Child Protection Specialist - Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (CAAFAG) -P3/NOC at UNICEF

Key activities & duties

• Monitor the trends and emerging evidence of child recruitment and use, and the response by Government, and analyze this information to advise on the child protection response. Contribute to the overall development of a child protection monitoring system, including violations of recruitment and use of children by armed forces or armed groups.  
• Review and analyze capacities of existing programmes and support services for identification, screening, verification and separation of CAAFAG; interim care, psychosocial support and rehabilitation; family tracing and reunification; and community reintegration with a view to their strengthening and scale-up. 
• Initiate and/or support dialogue with parties to armed conflict who recruit and use children with a view to developing an action plan with them to end the recruitment and use of children, and to set up a process for the screening and release of all associated children.  
• Advise on and provide technical assistance to the design, preparation, scale-up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a protection programme for the release and reintegration of CAAFAG, including appropriate systems for information management., supporting capacity-building initiatives, including training of partners.  
• Produce monthly summary reports (with data) on child recruitment and use in the affected areas, and programme progress (results) for CAAFAG.  
• Identify opportunities to work with other sectors to strengthen overall protections for CAAFAG by integrating protection activities within their emergency response programmes. 
• Advise on and enable opportunities for UNICEF and partners to engage in advocacy with parties to armed conflict on issues pertaining to child recruitment and use, including adherence to global standards. 
• Assist in the development of appropriate communication and information-sharing on issues pertaining to child recruitment and use as part of an overall communications and advocacy strategy for child protection.  
• Undertake field visits to monitor programmes on the release, interim care and reintegration of CAAFAG, and conduct periodic programme reviews with partners.  
• Support procurement and distribution of supplies to support CAAFAG. 
• Represent UNICEF CP in inter-agency working groups on child recruitment, release and reintegration and provide inputs in relevant inter-agency and government planning and reporting processes.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Education-

• Advanced university degree in social work, international relations, law, child psychology, or other relevant field. 

Work Experience- 

• A minimum of 5 years of experience with UN and/or other relevant actors, including experience with child protection programming for the release and reintegration of CAAFAG in situations of armed conflict. 
• Background and familiarity with international human rights and humanitarian law, monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children  including experience in humanitarian negotiation and coordination,  highly desirable. 
• Knowledge of UNICEF’s CCC’s in humanitarian action, key international standards and guidelines related to children associated with armed forces or armed groups, as well as the humanitarian cluster approach.  

Language Requirement:- 

• Fluency in verbal and written English and/or French (depending on the country office's official language). 
• Good written and spoken skills in the language of the humanitarian operation in country of assignment and knowledge of another UN language or a local language is an asset.

Deadline: 14 Mar 2023