Chief Child Protection (P4), Sarajevo, UNICEF B&H, #131401, Temporary Appointment, 364 days

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

 

For every child, protection

Why working for UNICEF video

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

In the 2021-2025 UNICEF Country Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina deinstitutionalization, ending violence against children and ensuring equitable access to justice for all children are at the core of the child protection component. The objective is that children, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from enhanced access to social welfare, care and justice systems to ensure their right to protection from violence, abuse and exploitation. A holistic approach is applied for the improvement of structures, functions, capacities, continuum of care, process of care, and accountability of the child protection system across the social welfare, care and justice sectors.

Since the beginning of 2018 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has faced in increase influx of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees after previously popular migration routes to Western Europe through the Balkans shut down in 2017.  The national system to protect unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in BiH - from identification and registration to referral and protective services – was initially overwhelmed, but the response is increasingly stable. Nevertheless, UASC and other children on the move are exposed to heightened protection risks, including incidences of (gender-based) violence, abuse, and exploitation (smuggling and human trafficking).

UNICEF supports the transition to government ownership through the development capacity building program of institutions' capacities and trainings on the topic of case management for cantonal ministries, centers for social welfare and legal guardians in the field. The trainings explore the potential to improve outcomes for children by strengthening the capacity of professionals to work with local populations and children on the move. Competencies related to case management are crucial in child protection and will be further developed with this training for application in practice.

UNICEF leads child protection coordination through active working groups at the local level and the BiH level. These coordination mechanisms ensured the exchange of updates, information and addressing key challenges.

The Chief Child Protection will have the responsibility of overseeing the migrant response and the transition process, offering guidance, direction and leadership to the CP and response team.

 

How can you make a difference? 

The Chief, Child Protection reports to the Deputy Representative for general guidance and direction. The Chief Child Protection is responsible for managing and supervising all stages of child protection programmes/projects from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable contributions to national and internation