Consultant – Child Protection, Rights and Counter Terrorism Req.#567282

• Country: USA
• Organization:UNICEF 
• Deadline: 2023-11-15
• No of Vacancies: N/A

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.

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