Consultancy: Consultant, Child Rights and SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics) - Human Rights Unit, PG, NYHQ/Remote - Req

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Child Rights and SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics)

Section/Division/Duty Station: Human Rights Unit, PGLT, NYHQ (remote)

Duration: 80 days (during the period of 8 December 2021 to 30 November 2022)

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

All children have the same human rights, regardless of their, of their family members’ actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics. For example, all children should be able to enjoy their right to education in a safe environment free from violence, bullying, social exclusion or other forms of discriminatory and degrading treatment – including when this is based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics. However, children who are perceived as LGBTIQ+ are often at risk of social exclusion, including from their own communities, and require specific support to ensure that they can enjoy all their rights with dignity.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has addressed numerous times the rights of children who are, or are perceived to be LGBTIQ+ people, or who face abuses based on the actual of perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of their parents and guardians, in its jurisprudence on obligations of States under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025 also specifically references sexual orientation and gender identity as factors leading to discrimination against children: ’12. Multiple, intersecting vulnerabilities continue to underpin the rights and development challenges facing children around the world, including a heightened risk of discrimination and neglect related to disability, racism, xenophobia, sexual orientation and gender identity, ethnicity, urbanization, migration and displacement, natural disasters and armed conflicts. While not all these factors are manifest or combine in the same way in every country in which UNICEF operates, realizing the vision of leaving no child behind is dependent on building a better understanding of the interplay between them. The COVID-19 pandemic has made that even more evident.’

This project will support UNICEF learning, capacity-building, knowledge exchange and development of programme resources to support UNICEF’s work for the protection and promotion of all children’s rights regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics, and comes at a time of increasing requests for support from the field in this area.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

The Consultant will work within, provide support to, and be supported by the PGLT Human Rights Unit. The Consultant will be required to work across all relevant UNICEF Divisions, and with partners from other UN entities, academic institutions, human rights/child rights NGOs, and civil society amongst others.

The main tasks of the Consultant are as follows:

• Conducting consultations on this child rights agenda across UNICEF;
• Development of analytical paper on ‘Child Rights and SOGIESC today’;
• Conduct a mapping of relevant programming;
• Development of ‘Gaps and Opportunities’ paper for relevant programming;
• Development of learning, capacity-building and knowledge exchange tools, resources and initiatives;
• Drafting/updating of relevant UNICEF position paper;
• Support advocacy through international human rights mechanisms;
• Support to inter-agency fora on human rights, and civil society initiatives; and
• Support to UNICEF’s awareness-raising initiatives (including for example the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia

Qualifications

(1) Education

• Master’s in International law; International relations; Political science; or a related field.

2) Work experience

• At least 10 years of experience in the fields of human rights and child rights;
• Up-to-date knowledge of the international legal framework on human rights and child rights and concrete experience of its implementation;
• Knowledge of human rights/child rights and SOGIESC and related programming required.
• Experience in research.
• Experience in facilitating consultation processes with a variety of stakeholders.

3) Competencies

• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, tact and discretion.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.

Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.