ABOUT THE CONSULTANCY
Amnesty International is looking for an advisor to support the development of the organization’s research and advocacy on children and armed conflict. The consultancy will sit within Amnesty’s Crisis Response Programme and also collaborate closely with the organization’s UN office in New York, and in particular with the Deputy Director for Advocacy.
The consultancy is expected to start in October 2020 and end in June 2021, with specific deliverables over that period. The working arrangements of the position are flexible. It will likely involve ten to fifteen working days per month, depending on the Consultant’s schedule and other commitments, as well as the needs of the position.
The Consultant is expected to play a critical role in the development of Amnesty’s work on children and armed conflict, specifically related to the UN. The consultant will also contribute to advocacy and strategy for research projects. Tasks include:

Desk research and remote interviewing as part of the development of a multi-year research, advocacy, and campaigning strategy on strengthening the UN’s children and armed conflict architecture and ensuring its independence and objectivity;
Drafting internal policy documents and/or public briefings on current shortcomings of the children and armed conflict architecture and how it can be strengthened to better protect children and to ensure accountability for violations against children;
Identifying advocacy targets on issues of children and armed conflict within the UN Secretariat and among member states, both generally and related to specific countries on which Amnesty is undertaking relevant research. Provide strategic advice on engaging those targets, including the timing of advocacy opportunities;
Engaging relevant advocacy targets about Amnesty research publications on children and armed conflict and undertaking meetings with UN and other relevant stakeholders, independently and jointly with other Amnesty staff;
Reviewing publications and participating in discussions related to the work of Amnesty’s Crisis Response Programme, to provide a children and armed conflict perspective;
Assisting in the development of a field research project in a particular conflict setting that includes a focus on examining the UN’s Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) and listing process as well as recommendations to strengthen that framework;
Working closely with partner organizations and coalitions on children and armed conflict, and
Supporting other aspects of the Crisis Response work, as needed.

KEY DELIVERABLES
·Contributing significantly to the development of a multi-year research, advocacy, and campaigning strategy for Amnesty’s work related to the UN children and armed conflict architecture;
A public briefing and/or internal guidance and policy papers on the shortcomings of the current UN children and armed conflict architecture and its implementation, and what’s needed to address the gaps to better document violations against children, hold perpetrators accountable, and better protect children from violations in the future; and
The development and implementation of strategic advocacy plans on recent and planned Crisis Response publications related to children and armed conflict, to maximize their reach and impact, including through direct advocacy with relevant stakeholders.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Experience investigating and/or conducting advocacy on violations against children in the context of armed conflict;
Excellent knowledge of the UN system and familiarity with other leading actors working on children and armed conflict;
Knowledge of international human rights and humanitarian law;
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills as well as experience in managing competing tasks and working as part of a team;
Experience working with partner organizations and as part of coalitions; and
Desirable experience includes: Experience working in the UN children and armed conflict architecture, for example as part of the MRM, and country-specific human rights or humanitarian experience on children’s rights.

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS
The consultant will report to the Crisis Response Programme’s Deputy Director of Thematic Issues, who is based in Washington, DC, and will work closely with other members of the Crisis Response team and with the advocacy team at the UN office in New York.
Work location is flexible and will likely be remote throughout the period of the contract.

How to Apply
To apply, please send an email with title “Advisor on Children and Armed Conflict” to Matt Wells at matthew.wells@amnesty.org, with:
A cover letter describing why you are interested in this role and your relevant experience;
A curriculum vitae (CV); and