Early Warning Consultant

Result of Service This work will support the implementation of the children and armed conflict mandate through strengthening CAAC-sensitive regional early warning mechanisms and activities in Africa.

Work Location Consultant will work remotely with potential travel as assigned by the OSRSG CAAC.

Expected duration 3 months

Duties and Responsibilities The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC) serves as the leading United Nations (UN) advocate for the protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict.

The mandate of the SRSG CAAC was created by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/51/77 following the publication, in 1996, of the report by Graça Machel on the impact of armed conflict on children. Since 1999, the systematic engagement of the UN Security Council has placed the protection of children affected by armed conflict at the heart of its international peace and security agenda. In 2005, the Security Council adopted resolution 1612 which established the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) on Grave Violations against Children in Situations of Armed Conflict. The six grave violations monitored and reported on under this mechanism are:

1. recruitment and use of children 2. killing or maiming of children 3. rape and other forms of sexual violence against children 4. attacks on schools and/or hospitals 5. abduction of children 6. denial of humanitarian access for children.

The SRSG CAAC regularly reports to the UN bodies (Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council) on the situation of children in armed conflict, and further engages in a variety of activities to foster the protection of conflict-affected children, including engagement with parties to conflict in situations covered by her mandate, engagement with a global network of partners, promotion of lessons learned and best practices, and the fostering of regional partnerships.

Further information on the CAAC mandate and the Office of the SRSG CAAC can be found here: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/

Project Description and Objective

Enhancing partnerships with regional and subregional organizations provides enormous opportunities for the protection of conflict-affected children and is a growing priority area for the SRSG CAAC.

This commitment is in line with the Security Council’s call, in resolution 1379 (2001), for regional and subregional arrangements to consider the establishment of child protection mechanisms for the development and implementation of policies, activities, and advocacy for the benefit of children affected by armed conflict.

The African Union (AU) as well as Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms in Africa and the United Nations are key partners in ensuring the protection of conflict-affected children in Africa. The AU has committed to placing the promotion of children’s rights and the protection of conflict-affected children at the center of African-led peace and security efforts and has made notable progress in relevant areas, including regarding policy development.

Based on the principles of complementarity and comparative advantages, the strengthening of the UN-AU partnership on CAAC provides unique opportunities to achieve a concerted push towards the protection of conflict-affected children in Africa. Such efforts are also in line with the Joint UN-AU Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, in which both partners inter alia commit to promote a common understanding of conflict in Africa, share early warning information and analysis, and jointly work on preventing and addressing conflict, cooperate in mediation, and protect human rights.

Against this background and based on close consultation with the regional partners on their cooperation goals and needs, the SRSG CAAC is implementing a special project under the title ‘Children and Armed Conflict in Africa – Strengthening Regional Partnerships and Capacities,’ which is focused on early warning, prevention, joint advocacy, and mediation.

As part of the project, the activity supported by the advertised consultancy aims to assess and strengthen regional and sub-regional capacities on CAAC-sensitive early warning and conflict analysis as well as consult on and facilitate the development of CAAC-specific early warning indicators to be integrated in regional and subregional early warning efforts.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Political Affairs Officer, Monitoring, Reporting and Regional Partnerships Team, the Consultant will: - Conduct research and assist in identifying, liaising, and consulting with key stakeholders on early warning mechanisms and activities in Africa, specifically to map out early warning capacities of regional and subregional organizations and relevant partners, assess the extent to which they are sensitive to issues pertaining to CAAC, and identify gaps, needs, and opportunities for engagement; - Applying an inclusive and consultative approach and taking into account existing work on this issue, develop a set of CAAC-specific, gender-sensitive, and practical early warning indicators which can be utilized by and integrated into African regional and subregional early warning mechanisms and activities; - Prepare a presentation on the developed early warning indicators and deliver it to key early warning stakeholders in Africa; - Report and debrief on the process and provide written recommendations on the way forward.

Expected Outcome/Performance Indicators

Subject to satisfactory review, the Consultant will: •Update the OSRSG CAAC on a need basis on the outcomes of research and consultations undertaken to assess early warning mechanisms and activities in Africa and on the development and presentation of early warning indicators within the scope of the project; •Develop a set of CAAC-specific, gender-sensitive, and practical early warning indicators which can be utilized by and integrated into African regional and subregional early warning mechanisms and activities, taking into account existing work on this issue; •Make a presentation on the developed early warning indicators to be delivered to key early warning stakeholders in Africa; •Provide written input to an assessment on the outcomes of research and consultations undertaken to assess early warning mechanisms and activities in Africa within the scope of the project and on the development and presentation of the early warning indicators.

Qualifications/special skills Education •Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, or other related disciplines; •A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience •A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience working on issues of peace and security, political affairs, human rights, and/or protection is required. •Experience in early warning pertaining to peace and security issues is required. Experience in the development of early warning indicators is an asset. •Experience in developing and conducting inclusive consultation processes, workshops, training sessions and/or capacity-building initiatives is required. •Experience of working with the UN, other international or regional/subregional organizations is required. •Experience working in Africa is required. •Experience working on the protection of conflict-affected children is an asset.

Functional Competencies •Solid expertise of peace and security issues in Africa, and of early warning systems and activities pertaining to peace and security issues in Africa; •Knowledge of issues pertaining to human rights and protection issues, and of the protection of conflict-affected children and the children and armed mandate; •Ability and commitment to apply gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches to work assignments and to share knowledge and pass on expertise, including on complex issues; •Ability to design and implement inclusive consultation processes working with a range of stakeholders; •Excellent research, writing, analysis, and communication skills; •Familiarity with the UN system and with regional organizations in Africa (in particular with the African Union and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms).

Languages •Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; •Knowledge of French is desirable.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.