Child Protection Officer-Tripoli

Details

Mission and objectives

Update

Context

UNICEF is present in more than 190 countries and territories worldwide. We work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a safer and better world for children and families. Every child has the right to safe access to basic life-saving services. Ranging from child protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), to having a safe and clean environment.
Storm Daniel ravaged North-Eastern Libya on 11 September 2023. The impact of this humanitarian crisis continues to reverberate. While there have been challenges to identify unaccompanied and separated children due to limited existing capacities, the absence of an alternative family-based care system for children was highlighted through this rapid onset emergency. While Libyan law provides for three main types of alternative care: Social care institutions for children; Kafala (which may also be translated as sponsorship/ placement in a sponsor family); and hosting/ placement in a host family- the first type is largely dominant.
Furthermore, Libya is a major transit, destination and host country in the region. Refugees and migrants- including children- continue to face arbitrary arrest and detention in Libya, rather than placement in alternative family-based care arrangements until durable solutions are reached. Libya, as a signatory to the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), has legal obligations not to detain children arbitrarily, to use detention only as a last resort and for the shortest period of time, and to comply with other standards related to the use of deprivation of liberty, as per CRC Article 37. Furthermore, the 2017 joint General Comment by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, (CRC) and the Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) provides an authoritative guidance on the treatment of child migrants, stating that detaining children for migration control purposes can never be in their best interests.
Given this context, there is a need to promote alternative family-based care for vulnerable children in Libya, including unaccompanied and separated children- particularly those affected by rapid onset emergencies, children released from detention, and children released from institutions, under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA), the Social Solidarity Fund (SSF), and with close collaboration from the Ministry of Interior (MOI).
The Child Protection UNV will primarily undertake child protection assessments for children in detention in order to support alternatives to detention. Information management of the data will be used to support advocacy efforts.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Officer (Children on the Move) in Tripoli and the overall technical guidance of the Chief Child Protection in the country office, the UNV Child Protection will carry out the following tasks/responsibilities:
1. Management & Support to programme development and planning:
– UN Volunteer will directly report to the Child protection Officer (Children on the Move) and will work with the child protection team responding to the children on the move COM projects, under the overall leadership of Chief Child Protection.
– Prepare draft inputs for programmatic reports through data collection and observations during programme monitoring visits (PMVs), in addition to situation updates and ad hoc requests for Programme updates/ donor reports on the Children on the move COM related projects.
– Ensure accuracy, timeliness and relevance of information.
– Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming and provide guidance and support to UNICEF IPs working in Children on the move COM areas in Libya, in line with the Child Protection Country Programme Document (CPD) and Workplan.
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
– Regular Site Visits: Perform scheduled daily or weekly visits to the Detention Centers (DCs) for on-ground child protection assessments and engagement.
– Relationship Management: Establish and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, authorities, and relevant partners in the field.
– Child Protection Assessments: Conduct comprehensive and regular assessments focusing on the well-being and protection needs of children within the targeted areas.
– Information Management: Oversee data collection, organization, and maintenance for the effective management of child protection information.
– Synthesis and Analysis: Analyze and synthesize gathered information to derive insights and trends essential for decision-making and intervention planning.
– Creation of Infographics: Develop visual representations and infographics to effectively communicate key findings and data trends.
– Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect, analyze and share information on implementation issues, suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and submit reports to Child Protection Section. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
– Contribute to situation reports, special reports and donor reports.
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
– Undertake field visits and surveys and collect and share reports with Child Protection Section.
– Follow up with UNICEF IPs on the activities related to the COM projects supporting in particular, unaccompanied and separated children, in addition to supporting mentoring of Government stakeholders where relevant.
4. Networking and partnership building
– Participate in network meetings or working groups as needed when requested by supervisor and provide follow-up points from meetings attended.
– Research and share any opportunities of development in an area with great need by identifying suitable network-channels and supportive partnerships.
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
– Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to build the capacity of stakeholders.
– Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
– Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of beneficiaries and stakeholders.
– Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.
The UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
Results/expected outputs:
• As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including the support provided by the UNV Child Protection officer, which will enable the Country Office to achieve the Child protection -related output results of the country programme. This, in turn, will contribute to the achievement of the outcome results of the Country Programme Document. When done effectively, the achievement of the outcome results will improve child safety and development and reduce inequalities in the country.
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed