Interim Senior Youth Advocacy Advisor

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Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

Role Purpose

This role will be split 50% for the UN team (Geneva and New York) and 50% for the Global Youth Ambassadors initiative. In line with its work under the Global Youth Ambassadors initiative, the UN Strategy has spelled out three overarching objectives under its Youth Advocacy, Activism and Participation:

• Change Agents: Girls and young women actively and independently engage with UN processes to advance their own agendas at national and global levels.
• Changing the UN: The UN system becomes more inclusive of and responsive to the voice of girls and young women.
• Changing policy: International policy on meaningful participation of young people is strong, progressive and inclusive.

Dimensions of the Role

The role will lead the UN Team’s youth participation strategy for Plan International, for both Geneva and NY-based activities. This includes providing oversight and strategic direction for the UN Team’s portfolio of work on youth participation, as well as carrying out advocacy activities on this topic. Specifically, this role is responsible for the “Changing the UN” objective under the UN Strategy’s youth participation priority.

T his includes strategising and engaging with stakeholders in both the Geneva and New York spaces to advocate for institutionalisation of youth participation within the UN system. Additionally, the role will lead on elements of the “Changing Policy” objective.

Furthermore, 50% of this role is responsible for the Global Youth Ambassadors initiativeproject management for the UN Team, including budget management. The role will work in close collaboration with the Policy & Strategic Partnerships (Youth) team to ensure greater integration and cohesion in advancing youth advocacy objectives.

Accountabilities

• Leads UN Team’s portfolio of work on youth participation/LEAD (as per the UN strategy) and strategises for maximum impact on this agenda.
• Develops and implements organisational approach to the UN Youth Office, ensuring strong relationships with them, and coordinating with key actors internally.
• Oversees UN team’s work to facilitate access with an explicit equity lens, for young people, especially girls and young women, (from Global Youth Ambassadors initiativeand other Plan countries and initiatives) to key decision-making spaces within the UN, including ensuring safeguarding standards are upheld, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Advocates to gain political support to institutionalise meaningful participation of girls and young women in UN decision-making processes in Geneva and New York (such as HRC, Third Committee, CSW, etc.), as well as human rights mechanisms.
• Ensures high level engagement and representation at the UN and with Permanent Missions on issues related to youth participation.
• Strengthens the enabling environment for girls’ and young women’s participation by influencing relevant policy processes/documents from international human rights bodies, including Human Rights Council, Special Procedures Mandates, etc., with gender- transformative, age-responsive and intersectional language, in order to promote and protect the civil and political rights of children and young people, particularly girls and young women.
• Advises UN Team with relation to youth participation in decision-making.
• Lead on safeguarding children and young people in Geneva and provide safeguarding support for events in New York in close liaison with Head of UN Representation and Senior Operations Officer, acting as the lead safeguarding focal point and managing safeguarding policies and procedures for youth participation at the UN
• Oversees production of high-quality research and other resources such as policy briefs and talking points on girls’ and young women’s participation for use in advocacy.
• Effectively manages the