Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights)

Job no: 595422
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Duty Station: Mogadishu
Level: NO-3
Location: Somalia
Categories: Child Protection

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF is part of the Joint Programme on Human Rights Programme, Phase III (JPHR III). The programme will be led and coordinated by the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development (MoFHRD), in partnership with Federal Member States (FMS) line ministries, civil society, and the National Independent Human Rights Commission (NIHRC). UNICEF, together with other UN entities, will provide technical assistance, capacity development, and monitoring support to help uphold international standards, facilitate cross-learning, and mobilize resources and partnerships. UNICEF will also support the integration of global best practices, digital innovation, and inclusive approaches, while strengthening national systems for sustainability. This post is fully dedicated to the JPHR III and is intended to strengthen the technical quality, coherence and sustainability of JPHR III implementation.

The Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme) is to be used in a Country Office (CO) where the JPHR III is a component of the Country Programme (or UNDAF). The Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme)s reports to the Chief, Child Protection, who is at Level 5. The position will be based in Mogadishu and will be responsible for supporting the implementation of the JPHR programme across the South West and Jubaland States, as well as the Banadir Region of Somalia.

The Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme)s report to the UNICEF Chief, Child Protection for general supervision and works under the day-to-day dual guidance of the International Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme) and Programme Manager for JPHR III implementation. The Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme)s provides dedicated human rights expertise, legal and policy advice, technical quality assurance, capacity development and substantive monitoring and reporting support across the JPHR III. The Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme) will also complement the work of the Programme Manager by ensuring that programme activities, workplans, partner support, monitoring and reporting are grounded in international human rights standards, child rights, gender equality, leave no one behind (LNOB) principles and do no harm approaches.

H/She facilitates the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable contributions to national and international efforts to promote and protect human rights, reinforce the capacity of national institutions with a human rights mandate, enhance visibility and amplify the voices of marginalized groups, international human rights treaties/frameworks and UN intergovernmental bodies. The two Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme)s are a dedicated JPHR III position and will work exclusively on the JPHR III to provide dedicated human rights expertise, technical quality assurance, legal and policy advice, and capacity development support for the implementation of JPHR III.

The two Child Protection Specialist (Human Rights Programme)s contribute to the achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

1. Technical and operational support to JPHR III implementation

• Provide technical guidance, legal advisory services and operational support to government counterparts in the Federal Government of Somalia and in the seven Federal Member States to strengthen and sustain human rights institutions and mechanisms.
• Provide strategic and technical guidance to the commissioners and staff of the Somali National Independent Human Rights Commission to discharge its human rights promotion and protection mandate.
• Provide expertise on human rights complaints handling, monitoring and reporting systems by national institutions.
• Provide technical assistance and strategic guidance to Government counterparts to enhance their cooperation with United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms, including in the context of the Universal Periodic Review and engagement with treaty bodies.
• Provide technical support to the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up (NMRF), the mechanism which manages how the government tracks, implements, and reports on human rights commitments and recommendations, and helps ensure follow-up across relevant institutions
• Provide technical support and capacity development to civil society organizations, particularly human rights defenders and organizations led by or representing marginalized groups and minority communities.
• Provide legal advisory services to Somali stakeholders, including analysis and legal research to enhance the alignment of envisaged legislations with Somalia’s international and regional human rights commitments.
• Participate in JPHR III meetings, including programme review and contingency planning discussions, to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.
• Contribute to policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials related to the implementation of the JPHR III for management use, information and/or consideration.
• Provide capacity building and human rights expertise to human rights defenders and civil society actors to enhance human rights awareness and promotion in Somalia, including through human rights clubs both at the federal and state levels.
• Provide substantive technical expertise and capacity building to memory institutions for the promotion and protection of cultural rights.

2. Technical monitoring, quality assurance and evidence for JPHR III results

• Provide technical inputs to JPHR III monitoring benchmarks, indicators and measurement tools to ensure they capture human rights standards, child rights, gender equality, disability inclusion, minority rights and LNOB commitments.
• Participate in programme reviews, field monitoring, technical assessments and annual reviews to assess the quality of human rights implementation and recommend corrective actions to the Programme Manager and relevant partners.

3. Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, allies, donors, and academia - through active networking, advocacy and effective communication - to build capacity, exchange knowledge and expertise in the field of human rights, and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results in human rights.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR for Child Protection (Human Rights) Specialist NO-C (TA)2.pdf

Minimum requirements:

1. Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Law,Political Science,Social Science,Development Studies, international relations, human rights, social science and any other related fields.
   A Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree)in a relevant area combined with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
2. Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, of which at least two years in support of projects promoting accountability, access to justice and/or human rights capacity building, is required.A minimum of three years of proven ability to build and maintain partnerships with civil society organizations in Somalia, including supporting the identification, development, and maintenance of partnerships to promote and protect human rights, is required.
3. Skills:
   Proven skills in drafting human rights reports are required. Knowledge of regional and international human rights mechanisms, including UN human rights mechanisms, is required.
   Proven skills to integrate a human rights-based approach, leave no one behind and gender into all areas of work, including planning and reporting, are required. Demonstrated knowledge of human rights monitoring, documentation, and analysis, including OHCHR’s methodologies, is required.
   Demonstrated skills in designing, delivering, and evaluating human rights capacity-building and training programmes for national and local authorities and institutions and other stakeholders, is required.
   Experience in providing technical assistance to national human rights institutions is required.
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4. Language Requirements: Fluency in both English and Somali is required.

Desirables:

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
2. Knowledge of Arabic is a strong asset.
3. Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 
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For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: 28 Aug 2026 E. Africa Standard Time
Deadline: 13 Sep 2026 E. Africa Standard Time