International Consultancy: Children’s Rights and Global Supply Chains in Sub Saharan Africa

Activities and Tasks:

In close coordination with the ESARO PPP team and the child rights and business global team (PG) the consultant will:

• Lead the integration of responsible business conduct and child rights due diligence components in existing donor grants and commitments on child rights and global supply chains. Among other activities, this includes providing technical support developing guidance, and dissemination of material on multisectoral approaches to addressing the root causes of child labour.
• Identify and advance engagement and partnership opportunities with public and private sector stakeholders including governments, investors, businesses, multi-stakeholder platforms, and industry-standard setters, where deemed relevant and strategic.
• Through the development of strategic advocacy materials, promote a child rights lens to human rights due diligence, and key messages on responsible business conduct to address root causes of child labour as part of relevant networks and initiatives.
• Lead on consolidating learnings from existing child rights and global supply chains work and pilots and related experiences, and shape narratives to strengthen CRB and programme integration. This includes further conceptualizing the role of business in relation to UNICEF programme agendas (e.g. systems strengthening, care and support) and external topics (e.g. HREDD, RBC, NAPs).
• Engage with relevant networks and platforms working on the issue of child labour in specific sectors (ILO, ITC, FAO, ICI, Alliance 8.7, child labour platform, responsible minerals initiative etc.)
• Drive content development, proposal writing and donor engagement (incl. follow-up) to support resource mobilization in support of child rights in global supply chains and programmatic work at CO-level. This requires working closely with relevant Natcom and HQ, ROs, and COs to develop tailored and targeted proposals, and engaging with relevant UNICEF parts before and during donor engagement.
• Facilitate internal coordination between programme and partnerships colleagues and support capacity building and knowledge exchange.
• Coordinate regular information exchange and experience sharing meetings with ROs and relevant COs and NatComs; respond to requests for technical support; and capture case studies of impactful UNICEF programming, partnerships and advocacy work and initiatives at country-level.

Desired competencies, technical background and experience

Education:

Advanced University degree in business, international development, human rights, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science, or another relevant field is required.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of work experience in one of the following areas is required: business and human rights, children’s rights and business, decent work, child labour, or related area.
• Experience on resource mobilization, partnerships and strategic donor engagement, both public and private sector stakeholders. Experience developing resource mobilization proposals and narratives is an asset.
• Experience working in the context of business responsibility in global supply chains will be highly valued. Experience in the African context is an asset.
• Experience working in an international environment on topics related to responsible business conduct, decent work, and related, will be highly valued.
• Strong research background and writing skills are required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.