Mission and objectives

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. In all of its work, UNICEF takes a life-cycle based approach, recognizing the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence. UNICEF programmes focus on the most disadvantaged children, including those living in fragile contexts, those with disabilities, those who are affected by rapid urbanization and those affected by environmental degradation. UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. We promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum – because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. We act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished: no child should suffer or die from a preventable illness. We work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people because it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others. We help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live their lives with dignity. We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Context

UNICEF Nepal is committed to advancing the rights and well-being of every child and young person, with a strong focus on meaningful youth engagement in national development processes. Central to this is UNICEF’s ongoing support for youth-led advocacy, empowerment of adolescent girls, and engagement on critical issues such as climate change and gender equality. To strengthen this work, the office is recruiting a National UN Youth Volunteer who will play a key role in supporting and expanding UNICEF’s youth engagement initiatives across the country. The Youth Volunteer will support engagement with children, adolescents, and young people, particularly in the areas of youth-led climate advocacy and the empowerment of adolescent girls.

Task Description

Youth Engagement and Advocacy: UNICEF’s Youth Engagement portfolio includes a flagship initiative—the UNICEF Youth Advocates Programme—which aims to build the knowledge, leadership, and advocacy capacity of young people on issues such as climate change and gender equality. The programme currently involves a cohort of 100 youth participants, from which two young people will be selected as official UNICEF Youth Advocates. These advocates will represent the voices of youth on key platforms, contribute to advocacy campaigns, and influence programming and policy dialogue. The National UN Youth Volunteer will provide critical support in the implementation and coordination of this programme, including: • Supporting the learning and development activities for the full youth cohort; • Coordinating with and mentoring the two selected Youth Advocates; • Facilitating their participation in national, regional, and global advocacy platforms; • Providing technical and logistical support for their engagement on climate and gender initiatives. • Mentoring and building the capacity of a cohort of 10 young people (2 from each of the five provinces—Bagmati, Karnali, Sudurpashchim, Lumbini, and Madhesh) selected from the Youth Advocates training programme. This group will serve as a youth sounding board for the UNICEF office, providing input on programmes, policies, and youth engagement strategies. Youth Networks and Partnerships: The Youth Volunteer will also serve as a key liaison between UNICEF and youth networks across the country. This includes: • Mapping and maintaining relationships with national and local youth-led organizations; • Facilitating regular consultations and dialogues with young people; • Ensuring that youth voices are reflected in UNICEF’s planning and programming; • Identifying opportunities for youth-led collaboration and co-creation in relevant UNICEF initiatives. Additional tasks: • Support documentation, monitoring and analysis of youth engagement and communications initiatives • Support the planning and implementation of campaigns, events and outreach activities, with a focus on enhancing youth participation and advocacy • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. https://www.unv.org/