Senior Child Justice Expert

position description

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the armed conflict with the Russian Federation has been marked by widespread human rights violations, including the large-scale deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. This role is for a Senior Child Justice Expert for the project ‘No Child Forgotten: Strengthening Child-Sensitive Justice and Protection Responses to Deportation in Ukraine”. The project focuses on documenting, analysing, and strengthening evidence related to the deportation of children, enhancing evidence collection and trauma-informed, child-sensitive investigative methodologies to support accountability for these crimes and contribute to ongoing European and international justice efforts. The role will provide essential integrated, long-term support to organisations responding to the deportation of Ukrainian children, building their capacity to engage with children throughout the justice process in a child-sensitive and trauma-informed manner.

we are seeking a Senior Child Justice Expert who provides specialist legal expertise, and strategic & operational advice & support to civil society and other Ukrainian partners related to child-friendly justice for deportation-related crimes. The role will provide expertise and support to the substantive work of the team including the development of SOPs and conducting training programmes for beneficiaries. The Senior Child Justice Expert will closely build relationships to maintain local contacts, situational awareness, and opportunities for cooperation with organisations, bodies and authorities working on crimes against and affecting children, as well as other relevant national and international stakeholders.

Full / Part-time: Part time (40% LOE)

Location: Remote, with travel to Ukraine.

The Role

• Provide ongoing legal advice, support, and mentorship to the Ukrainian civil society, and justice authorities to embed child-sensitive approaches and methodologies.
• Provide expertise and oversight on the development of child-friendly best practices for the documentation of deportation-related crimes.
• Identify and assist in developing investigative tools, protocols and guidelines, as well as other documents, to be employed to ensure a child-sensitive approach throughout all aspects of documentation, investigation and prosecution.
• Design and conduct training on child-friendly documentation and approaches to justice.
• Lead advocacy activities related to the deportation of children and other conflict-related crimes against and affecting children, ensuring thought-leadership and visibility.
• Engage with international and national accountability mechanisms and human rights bodies providing expertise on child-sensitive approaches.
• Promote the adoption of child-sensitive practices in investigative and prosecutorial authorities engaged in CAAC cases.
• Maintain and develop working relationships with key persons and organisations working on conflict-affected crimes against and affecting children.

Your Background

• Specialised expertise on crimes against and affecting children, and demonstrable experience developing child-friendly justice approaches.
• 12+ years’ experience in the documentation, investigation and/or prosecution of international crimes, including crimes against and affecting children.
• Expert knowledge on integrating and operationalising child-friendly, trauma-informed and victim-centred approaches.
• Experience in high-level advocacy focused on justice for crimes against and affecting children.
• Ability to mentor junior team members, and work creatively to achieve desired outcomes.
• Ability to work effectively with the whole range of criminal justice actors.
• Administratively competent, organised and confident multitasking.
• Practical experience in working with high volumes of sensitive material and with the requisite skills for collating, sharing, and working with such material.
• Fluent in English, both written and verbal skills.

Application instructions

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