UNICEF is seeking to recruit a Convention on the Rights of the Child Report Consultant for 6 months. The role will be home-based with some travel to Apia, Samoa for an agreed period.
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, rights.
In the Pacific we work 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 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.
Background of Assignment:
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989, stipulates the basic human rights to which children everywhere are entitled: right to survival; right to the development of their full physical and mental potential; the right to protection from influences that are harmful to their development; and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life.
Samoa ratified the CRC in 1994, joining other State Parties in making the CRC the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. Samoa has also ratified all three optional protocols to the CRC – Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (CRC-OP1) on 17 May 2016; Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (CRC-OP2) on 29 April 2016; and the Optional Protocol to the CRC on a Communications Procedure (CRC-OP3) on the same date. Samoa became the first
Pacific country to ratify CRC-OP3 and is only one of two Pacific countries that is a State Party to this treaty.[1]
As a State Party to the CRC, Samoa is required under article 44 to submit periodic progress reports, initial Report within 2 years of ratification; and subsequently every 5 years. To date, Samoa has submitted two progress reports to Geneva, initial report in 2005 and the combined 2nd-5th periodic report, in April 2014. Samoa’s 6th- 7th periodic report was due on 28 Dec 2021. To prepare this report, a whole-of Government approach is required given the holistic and cross-sectoral nature of the Convention. At the national level, the process will be led by the Ministry for Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) through its Social Development Division supported by UNICEF Pacific.
UNICEF in partnership with Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, is commissioning this consultancy to support the Government’s preparation of its State Party response/Report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
How can you make a difference?
This consultancy requires dedicated time to support the Ministry for Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) through its Social Development Division supported by UNICEF Pacific.
Please refer to the TOR for further information on the deliverables and timelines.
NOTE FOR CONSULTANTS:
Please submit a separate financial offer along with your application. The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables but should show a breakdown for the following:
- Monthly / Daily fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference
- Travel (economy air ticket where applicable to take up assignment if in-country support is required, as well as any in-country travel)
- Living allowance for international consultants
Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Master’s degree in law, development studies, human rights, international affairs or other relevant social science field with minimum 5 years work experience in the development field. Previous work experience with children and youth is an advantage. Bachelor’s qualification with minimum 7 years relevant work experience in development will also be considered.
- Prior experience supporting CRC reporting is any Pacific country. Prior experience relating to the development of state party report is an advantage.
- Facilitation skills and experience working with government/development partners. Work experience in Samoa and/or with other Pacific government(s) is an advantage.
- Substantive experience in drafting strategic documents. Work experience in Samoa or with any Pacific government is an advantage.
- Good interpersonal skills to interact with multiple stakeholders.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Remarks:
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
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.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.