Youth and Peace Officer – UNV jobs in Ethiopia

• Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Vacancy No: N/A 
• Salary: N/A
• Organization: UNV
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: 2024-03-25

Details
Mission and objectives
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

The country programme of UNFPA has three major components: (i) Improved comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service provision and uptake in all setting (ii) Adolescents and Youth Outcome Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (iii) Population Dynamic and Data collection and management

UNFPA in Ethiopia is led by a Country Representative accredited to the Government of Ethiopia. It has a programme team led by a Deputy Representative, International Humanitarian Coordinator, Assistant Representative and an Operations’ team led by an International Operations Manager as well as M&E team. UNFPA Ethiopia has presence in most part of the country including Benishangul Gumuz region.

Context
Ethiopia is experiencing the second-largest youth population in Africa, after Nigeria; the median age in Ethiopia is estimated to be 19. Of 102 million Ethiopians, an estimated 30 million are aged between 15-29, and the num-ber of young people in this age group could rise to 40 million by 2030.

In recent years, Ethiopia has achieved significant milestones in its adolescent and youth health programs. The country has witnessed a remarkable increase in the use of modern contraceptives among married women, with rates rising from 8% to 41%. This has contributed to a decline in the fertility rate from 5.9 live births per woman to 4.1. Moreover, efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality have been successful, as evidenced by a decline in the maternal mortality ratio from 867 to 401 per 100,000 live births. Ethiopia has also made strides in expanding youth-friendly health services, promoting comprehensive sexuality education, and empowering girls and young women. These achievements reflect the government’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of adolescents and youth, although there are still challenges to address, such as reducing disparities and addressing the unmet need for family planning.

During the current 9th country programme, the Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health programme of UNFPA has made significant achievements in equipping vulnerable adolescents and youth with the skills and knowledge to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The programme has focused on implementing life skills programmes for marginalized girls and boys, creating an enabling environment for accessing sexual and reproductive health services, institutionalizing youth participation in policy dialogue, and integrating the sexual and reproductive health and rights of youth.

The Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda has gained momentum in recent years and marks a shift in the understanding of who young people are and their role for peace and security. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) is the first international policy framework that recognizes the positive role young people play in preventing and resolving conflict and building peace. The UNSCR 2250 was followed by the independent progress study on youth, peace and security: the missing peace (2018) and UN Security Council Resolution 2419 (2018).

UNFPA aims to promote sustainable peace and security by actively involving youth in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and post-conflict recovery processes. Recognizing the potential of young people as agents of change, the organization seeks a dedicated and dynamic Peace and Youth Officer to support its efforts in engaging and empowering youth in peace initiatives.

The UN Volunteer will be responsible for programme design and the day-to-day management of projects on Youth, Peace and Security, including management of implementing partners and participation in national coordination/ technical working platforms. S/he will support the development and implementation of youth-focused peacebuilding initiatives, including projects related to conflict prevention, social cohesion, and reconciliation. S/he will also support the units resource mobilize efforts.

Task description
Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the UN Youth Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Assist the Adolescent and Youth Development (AYD) team in programme design, monitoring and implementation of UNFPA interventions on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS).

• Contribute substantively to the formulation and design of the country programme and its Annual Work Plans (AWPs) in line with Government priorities and according to UNFPA programme policies and procedures.

• Ensure quality of programme/project design incorporating lessons learned, newly developed policies and best practices and establishing appropriate execution and monitoring mechanisms and systems

• Support the establishment and maintenance of partnerships with youth organizations, local communities, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and create platforms for youth engagement in peacebuilding activities.

• Support the design and implementation of capacity-building programs for young peacebuilders, including mentorship, skills development, and knowledge sharing opportunities.

• Contribute to the development and dissemination of communication materials targeting youth audiences, promoting peacebuilding activities, and highlighting youth-led initiatives.

• Facilitate monitoring and evaluate the impact of youth-focused peace projects and prepare periodic reports on progress, challenges, and lessons learned.

