International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes consultant, LACRO - Panama City, 11 months (Home-Based)

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, health

Breastfeeding from the beginning of life up to two year of age or beyond is essential for infants' adequate growth and development. In Latin America and the Caribbean only half of newborns received breastfeeding within one hour of birth (54 per cent), half of infants under six months of age are exclusively breastfed (48 per cent) and half of children under 2 years continue receiving breastfeeding

(48 per cent). The aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes, in addition to the lack of regulations and capacity that support breastfeeding mothers affects breastfeeding practices worldwide, putting the lives of millions of children at high risk of morbidity, including malnutrition in all its forms, and mortality.

Recognizing this, in 1981 the World Health Assembly (WHA), adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes the Code to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by protecting and promoting breastfeeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breast milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through

appropriate marketing and distribution. In subsequent years, the WHA has also adopted other relevant resolutions that further clarify specific aspects of the Code and that need to be considered in country level adaptation of the Code.

Despite of its importance, there is a high need to strengthen and enforce robust national regulatory frameworks and policies in Latin America and the Caribbean to enable environments that support, promote and protect breastfeeding, ensuring children’s rights to adequate nutrition to survive and thrive.

UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030 recognizes the need to advocate for and support policies, strategies and programmes that protect and promote breastfeeding by strengthening the enforcement of national legislation on the Code and strong maternity protection policies to support breastfeeding in the workplace.

How can you make a difference?

The overall goal of this consultancy is to support the regional level to adequately implement and monitor the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Key Activities:

• Map Code implementation and monitoring status in LAC and key resources the consultant will elaborate a preliminary mapping of the following items based on desk research and consultations, taking The National implementation of the International Code Status report (WHO/UNICEF/IBFAN), 2024 edition as the basis on which to elaborate further details. The consultant will share this mapping to be reviewed by country offices.
  • Implementation status including existing laws, regulations and bottlenecks.
  • Law enforcement status including sanction mechanisms, (yes or no) and bottlenecks.
  • Monitoring status including tools, partners involved in Code monitoring, government's budget (yes or no), bottlenecks.
  • Opportunities to strengthen the Code implementation in 2024-2025, and other aspects consider relevant.
• Map key global, regional and country resources and experiences related to Code implementation and monitoring of Code compliance including title, coverage (country regional and global), resource category (i.e. guidelines, regulatory framework, monitoring tools, etc.) languages in which they are translated etc.
• Identify key country experiences on Code implementation and on monitoring Code compliance.
• Identify legal strategies that could be used to further implement the Code in LAC (e.g. using human rights laws, litigation, enforcement actions etc.)
• Review the adaptation of Code resources to LAC.
• Provide support to coordinate the regional Code Network for LAC - The consultant will support the development and implementation of the Code Network plan including adaptation of Terms of reference, list of key actors to be engaged, priority countries based on preliminary mapping, engagement with UNICEF COs and countries when needed, proposed activities and timeline.
• Support the planning and implementation of regional activities and events for advocacy and capacity building on the Code, including a technical workshop on the Code.
• Coordinate with UNICEF headquarters (HQ), UNICEF LACRO, UNICEF COs and key partners (i.e. WHO/PAHO) as needed to provide technical support to countries on Code Implementation, including review of draft laws.
• Participate in events relevant to the Code organized by key partners.
• Create and update a Code information repository with the resources collected from the mapping.
• Coordination with UNICEF LACRO and UNICEF HQ to support COs in LAC region on Code implementation and monitoring.
• Other activities identified as key for the objective of this consultancy.

Deliverables:

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

• A bachelor's degree in law, political science, international relations, or relevant technical field. Specialization in public health law is preferred.
• At least 6 years of work experience in relevant area of expertise including: Provision of legal advice and support in the context of nutrition and/or public health regulation development and implementation.
• Advocacy for strengthened public health policy frameworks
• Professional technical knowledge and expertise in public policies, with emphasis on public health and/or nutrition.
• Knowledge and experience in breastfeeding promotion, protection and support, including the Code in an asset.
• Demonstrated technical writing abilities, with emphasis on drafting legal products.
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of other languages relevant to the LAC region (i.e. French, Portuguese) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically and works collaboratively with others.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Administrative details

Workplace: The consultancy is home-based.

Duration: Estimated start date is July 2024 until May 2025 /11 months

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: TMS application form duly completed, Cover Letter, Study certificates and Financial proposal (Daily fee or deliverable fee).

Qualified candidates are requested to indicate an all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the services to be including all associated administrative and travel costs.

Consultants must have their own equipment, tools and materials needed to perform their services. They will use their own laptops/computers, any application or system needed to complete the assignment. They need to provide the full service without using UNICEF resources. The access to UNICEF email and system is restricted to UNICEF staff therefore consultants should not be granted access unless it is imperative to complete the assignment.

Travel

Travel is not foreseen for this consultancy. Should travel is requested, it will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

Remarks:

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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.