Job description
Following the publication of Graça Machel’s report in 1996 entitled “Impact of Armed Conflict on Children”, the Secretary-General created the position of Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to act a chief advocate for the protection, rights and welfare of children affected by conflict. The Mission of the SRSG is “to promote and protect the rights of all children affected by armed conflict”.
As Associate Political Affairs Officer you support the Children and Armed Conflict section by providing the following:
- Contribute foremost to the coordination and preparation of the annual report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict to the Security Council, with the constant support of the line manager.
- Monitoring and reporting on the situation of children affected by armed conflict in assigned countries, including liaising with the country task-force and partners, drafting country reports, GHNs and notes, and following the situations.
- Mainstream CAAC in relation to assigned countries at inter-agency meetings at Headquarters and with partners (UNICEF, DPO and DPPA).
- Support the Office’s work and engagement with Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, its Member States, as well as relevant Permanent Missions in New York and other UN bodies (Human Rights Council, etc.), non-governmental organizations, academia, etc., including through official visits.
- The JPO will maintain a close contact with the Swiss Mission in NYC as well as the Humanitarian Diplomacy Section in Bern.
- Etc.
Part of the Swiss JPO Programme, this position is sponsored by the The Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) of the FDFA.
Please find the full job description here:
More information
More details
Working hours (%): 80-100%
Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Duration: 1-2 year assignment (1 year renewable fixed-term contracts)
Education level: Master’s degree
Macro-area: North America
Level of experience: Professional, 3 to 5 years
Area of work: Democracy, Governance, Human Rights, Law, Public Administration
Area of work: Political Affairs, Conflict and Peacekeeping
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations
Skills required
For the Swiss JPO programme:
- Swiss nationality
- Not older than 32 years at the date of the first round of interviews
- Fluency in English and a second UN language
- Master’s degree
- Two Swiss national languages
- Driving license
For this position:
- Master’s degree in political science, international humanitarian/human rights law, or other related social science degree
- 3 years of professional experience in development issues, humanitarian activities, and/or child protection with governments, international organizations, NGOs, or research institutions. OSRSG counts internships at 50% regardless of whether paid or not
- Experience in the field with the UN or other relevant intergovernmental or non-governmental organizations
- Fluency in English and French
- Knowledge of any other official UN language: Arabic and/or Spanish (both oral and written) is an advantage
Please find more details in the full job description.
We are committed to gender balance and encourage applications from qualified individuals of all genders. We are particularly interested in increasing the number of male applicants for the JPO programme as we value diversity and different perspectives. We also welcome applications from people with different gender identities and from people with different backgrounds, including sexual orientation, disability, cultural or religious background. We value an inclusive working environment that promotes equal opportunities and a non-discriminatory culture.
Important details regarding your application
Make sure your profile on cinfoPoste is complete and up to date:
- Motivation letter in English (not more than 3500 characters, to be inserted in the pop-up window when you click on “apply”)
- CV in English
- P11 form duly completed and uploaded under the section “documents”. Note that we will base our evaluation and calculation of your relevant experience on the P11.
- A copy of your driving license
- Work certificates, diplomas and university credentials (as PDF) uploaded under the section “documents”
Application deadline: 7th August 2023
First round of interviews: 30th August 2023 online
Start date: Please be aware that the recruitment process may take 3 to 6 months. You are expected to start your assignment within 3 months following notification of selection.
Any questions? Contact Sandrina Grangier, cinfo’s Recruitment Specialist, recruitment@cinfo.ch