• Participate in relevant meetings, conferences, and events to represent the organization and advocate for youth participation in peacebuilding processes.

• Assist in organizing and coordinating peace and youth-related campaigns, awareness-raising activities, and advocacy efforts.

• Assist and coordinate project implementation establishing collaborative relationships with executing agencies, experts, government counterparts and other UN agencies facilitating timely and efficient de-livery of project inputs and addressing training needs of project personnel.

• Work collaboratively with the team to strengthen the triple nexus programming-development-Humanitarian-peace.

• Participate actively in appropriate UN coordination mechanisms (e.g. Joint UN Teams) and support and contribute to all joint programmes/activities among the UN agencies.

• Support government and implementing partners to prepare and submit technical and financial reports in conformity with signed donor agreements and in accordance to UNFPA guidelines and standards.

• Contribute to advocacy and resource mobilization efforts of the Country Office by preparing relevant documentation (i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, and participating in donor meetings and public information events).

• Support the AYD team in preparation, facilitation and documentation of workshops, events and trainings pertinent to the UNFPA.

• Participate in relevant national and sub-national fora, enhancing UNFPA mandate on YPS to ensure that technical issues are incorporated in national development plans and frameworks.

• Undertake other activities as assigned by the immediate supervisor and senior management.

Eligibility criteria
Age
18 – 26

Additional eligibility criteria
This assignment is funded by the Government of France, therefore the following specific criteria will apply:

• Candidates may apply to a maximum of three assignments per advertisement and indicate the order of preference in the ‘Additional remarks’ section (please include country and title of assignment).
• Only French nationals are eligible to apply.
• Candidates must be between 22 and 26 years of age at the time of the application.
• In addition to the requirements of the DOA, candidates must have obtained a Master II certificate and should have at least 6 months up to a maximum of 3 years of experience.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews with the UN Host Entity.
• Deployment will be in October 2023, after the Journée d’Accueil organized by MEAE in September 2024.
• The UN Youth Volunteers will be invited to a regional Youth Workshop organized by UNV.

Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Donor priorities
–

Requirements
Required experience
1 years of experience in Youth and Peace programming. The minimum requirement is 6 months, up to a maximum of 3 years of experience.
• Familiarity with peace and security issues, including conflict analysis, post-conflict recovery, and transitional justice.
• Strong knowledge of youth-related policies, frameworks, and international instruments.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Excellent skill on print, electronic and social media
• Strong computer skills (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others).
• Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team
• Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills
• Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly recommended

Area(s) of expertise
Health, Social work, Development programmes

Driving license
–

Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level
Master degree or equivalent in Health, Adolescent and Youth, peace and conflict studies, international relations or social sciences related disciplines.

Competencies and values
• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Building Trust
• Client Orientation
• Commitment and Motivation
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Creativity
• Empowering Others
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Judgement and Decision-making
• Knowledge Sharing
• Managing Performance
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Self-Management
• Technological Awareness
• Vision
• Working in Teams

Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Ethiopia is located in East Africa and is a landlocked country bordered by Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti and Kenya. It has a population of over 110 million and covers an area of almost 429 square miles. It is mountainous with desert lowlands to the northeast and southeast. Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, whose name means ‘new flower’, has a population of approximately 4.2 million. It’s located at over 2500 meters above sea level and adjusting to the altitude can take some visitors a little time, so don’t be surprised if you find things tiring. Depending on your level of fitness, you might also experience a shortness of breath, headache, and possibly nausea until you are acclimatized. At high altitude your breathing may become more rapid, and shallow causing increased dehydration, so you should drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol. Addis Ababa is the seat of the UN ECA, African union as well as many Regional and international Organizations.

Amharic is Ethiopia’s official language and most widely spoken. Outside larger cities and towns, indigenous languages are likely to be spoken. These includes: Tigrigna, Oromia, Guragigna, Afarigna, Somali and Arabic. English is the major foreign language taught in schools. The major religions are Christianity (mainly Orthodox) and Islam.

Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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