Child Rights Assistant

Host entity: UNICEF

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Community development, Communication, advocacy, public information, Human rights

Application deadline: 04/11/2026

Mission and objectives

UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.

Assignment context

In Zambia, UNICEF supports the Government and national institutions to strengthen child protection systems, improve access to justice for children, promote child participation and strengthen accountability for children's rights. UNICEF works closely with the Human Rights Commission, Government Ministries, cooperating partners, civil society organizations and children to strengthen monitoring, advocacy, reporting and oversight relating to children's rights.

UNICEF successfully advocated for the establishment of the Office of the Child Rights Commissioner and the Child Rights Unit within the Human Rights Commission as part of efforts to strengthen child safeguarding in Zambia. These institutions provide independent oversight for implementation of the Children’s Code Act, 2022, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and other international child rights obligations.

The Human Rights Commission of Zambia has a constitutional mandate to promote and protect human rights. The establishment of the Child Rights Unit presents an opportunity to strengthen independent child rights monitoring, accountability and oversight while supporting national efforts aimed at preventing and responding to violence against children. To strengthen the institutional capacity of the Child Rights Unit, UNICEF seeks to recruit a Child Rights Associate based at the Human Rights Commission, under the direct supervision of UNICEF’s Child Protection Section and with guidance from the Child Rights Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission.

The function of a Child Rights Associate will contribute to strengthening child rights governance through enhanced monitoring, reporting, coordination, evidence generation, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and institutional capacity development. The Child Rights Associate will work closely with the Child Rights Commissioner, Human Rights Commission staff, UNICEF programme teams, Government institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and children.

The Child Rights Associate will be based at the Human Rights Commission of Zambia in Lusaka and will work closely with UNICEF Zambia Country Office and national stakeholders. She/he may require travel for consultations, field monitoring, advocacy activities and engagement with children, communities and institutions outside Lusaka, subject to agreed workplans and applicable UNICEF procedures.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Zambia, and with guidance from the Child Rights Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission of Zambia, the Child Rights Associate will support the operationalization and strengthening of the Child Rights Unit within the Human Rights Commission of Zambia. The assignment will focus on programme coordination, institutional strengthening, child rights monitoring and reporting, research and evidence generation, advocacy, child participation, capacity development, partnerships and promotion of volunteerism in child rights programming.

The Child Rights Associate will provide technical, coordination and operational support to the Child Rights Commissioner and Human Rights Commission staff, while working closely with UNICEF, Government institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and children to strengthen national child rights accountability mechanisms.

The Child Rights Associate will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the Child Rights Commissioner and the Child Rights Unit Secretariat to operationalize their mandate, including implementation of the Child Rights Unit Annual Work Plan, preparation of workplans, tracking of priorities and follow-up on agreed actions.
• Provide day-to-day coordination support to the Office of the Child Rights Commissioner, including organizing meetings, consultations, technical working groups, stakeholder engagements and field missions with UNICEF, the Human Rights Commission, Government Ministries, civil society and development partners.
• Prepare briefing notes, meeting minutes, mission reports, correspondence, presentations and action trackers for the Child Rights Commissioner, and support follow-up with the National Coordinating Committee for Children and other relevant coordination platforms.
• Support the Commissioner’s oversight role by monitoring implementation of the Children’s Code Act, 2022, national child rights commitments, and recommendations from international and regional human rights mechanisms, including documenting progress, gaps and follow-up actions.
• Support the preparation of the State of Children’s Rights Report and other statutory or thematic reports by collecting, analysing and synthesizing information on child rights concerns, violations, trends, institutional responses and recommended actions.
• Support the strengthening of child-friendly complaints, referral and case-tracking mechanisms, including development of tools, standard operating procedures, data capture templates and referral pathways to improve access to remedy and accountability for children.
• Participate in research, legal and policy analysis on emerging child rights issues, including violence against children, child justice, child participation, birth registration, alternative care and access to services, and support evidence-based advice to the Child Rights Commissioner.
• Support institutional knowledge management by documenting promising practices, lessons learned, case studies and advocacy messages, and by developing technical briefs, presentations, information notes and knowledge products for use by the Commissioner and the Child Rights Unit.
• Support the Commissioner’s public education and advocacy mandate by developing child rights communication materials, coordinating campaigns and commemorative events, and contributing to outreach activities including the Day of the African Child and Universal Children’s Day.
• Facilitate meaningful child participation in the work of the Office of the Child Rights Commissioner by supporting child consultations, engagement with youth-led organizations, feedback mechanisms and safe participation approaches that reflect children’s views in monitoring, advocacy and reporting.
• Support capacity building for the Office of the Child Rights Commissioner and the Child Rights Unit by identifying training needs; developing training plans, modules, guides and tools; organizing and facilitating training for Human Rights Commission staff and partners; and disseminating child rights standards, guidelines and monitoring tools.
• Support partnerships and coordination between the Human Rights Commission, Government Ministries, UNICEF, development partners, civil society organizations and child-led or youth-led structures, including participation in national technical working groups and joint planning processes.
• Promote volunteerism, youth engagement, community participation, civic engagement and UNV visibility in child rights programming, including documenting volunteer contributions and supporting community-level awareness on children’s rights.

Skills and experience

• Demonstrated relevant professional experience in child protection, child rights, governance, legal reform, or human rights is required.
• Experience working with government institutions, human rights institutions, or development partners is desirable.
• Excellent analytical and policy analysis skills.
• Strong report writing, documentation, and knowledge management skills.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and follow-up actions.
• Ability to work independently and within multidisciplinary teams.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

Competencies and values

• Care, respect, integrity, trust, accountability and sustainability.
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness.
• Works collaboratively with others.
• Builds and maintains partnerships.
• Innovates and embraces change.
• Thinks and acts strategically.
• Drives results.
• Manages ambiguity and complexity.
• Commitment to volunteerism and UN values.

Living conditions

Zambia is a land-linked, resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the center of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods.

Lusaka is the capital of the Republic of Zambia. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold during few months, with freezing temperature at times especially during the night. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and other heating options when necessary. As the commercial and cultural center of Zambia, Lusaka has seen rapid development in recent decades, with reasonable transportation connections and widely spoken English making the city highly attractive to vacationers and experts alike. Unemployment and poverty are issues in the city, and beyond. Key industries for the region and Zambia as a whole, include mining, agriculture, and tourism. Like most Southern African cities, life in Lusaka will require some adjustments for a person moving from outside the region, but the potential rewards and opportunities for experiences are well worth the effort.

Lusaka hosts several international organization and embassies/diplomatic missions, therefore there is a very large community of expatriates from around the world. Housing is most of the time readily available and of good standard options are available. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture, and clothing, mostly imported from South Africa, Europe, and China while some ranges of local brands are available at a competitive price to imports. Meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced and abundantly available.

The basic infrastructures roads, utilities, and telecommunications are of reasonable standard, although the city experiences power outages from time to time. Medical facilities are still largely inadequate, although several private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Lusaka city limits. For more information, please visit http://zambiatourism.com

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