Child Protection Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Youth contracts.

Liberia is a youthful country. Children under the age of 15 make up 42 per cent of its population while 63 per cent is under 25. This gives the country a great task at hand: to protect its young people from harm while giving them the space and opportunity to develop and lead the country forward. Yet, most of Liberia’s children, adolescents and youth are trapped in a cycle of violence, poverty and deprivation, experience violence, struggle to get educated, and find it difficult to find decent employment. Violence against children and adolescents, especially girls, is rampant, including rape, abuse, harassment and exploitation. In 2015, 89 per cent of reported rape survivors were children, with 39 per cent 12 years or younger. Sexual harassment in schools in the form of ‘sex for grades’ and ‘sex for school fees’ is common. Violent discipline is also a widely accepted practice, while at least 31 per cent of children (2-14 years old) were engaged in some form of labour.

Harmful cultural and traditional practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) are among the worst forms of violence practiced against children in Liberia. Birth registration, which is the first critical first step towards safeguarding lifelong protection for a child, is out of reach for many children in Liberia. The country has one of the lowest levels of birth registration in the world: less than one quarter of all births are registered. When vulnerable children and adolescents come into conflict with the law, they are often exposed to even more violence and distress.

In terms of environmental challenges, waste management poses a serious issue in Liberia. For example, in the capital city, Monrovia, plastics constitute 14.2 per cent of the waste. With poor or limited waste management systems, communities grapple with plastic pollution, resorting to burning or burying garbage. This situation exacerbates health risks for children and adolescents, including respiratory problems and air pollution-related diseases.

A key priority in Liberia is to stop the violence that children experience every day. We collaborate with the government, civil society and development agencies to strengthen community-based protection and response services to prevent all forms of violence against children or provide assistance should it occur. To help adolescents fulfil their potential, UNICEF supports the government to provide life skills and vocational training, and to protect adolescents, especially girls, from abuse, sexual violence and harmful traditional practices.

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of UNICEF’s child protection systems strengthening, UNICEF’s climate action in line with the Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan 2023-2030, and UNICEF’s priorities for Adolescents programming, among others.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Chief, Child Protection Section or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Child Protection Officer will work on below tasks:

a) Climate Action and Child Protection • Coordinate the timely implementation of climate related projects, ensuring linkages with child protection, education and child and survival sections. • Identify new opportunities, including research and document the linkages between climate change and child protection. • Seek and promote relationships between UNICEF and government institutes, civil society organizations, academia, and other stakeholders for climate action and adolescent empowerment programming.

b) Innovation • Build the capacity of young people and stakeholders to support the implementation and delivery of innovative strategies and programmes for the child protection sector. • Identify and implement opportunities for the marginalised adolescents in Liberia to engage and collaborate with other adolescents from other countries to lead scalable innovative actions.

c) Communication and advocacy • Lead the development and implementation of communication and outreach/advocacy plans, with a specific focus on assets collection and production. • Work with the communications team to capture the best practices, success stories and shed light on the impact of the activities while ensuring the acknowledgment of donors. • Act as the communication focal point in the Child Protection section to generate data and manage knowledge inform decision making, programme design and communications.

d) Knowledge management • Periodically update the child protection data (dashboards) in preparation of concept notes, proposals, and donor reports. • Undertake any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF’s mission & vision, as well as to the UNICEF’s Core Values of care, respect, integrity, trust, accountability and sustainability

programme management, especially around child protection, adolescent and youth empowerment, parenting, and innovation issues. The incumbent must be a dynamic, multi-functional person, who supports UNICEF with professionalism, dedication and client orientation, and who must be willing both to work on programmatic/substantive aspects and to provide operational/logistical services. The following competencies are required: • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills. • Accuracy and professionalism in communication and photography. • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development. • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines. • Sound security awareness. • Have affinity with or interest in Child Protection, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Liberia, Africa's oldest Republic, is located at the western edge of the continent, on the Atlantic coast between Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire. The population of Liberia is approximately 4.5 million and contains about 16 different ethnic groups. A large percentage of Liberia’s population live in the capital. The Specialist will be based in Monrovia the capital city of Liberia. The climate features a wet season and a dry season, but precipitation is seen even during the dry season. Temperatures remain constant throughout the year averaging around 26.4 °C (79.5 °F). Some visitors may feel cold during the day and evenings in the rainy season; also, most rooms are air-conditioned, so it is suggested that appropriate clothing (light sweater or jacket) be brought along. The country is generally safer, except for petty crimes, especially in the cities. It is mandatory to complete the United Nations Security course BSAFE. The current UN security level for Liberia is level 2. Upon arrival in the country, all UN staff receive a security briefing from UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS). Security recommendations from UNDSS must be followed by all UN Staff and UN Volunteers during their assignments in Liberia. In Monrovia, apartment-type accommodation can be found in areas such as Mamba Point and Sinkor. These are of various standards and usually come furnished with water and electricity and security guards, in compliance with UN security requirements. Prices are negotiable. The UNV Field Unit Liberia connects arriving volunteers to furnished MORSS compliant property owners. The Field Unit supports incoming volunteers to identify suitable accommodation prior to arrival. There are hotels and guesthouses in various county capitals that are comfortable and furnished with facilities such as wi-fi, laundry service, electricity, and security. There are variety of sports outfits in hotels and other accommodations for privacy. This includes gyms, swimming pools, tennis/basketball courts and stadium reserved for football. A gym is also available at the One UN House for all categories of staff based on the presentation of the UN ID Card. The US dollar is widely used and can be exchanged with the Liberian dollar (exchange rate as of June 2024: 1US$ = 190 Liberian dollar). Credit cards and traveler’s checks are not commonly accepted but there are several cash machines/ATMs in Liberia that take visa cards.