Child Protection Officer

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

In the Pacific, UNICEF works in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work in the link provided here www.unicef.org/pacificislands.

UNICEF Pacific aims to protect children against all forms of violence, including neglect, abuse, exploitation, separation from parents and any form of harm to their well-being and development, through strengthening child protection systems.

We are doing this by working in partnership with the governments, faith-based and civil society organizations to:
• Include child protection laws and policies based on international standards.
• Provide capacity building to each of the five sectors including social welfare, judiciary, police, health and education; and
• Build commitment from partners to plan and implement actions to address violence against children.

In Samoa, sport is one of strongest platforms for mobilizing, inspiring, and developing young people. UNICEF works with the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD), Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC), Sporting Federations, youth networks, and civil society organisations to:

• Strengthen youth participation in sport for development.
• Integrate drug‑prevention messages into coaching materials and youth programmes.
• Promote gender equality, respectful relationships, and positive masculinity.
• Strengthen mental‑health literacy among adolescents.
• Ensure safeguarding, PSEA, and child‑protection systems across sports environments.
• Integrate life‑skills modules including "Seek the Ways" and "Laaha" into sports-based youth engagement.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Chief Field Office, the Child Protection Officer will:

1. Youth Sports Development & Engagement
• Support planning and delivery of youth sports programmes, clinics, and life‑skills sessions.
• Assist sports federations and ministries to integrate drug‑prevention and wellbeing messaging into coaching materials.
• Facilitate youth participation and consultation processes linked to sports initiatives.

2. Communication, Training Materials & Drug‑Prevention Messaging
• Develop youth-friendly multimedia content promoting drug‑prevention, healthy lifestyles, and positive decision‑making.
• Produce videos, infographics, and social media content featuring sports role models.
• Support dissemination of awareness materials through sports networks, schools, and communities.

3. Partnership Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement
• Coordinate with government ministries, sports bodies, youth groups, and NGOs.
• Support organization of youth forums, sports events, and community engagement programmes.
• Contribute youth perspectives across sector discussions including education, sport, health, and child protection.

4. Safeguarding, PSEA & Child Protection
• Support integration of child‑safe sport principles and PSEA standards across sports organisations.
• Assist with training delivery on safeguarding, reporting pathways, and adult accountability.
• Monitor child‑safety risks during youth sport activities and escalate concerns appropriately.

5. Positive Masculinity, Gender Equality & Mental Health
• Promote gender equality, respectful relationships, and mental‑health awareness.
• Integrate "Seek the Ways" and "Laaha" modules into sports‑based youth workshops.
• Facilitate sessions on emotional wellbeing, self‑awareness, empathy, and conflict resolution.

6. Reporting, Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
• Maintain databases of events, meetings, training, and youth consultations.
• Document promising practices and generate reports, briefs, and recommendations.
• Use digital tools and AI platforms to support documentation and communication.

7. Volunteerism & Youth Leadership
• Promote volunteerism and youth leadership in sports and community development.
• Support UNV knowledge‑sharing activities, including International Volunteer Day.

8. Results/expected outputs
• Updated coaching materials including drug‑prevention, wellbeing, and life‑skills content.
• Safeguarding and PSEA messaging are integrated into sports policies, training, and youth activities.
• Delivery of youth engagement sessions using "Seek the Ways" and "Laaha" modules.
• Production and dissemination of youth‑friendly communication materials across platforms.
• High‑quality documentation of events, consultations, and programme outcomes.
• Strengthened partnerships between ministries, federations, and youth organizations.
• Promotion of positive masculinity, mental health, and gender‑equitable attitudes among young people.