Adolescent Development & Participation Associate

Host entity: UNICEF

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Community development

Application deadline: 17/09/2026

Mission and objectives

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunised, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
Every child learns.
Every child is protected from violence and exploitation, and registered at birth.
Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Assignment context

This UNV assignment is part of UNICEF’s flagship programme on Adolescent Development and Participation and Generation Unlimited (GenU) - Pur Azm Pakistan. The initiative aims to strengthen learning-to-earning pathways for adolescents and young people by enhancing their access to skills development, education, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities. It promotes meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes and fosters partnerships that enable young people to become active contributors to social and economic development. The programme supports innovative solutions that address barriers faced by youth, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. Through collaboration with government, private sector, civil society, and youth-led organizations, it seeks to create an enabling environment for young people to thrive. The assignment contributes to advancing youth empowerment, civic engagement, and leadership opportunities at national and subnational levels. It also supports evidence-based programming and advocacy efforts to amplify young voices and priorities. Ultimately, the initiative aims to equip young people with the skills, opportunities, and platforms needed to realize their full potential and drive positive change in Pakistan.

Task description

Contribute to the implementation of the Generation Unlimited (GenU) Country Operating Plan (COP) and support the effective functioning of the GenU Secretariat, including coordination across relevant structures and partners.
- Support the launch of the National Adolescent and Youth Policy (NAYP) and contribute to the development of the joint roadmap, implementation framework and related policy follow-up actions.
- Support innovation challenges and youth-led initiatives, including but not limited to GreEnovate and the Policy Research Challenge, by assisting with coordination, documentation, partner engagement and follow-up with participating adolescents and young people.
- Support day-to-day coordination around GenU and ADAP work across sections, and related events, meetings, consultations and partner engagements.
- Assist in knowledge management for ADAP and Generation Unlimited, including documentation of good practices, updates, lessons learned and partner contributions for annual reporting, ADAP newsletters and other communication products.
- Assist in organizing and documenting meetings of key coordination platforms, including the UN Youth Working Group, Strategic Advisory Council (SAC), ADAP Working Group and other GenU-related networks, ensuring timely recording and follow-up of agreed actions.
- Support youth engagement and partnership by maintaining UNICEF alumni and youth network data, coordinating with young people and stakeholders, and helping keep youth networks connected, motivated and engaged in relevant ADAP and GenU opportunities.
- Participate in field monitoring visits to provinces and help track ADAP and GenU-related provincial interventions and progress against agreed priorities.
- Contribute to the establishment and smooth functioning of platforms for youth engagement mechanisms at the grassroots level.
- Undertake any other related tasks as required or assigned by the supervisor.

Skills and experience

• Strong coordination, partnership and follow-up skills, with the ability to work effectively across UNICEF sections, government counterparts, UN agencies, youth networks, private sector and other external partners.
• Good understanding of adolescent and youth programming, youth engagement, skills development, partnership platforms, policy implementation and grassroots participation mechanisms.
• Strong writing, editing, documentation and knowledge management skills, including preparing briefs, reports, meeting notes, action trackers, updates, lessons learned and communication materials.
• Ability to prepare professional PowerPoint presentations and communication products, including organizing content, developing clear messages, using appropriate visuals and ensuring consistency with UNICEF style and branding.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal and time management skills, including the ability to support meetings, events, consultations, innovation challenges and field visits; maintain accurate programme and network data; manage competing priorities; and meet deadlines.

Competencies and values

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

Living conditions

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.

Assignment remarks:
This is a national UNV assignment, and a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of PKR 131,371 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.