International Consultant for Child Online Protection, Beijing, China (home based)

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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CN Home-based; Beijing (China)

Application deadline 1 year ago: Wednesday 20 Jul 2022 at 15:55 UTC

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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, a fair chance; health; an education; safety; care.

Globally, 1 in 3 Internet users are below 18[1]. The Internet and the digital world have offered unprecedented educational and learning opportunities for children to learn, access information, connect with friends, and be creative. However, access to digital platforms also entails risks, including bullying, harassment, overuse of the Internet, exposure to violent contents, as well as sexting, grooming and sexual extortion. Abusers are misusing technology and digital platforms to connect and attract children to then use unsafe platforms to abuse and exploit them. The links between online and offline are also important, as children who are exposed to violence online usually have antecedents of violence offline.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic saw a surge in the number of children joining the online world for the first time, to support their studies and maintain social interaction. The constraints imposed by the virus not only meant that many younger children began interacting online much earlier than their parents might have planned, but the need to juggle work commitments left many parents unable to supervise their children, leaving young people at risk of accessing inappropriate content or being targeted by criminals in the production of child sexual abuse material.

In China, 183 million Internet users are between 6 and 17 years of age; 35% of children of this age group have been exposed to violent images[2]. Considering the digital penetration and infrastructure, online platforms may expose children to multiple risks. On another hand, there are opportunities for innovation to detect violence, to reach large numbers for awareness raising on digital safety, to expand partnership with government, academia and private sector.[3]

Since 2017, UNICEF China Country Office (CCO) has worked on Child Online Protection (COP) to promote legal reform and awareness raising and visibility of the issue in the public agenda, and engage major internet companies to help them understand the legal and moral responsibilities towards children and provide guidance on identifying, preventing and mitigating any adverse impacts of their products and services on children’s rights.

UNICEF China Country Office is seeking a consultant to provide senior-level technical support to the CCO on COP, strengthening the in-country strategy and linkages with Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Industry, while ensuring cross-fertilization between China, global and regional experiences.

How can you make a difference?

The consultant is expected to:

1) Advise the Child Protection team on CCO’s COP strategy, and particularly on the engagement with ITCs, including linking it to the global strategy and to initiatives at the regional and global level context.

2) Provide technical advice to enhance strategic engagement with ITCs.

3) Provide technical advice on deepening research, learning exchanges, advocacy and child-friendly criminal procedures on justice and law enforcement and support to victims in the context of COP.

Major Tasks, Deliverables & Timeframe:

Tasks

Deliverables

Duration

1) Advise the Child Protection team on CCO’s COP strategy, and particularly on the engagement with ITCs, including linking it to the global strategy and to initiatives at the regional and global level context.

A strategy brief for CCO on COP (including a PPT).

20 working days

2) Provide technical advice in engagement with ITCs.

• Revision of at least 1 set of (national, industrial, or internal) regulations or standards on COP, reflecting good practices and experiences from other countries.

10 working days

• 1 document (PPT and explicatory notes) to offer raising awareness sessions to ITCs on safeguards and good practices in the industry. Provide technical suggestions to at least 1 internal child safeguarding protocol of ITCs partners.

10 working days

• 1 document (PPT and explicatory notes) to offer raising awareness sessions to the law enforcement and justice authorities on good practices and research.

10 working days

3) Provide technical advice on deepening research, learning exchanges, advocacy and child-friendly criminal procedures on justice and law enforcement and support to victims in the context of COP.

• Organize at least 1 international exchange for dialogue and sharing of good practices on COP (for ITCs, or justice and law enforcement sector).

8 working days

• One concept note on possible research to undertake in CCO on the subject

7 working days

The consultant is expected to join conference calls with UNICEF China team to discuss relevant issues a minimum of 5 hours per month (on average).

Each candidate needs to upload a financial proposal including rates per product or other costs they may need to cover.

Methodology & Expected Output:

Methodologies: Desk review and focus group discussion.

Expected Outputs: 1) Internet companies’ awareness of COP was raised; 2) The COP policy framework was strengthened; 3) Good practices and lessons learnt on COP in China were exchanged internationally; 4) Partnerships with government, academia and private sector stakeholders at national, regional and global level were strengthened.

Start Date****: August 1, 2022

End Date****: May 31, 2023

Total Working Days****: 65 days

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

-Minimum Academic Qualifications required and disciplines:

Master’s degree in law, social sciences, or related field(s).

-Knowledge/Experience/Expertise/Skills required:

Minimum of 8-10 years of professional experience in human rights, child protection particularly child online protection, digital environment, or other relevant field(s).

Experience of working in the East Asia and Pacific region is considered an asset.

Previous work experience related to UNICEF, the Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Children, We Protect Alliance or similar organizations/initiatives on child online protection, is an advantage.

Experience working or engaging with the private sector on this or similar issues, and particularly with the ICT industry, is an asset.

Fluency in English written and spoken, is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

UNICEF is committed to the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA) and Child Safeguarding (CS), as well as to the highest standards of conduct. The selected candidate will be asked to take on-line courses (a total of 3-4 hours) in order to sign the contract.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org