to support youth engagement, risk mitigation and climate adaptation.
• Liaise with potential agencies and institutions that UNICEF should partner with in the context of delivering integrated results at the country level on Climate Change, environmental issues and DRR.

Evidence generation, policy, and positioning of UNICEF in youth engagement and climate change in South Asia:

• Support country offices, young people and partners to engage meaningfully and contribute to national and international climate and environment policy decision making, including the UNFCCC processes, national climate change strategies, nationally determined contributions (NDCs), national adaptation plans (NAPs), climate financing decisions, etc.
• Coordinate identification and addressing of gaps in the evidence base around the impact of climate change on child rights across all UNICEF programs, with mainstreaming of youth engagement and green skills fully embedded.
• Track international, regional and country level climate and environment policy processes, UNFCCC key decisions relevant to youth. Prepare briefings and regular update to ROSA and country offices.
• Provide technical guidance to programme sections on mainstreaming youth-voices and engagement on climate into all programme areas.

Support external partnerships and linkages to regional and global efforts

• Support in establishing and maintaining partnerships with centers of excellence in Climate Awareness of children and youth, and youth-led Climate Action across the region.
• Liaise with other stakeholders active in climate change and environmental sustainability in South Asia for coordination, lessons learned and good practices and ensure linkages/knowledge exchange with national, regional, and global stakeholders.
• Support communication, dissemination of evidence, and awareness raising regarding climate change, environmental degradation and child rights and provide grounded inputs into key national climate and environment policy dialogues. Ensure youth engagement as a cross-cutting issue.
• Participate in inter-agency and development partner discussions, interact with national, global and regional initiatives and partnerships for climate adaptation and ensuring that child rights and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the planning and agenda setting.
• Participate in development partners’ and joint UN youth and climate action working groups.

Capacity Building, Youth-led climate innovation and knowledge management:

• Lead the management of knowledge on Climate Action & Youth Engagement in the region, including such actions as organizing webinars/trainings and documenting case studies and lessons learned.
• Facilitate youth-led advocacy campaigns and initiatives, promoting the meaningful participation of young people in climate related decision-making processes at local, national regional, and global level as relevant
• In collaboration with the Communications & Advocacy, develop/contextualize communication materials and tools to raise awareness and mobilize youth engagement in climate change activities, including on blogs, call to actions, digital campaigns, etc.
• Identify and promote innovative approaches and interventions to enhance youth resilience and adaptation to climate change, considering the specific needs and challenges faced by young people.
• Support the design and implementation of pilot projects engaging young people in climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, including community-based initiatives and youth-led innovations.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and learning exchanges among young people, enabling them to share best practices, lessons learned, and success stories.
• Conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of the implemented projects, documenting results and identifying opportunities for scale-up and replication.Impact of Results

The efficiency and efficacy of support provided by the Youth Engagement Officer (Climate):

• In partnership with young people and development partners, mobilized youth in the South Asia region to take concrete sustainability and climate action to increase the resilience of their communities.
• Country offices mainstream and implement programmes for and with young people to act on climate change, maximizing existing platforms and initiatives
• Strengthened advocacy, planning and formulation of adolescent development and participation programmes. This in turn contributes to maintaining/enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide program services for children and young people that promotes greater social equality and inclusion in the country.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Youth Engagement Officer (Climate), (NO-2), Fixed-Term, ROSA, Kathmandu, Nepal #127445-v1.pdf

Requirements: 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, climate change, development studies or social sciences is required. Professional training in youth and adolescent development is a strong asset.

Work Experience:

• At least two (2) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in climate change, environmental studies, development studies, social sciences or youth and adolescent development is required.
• Experience in development and implementation of youth engagement strategies, with specific, measurable and timebound objectives and performance indicators is preferred.
• Prior experience and knowledge of climate policies and activities is an asset.
• Experience in communication or advocacy is an asset, including strong network of stakeholders and partners.
• Proactive and resourceful, with good communication skills in negotiating and liaising with counterparts and partners.
• Knowledge of children’s rights, public policy, international development and humanitarian issues.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and good writing skills is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.