UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

 Consultancy Title: Consultant – Child Protection, Rights, and Counter Terrorism

Section/Division/Duty Station: Child Protection – Programme Group – NYHQ

Duration: 1 December 2023 – 30 November 2024

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

UNICEF supports achievement of SDG 8.7, on the worst forms of child labour, including the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups. UNICEF also enables enforcement of Article 39 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocol Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and the Paris Principles and Guidelines for children associated with armed forces and armed groups. UNICEF supports recovery and reintegration of children affected by armed conflict in a manner that fosters the health, self-respect and dignity of the child and supports Member States to fulfill UN Security Council resolutions related to protecting children in situations of armed conflict, recognizing that children associated with armed forces or armed groups are survivors of human rights violations and should be treated primarily as victims. UNICEF remains guided by its Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, its Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and its Child Protection Strategy 2021-2030 all of which prioritize protection of children in armed conflict.

For decades, UNICEF has supported children affected by armed conflict, including those who have been recruited and used by armed forces or armed groups, including those designated terrorist organizations. These children can be recruited and used by the group, born into a family with ties to the group, or from a family or community that is perceived to have links to the groups, and in response, governments often use punitive measures rather than supporting them as survivors of grave violations of their rights who need special protection and services. Children may be interrogated for military intelligence, detained arbitrarily and without due processes based on family ties, accordingly, this work involves UNICEF’s work for child justice and to end detention in all its forms.

At the same time, UNOCT, CTED, UNODC and other entities actively engage on issues related to children with links to UN designated terrorist groups and their families. UNICEF, as steering committee co-chair of the Global Framework works collaboratively to address the issue of foreign individuals, including children who are stranded in Syria. While joint, the Framework maintains a separation of activities and funding streams between humanitarian and development activities and CT/Security activities, particularly as they relate to children. UNICEF also acts as co-secretariat of the Al Hol Task Force along with OHCHR and UNOCT.

This consultancy will support the CPHA team in relation to application of counter terrorism approaches and their impacts on children and bring external in-depth technical expertise to support design of UNICEF strategies, programs and advocacy.

 Scope of Work:

• The consultant will support the development of a UNICEF internal Guidance Note on support for children in deprived of liberty in humanitarian settings.
• The consultant will contribute to the development of a set of core guidelines for all UN entities engaging in Al-Hol, Al-Roj and places detention in the northeast of Syria on a child-centred and child rights-based approach.
• The consultant will support UNICEF in the implementation of EC Decision 2023/11 on terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin
• The consultant will provide technical expertise in the revision of Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standard (IDDRS) especially on Armed Groups Designated as Terrorist Organizations (AGDTO)
• The consultant will provide technical support to UNICEF to promote full and adequate funding of responses in Al Hol, Al Roj and places of detention in Northeast Syria through the Global Framework and its Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF)
• The consultant will support the finalization of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action’s Key Considerations on AGDTO
• The consultant will support the coordination of the UNICEF Child Protection Global Technical Team (GTT) on foreign children stranded in NES.

 Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• Final detailed Work Plan for consultancy

By 31 December 2023

• End of Consultancy Report

By 30 November 2024

• Summary of Desk review of resources on principles and approaches related to delivery of support for children detained in humanitarian settings

By 31 December 2023

• First draft of technical note on supporting children in detention in humanitarian settings

By 29 February 2024

• Final guidance note on supporting children in detention in humanitarian settings

By 31 March 2024

• Guidance note is disseminated. Presentation materials for webinar are developed and a webinar is delivered to introduce the guidance note to relevant HQ, RO and Cos

By 30 April 2024

• Summary of desk review drafted

Draft core child centered guidelines for UN entities engaging in Al-Hol, Al-Roj and places detention in the northeast of Syria (hereafter “core guidelines on Al Hol”)

By 29 February 2024

• Finalized core guidelines on Al Hol

By 30 June 2024

• Draft one set of key messages and talking points on core guidelines on Al Hol

By 30 August 2024

• Finalize one key messages and talking points on core guidelines on Al Hol

By 30 September 2024

• Technical inputs into methodology and report for a human rights assessment on protection challenges and risks for children, women and families in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin

By 31 October 2024

• Technical and coordination support provided to draft UN joint-framework to support Member States to use child-rights approaches in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin

By 31 October 2024

• Contribution to Revised IDDRS 6.50 on AGDTO

By 30 November 2024

• Contribute to a mapping of funding streams to support populations in Al Hol, Al Roj, and places of detention in NES

By 30 April 2024

• Based on the mapping of funding streams to support populations in Al Hol, Al Roj, and places of detention in NES, support finalization of resource mobilization strategy.

By 31 May 2024

• The document “Key Considerations on AGDTO” is finalized

By 31 January 2023

• Presentation materials for the webinar are developed and Webinar is conducted

By 31 March 2024

• 4 Agendas, Meeting Minutes capturing progress, constraints, objectives and action points

By 30 September 2024

• BID SoPs finalized, BID training materials finalized, 4 Agendas and Meeting minutes of coordination calls on BID are developed

By 30 August 2024

• Written and/or graphic analysis of 2023 returns and repatriation of TCN children from NES to Countries of Origin

By 30 April 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• Masters/University degree Psychology, law, social sciences, international development, child protection

Work experience:

• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in child protection, law, humanitarian programme management, human rights, and or security / counterterrorism; experience in operations in the field and advantage.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Demonstrated ability to work in matrixed organization across various unites
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with senior leadership on highly sensitive materials
• Experience with leading coalitions and with relationship management
• Strong communication skills, organizational, inter-personal and leadership skills
• Ability to be flexible and work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment, with complex projects and deadlines from different stakeholders
• Demonstrable ability to awork independently, take initiative, and identify new opportunities and approaches
• Strong English language skills

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check

Remarks:  Individuals engaged under a consultancy will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.