Individual Consultancy - Corporal Punishment Legal Policy Specialist, End Violence Against Children (EVAC) (11.5 Months), New York, USA

Contract

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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, a future...

Every year, over 1 billion children experience violence. Violence in childhood undermines all other investments in children: in their health, education and development, often with negative lifelong consequences and intergenerational impact. Recognizing the devastating impacts of violence against children, in 2015 world leaders committed to end all forms of violence, abuse and neglect by 2030, as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. In July 2016, the UN Secretary-General launched the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and an associated Fund.

The End Violence Partnership includes governments, UN agencies, international organizations, civil society, faith groups, the private sector, philanthropic foundations, research practitioners, academics and children themselves – uniting their voices, actions and resources in a unique public-private collaboration focused solely on ending all violence against children.

In its first four years, the Partnership has helped develop and promote the INSPIRE solutions to end violence; enrolled 30 governments as ‘Pathfinder’ countries; launched an innovative initiative with education sector partners to end violence in and through schools; awarded over $40 million in grants to tackle violence against children online and in humanitarian situations; welcomed over 450 organizations as members; and galvanized those working to end violence through collective advocacy and events including the inaugural End Violence Solutions Summit.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put children everywhere at even higher risk of violence and abuse and threatens to undermine progress made in recent years. But COVID-19 has also heightened awareness, inspired new collaborations and ways of working, and demonstrated the value of the End Violence Partnership as a global platform for collective and evidence-based advocacy, action and investments. Together, we have a window of opportunity to start to translate the rhetoric of building back better into a reality for children in the coming years.

Corporal punishment is the most common form of violence against children worldwide. It includes any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light, as well as non-physical forms of punishment that are cruel and degrading.

Any corporal punishment violates children’s right to respect for their human dignity and physical integrity, and their rights to health, development, education and freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Its legality in most states – unlike other forms of interpersonal violence – violates children’s right to equal protection under the law.

In 2020, the End Violence Partnership was selected to continue important work begun by the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children. The goal is for every country to prohibit and eliminate corporal punishment of children in all settings, including the home, and to take steps to put the law into practice. Research in countries that have done this shows that, when law reform is followed by systematic efforts to ensure that the law is understood and effective, the use of corporal punishment significantly declines, with demonstrable improvements in children’s lifelong health, education and development.

How can you make a difference?

The Legal Policy Specialist will manage and maintain internal and external databases of legal information in order to deliver targeted information to internal and external stakeholders. He/she will provide legal assessments of domestic legislation in relation to international obligations on corporal punishment and provide technical advice on necessary law reform to meet those obligations, both internally and externally, including through facilitating law reform workshops in cooperation with government agencies and/or civil society organizations. He/she will also engage with international and regional human rights mechanisms and work closely with the Advocacy Specialist to translate policy into meaningful action.

Key tasks and responsibilities:

The consultant is expected to deliver the following priorities:

1. Manage internal and external databases of national legislation, upcoming opportunities to strengthen laws on corporal punishment of children, and states’ commitment to law reform by monitoring relevant sources of information at global and regional level, and updating as required.
2. Provide legal assessments of domestic legislation in relation to international obligations on corporal punishment and provide technical advice on necessary law reform to meet those obligations, both internally and externally, including through facilitating law reform workshops in cooperation with government agencies and/or civil society.
3. Ensure systematic engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms, both by briefing on states’ periodic examinations and by informing the committees’ general work.
4. Prepare documentation, reports and analyses on corporal punishment at global and country level. Contribute to communication across all channels. Represent the End Violence Partnership in various meetings and fora to ensure a lens of corporal punishment in relevant discussions.

Key deliverables

Key deliverables include, but are not limited to:

Key deliverables

Timeframe

Detailed project brief and timeframe for the assignment

September 2020

Strategy for outreach to Pathfinding Countries and beyond

December 2020

Training on Corporal Punishment for Secretariat team

December 2020

Improve and update relevant information on the End Violence website

Ongoing

Deliver regional and national webinars for Pathfinding Countries

Ongoing

Prepare/present updates to End Violence Board, Executive Committee

As required

Participation in key speaking events and input to reports, briefings, etc.

As required

Support Secretariat team with information and advice as needed

Ongoing

Final progress report and recommendations

End of Contract

Management and coordination of assignment

The Legal Policy Specialist will work remotely and will be embedded within the Secretariat of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, which is based in New York and Geneva. S/he will be supervised by the Country Engagement Lead and will work closely with other members of the Secretariat team. The contract is expected to commence in September 2020 and end in August 2021 for a total duration of 11.5 months, with the possibility of renewal.

Payment

• Monthly payment, based on satisfactory delivery of tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health insurance.
• Consultant is responsible for costs of obtaining any necessary visas and travel insurance.
• Consultant is responsible for providing his/her own equipment (i.e. computers, phones, etc).

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

The successful candidate will be highly collaborative, results-oriented and proactive, with a flexible approach and a commitment to achieving results through policy advocacy.

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in law/legal studies, human rights, international development, or other relevant fields. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in legal policy or similar;
• Experience in researching and analysing legislation and policy in different legal systems;
• Ability to synthesise complex legal information into easily accessible content for a range of audiences;
• Knowledge of human rights law and the UN and/or regional human rights monitoring system;
• Proven ability to maintain a high level of attention to detail when working to tight deadlines
• Passion for the Global Partnership’s mission to end all forms of violence against children;
• Demonstrated ability and commitment to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment;
• Excellent communication skills and proven ability to influence, negotiate and build networks;
• Excellent diplomatic and coordination skills, and ability to succeed in a complex environment;
• Oral and written fluency in English is required; knowledge of other UN languages is desirable;
• Ability to travel internationally if required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are...

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Functional Competencies

• Analyzing (2)
• Deciding and initiating action (1)
• Persuading and Influencing (2)
• Applying Technical Expertise (2)
• Learning and researching (2)
• Planning and organizing (2)

To apply

• Applications must be submitted via the UNICEF jobs website by 1 September 2020.
• Applications must include a cover letter and CV. Please also indicate your ability, availability and monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the above terms of reference. Applications submitted without a monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

As a UNICEF-hosted partnership, End Violence is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

End Violence 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. End Violence also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, 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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.