Mission and objectives

UNDP works with the Government and people of Pakistan to develop local solutions to development challenges. In an evolving development context, we support Pakistan’s efforts to build a more equitable, prosperous, peaceful and resilient society, and to achieve its SDGs and COP25 targets. UNDP promotes transformational change by fostering strategic partnerships with national counterparts in the federal, provincial and regional governments, civil society, the private sector and the local and international community. UNDP supports transformational change by providing technical assistance focusing on developing capacity within national and local authorities, providing solutions with strong monitoring and evaluation tools, and delivering programmes with maximum efficiency, transparency and accountability. UNDP’s ultimate goal is to improve the lives of the people of Pakistan through keeping people out of poverty; governance for peaceful, just and inclusive societies; crisis prevention and increased resilience; nature-based solutions for development; clean affordable energy; and women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Context

UNDP works to improve the lives of vulnerable communities, with the overarching objective of preventing loss of development gains, promoting human rights, and finding sustainable pathways to development. UNDP projects under the democratic governance portfolio aims to strengthen state institutions, support democratic development and the rule of law, ensure crisis prevention, support policy development, and integrate gender equality into all areas of work. UNDP works to support the human rights ecosystem by strengthening human rights institutions to promote and protect human rights for all. This UNV assignment is part of UNDP Pakistan’s Decentralization, Human Rights and Local Governance (DHL) project. The DHL project is a multi-sector project aimed at strengthening rights-based development, community stabilization, gender equality, and social inclusion across all regions and provinces of Pakistan. The core objective of the project is to ensure inclusive and equitable service delivery by providing technical assistance and capacity development support to relevant federal ministries, provincial line departments, statutory bodies, civil society, and private sector organizations. A key aim is to support the creation of an enabling environment for accelerated access to rights, people-centered justice, and people-centered security. The project focuses on institution building while connecting with vulnerable and at-risk communities to build trust between rights holders and duty bearers for inclusive, expeditious, and transparent access to rights and services. Under its human rights programme, UNDP-DHL is supporting the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) to build its technical capacity for the fulfilment of its mandate as an autonomous national human rights institution and watchdog body focused on child rights. UNDP-DHL’s support will include, for example, technical support for addressing child rights complaints, planning, legal review, international reporting obligations, and knowledge production. The NCRC plays a key role in fulfilling Pakistan’s international obligations. The incumbent UNV will be stationed at the NCRC Office in Islamabad and will be responsible for assisting the Legal Advisor of the NCRC in performing various tasks related to legal research, document preparation and administrative duties. The incumbent will ensure the smooth analysis and development of legal documents and contribute to the efficient functioning of the Commission.

Task Description

• Support the NCRC in legal research and analysis on child rights • Lead comprehensive legal research on national and provincial child rights legislation, statutes, regulations, policies, etc. • Lead comprehensive legal research on Pakistan’s obligations under international law on child rights. • Develop briefs and summary reports of relevant national and provincial child rights policies, laws, statutes, regulations etc. to assist the Legal Advisor and the members of the NCRC • Coordinate closely with the Legal Advisor NCRC to maintain a database of relevant laws, statutes, policies etc on child rights • Assist the Legal Advisor NCRC in reviewing legislation on child rights and developing recommendations • Interpret and ensure compliance with national laws, international child rights treaties, and conventions to which Pakistan is a party. • Provide legal opinions and advice on child rights issues, complaints, and cases received by the NCRC. • Contribute to the development of policies, guidelines, and legislative proposals to strengthen the child rights framework in Pakistan. • Draft and review legal documents and submissions • Develop and draft legal documents including legal memoranda, legal briefs, and letters on behalf of NCRC • Review and proofread legal documents for accuracy, clarity, and compliance with legal standards • Assist the Legal Advisor in drafting, reviewing, and providing legal advice on child rights to the NCRC • Support the NCRC in developing reports and responses for NCRC’s submission to international treaty bodies • Conduct in-depth legal research on emerging child rights issues and develop policy recommendations. • Prepare amicus curiae briefs and submissions for relevant court proceedings, where necessary. • Assist in managing legal department schedules, meetings, and appointments. • Maintain confidential records and ensure compliance with privacy and confidentiality standards. • Facilitate the NCRC in monitoring and reporting on the implementation of child rights policies and National Action Plans • Monitor developments in domestic and international child rights law and advise the NCRC on their implications. • Prepare and submit periodic progress reports on legal cases, research findings, and institutional initiatives. • Coordinate with the Business and Human Rights (BHR) focal points stationed at the Ministry of Human Rights and other relevant institutions to support the NCRC in monitoring child labour and child rights under the National Action Plan on BHR (NAP-BHR). • Coordinate with the relevant focal point for the National Action Plan on Human Rights (NAP-HR) to support the NCRC in monitoring child rights under the NAP-HR • Contribute to the drafting of monitoring reports and submissions. • Review and analyze complaints of child rights violations submitted to the NCRC • Liaise with relevant authorities, including law enforcement agencies, judiciary, and government departments, on cases handled by the NCRC. • Facilitate awareness and capacity building on child rights. • Support the development of training modules and capacity-building workshops for NCRC staff and external stakeholders on child rights and legal procedures. • Contribute to public awareness campaigns on child rights issues, legal rights, and remedies available under Pakistani and international law. • Develop thematic briefs on child rights legislation and frameworks in Pakistan, including for example on child labour, forced conversions, early marriage, etc. • Coordinate with the NHRIs Focal Point at UNDP under the Huqooq-e-Pakistan II Programme to support UNDP and NCRC’s joint initiatives. • Perform any other tasks as assigned by the Chairperson NCRC or the Legal Advisor NCRC.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management • Confidentiality

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UNV assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. UNV Field Unit will help you open a Pak rupee bank account with Standard Chartered Bank or any other local bank at your duty station.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements