Short Term Expert - Support to the activities of the working group on children's rights and business - African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) (M/W)

Submission of Applications

Deadline for application : 24/02/2023 23:59

 

https://www.expertisefrance.fr/en/web/guest/on-recrute#page-8977---1---short-term-expert-h-f-children-and-business---en_US?

Application

Expertise France and the ACERWC invite eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the consultancy services. Interested candidates must provide information demonstrating that they have required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

The application document should consist of the following:

  • A cover letter summarizing the background of the applicant and with names and contacts of three references;
  • A Customized Curriculum Vitae not exceeding 3 pages;
  • A Technical Proposal on:
    • Understanding and interpretation of the TOR;
    • Work plan and
    • Time and activity schedule
  • A Financial proposal on:
    • Consultant’s daily rate in US$.
  • Evidence of educational background and professional experience
Opportunity Type
Closing Date
Description

Mission description

Business has become one of the evolving thematic areas with significant implications on the rights and welfare of children on the continent. This is mainly the result of continued growth of trade, manufacturing and investment in Africa. There are various aspects of business that present negative implications on children’s rights and welfare.  These inlclude, the lack of employment conditions within business enterprises which assist working parents and caregivers in fulfilling their responsibilities to children in their care; the challenges of economic exploitation and hazardous work conditions for children; lack of functioning labour inspection and enforcement systems in most African States; limited measures taken by States to promote the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of children who have experienced various forms of violence, neglect, exploitation, or abuse including economic exploitation; lack of strict process of due diligence and an effective monitoring system; and the difficulties in obtaining remedy for abuses that occur in the context of transnational business operations.

To guarantee protection of the rights of children in the realm of business it is important to ensure that States have adequate legal and institutional frameworks to respect, protect and fulfill children’s rights, and to provide remedies in case of violations in the context of business activities and operations. Moreover, all business have responsibilities in respecting and supporting children’s rights, putting in place appropriate policy commitment and due diligence process to addressing potential and actual impacts on children’s rights and welfare. The responsibilities of States and business actors should be guided by the rights outlined by the African Children’s Charter, and other international instruments, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, and Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour.

Cognizant of the above-mentioned issues and the need for a child rights -based response to the challenges in business practices, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child decided to establish a Working Group on Children’s Rights and Business during its 35th Ordinary Session, held virtually from 31 August to 08 September 2020. The aim of the Working Group is to promote the integration of a child rights-based approach to business practices with a view to addressing business-related child rights challenges in Africa. The Working Group is composed of four Members of the ACERWC and four external experts.

Since its establishment, the Working Group has carried out a number of activities such as conducting a continental study on children’s rights and business which is ongoing through the support of Expertise France. The Working Group has also undertaken other activities to guide States on the measures that should be undertaken to ensure child protection in business including the passing of a resolution on the promotion and protection of children’s rights in the digital sphere, issuance of a statement on the World Day against Child Labor, and development of a draft ToR on child rights due diligence in the agricultural sector in Africa. Further, some members of the Working Group have attended some events on human rights and business which include the Africa Business and Human Rights Forum (Ghana), International workshop on enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and Regional Mechanisms for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (Geneva), and the Dialogue on National Action Plans on business and human rights in Southern Africa (Mozambique). Since its establishment, the Working Group has conducted three meetings and as per its SOPs, it holds two meetings every year before the Session of the ACERWC.  Whilst noting progress, there are some activities of the Working Group that need to be further implemented, in line with the Working Group’s mandate.

In this regard, the ACERWC through the support of Expertise France would like to hire a qualified individual consultant to assist the undertakings of the Working Group on Children’s Rights and Business in Africa.

Project or context description

Objectives of the technical assistance mission

The main objectives of the short-term mission include:

  • Supporting the mandate of the Working Group to deliver its tasks
  • Increase the visibility of the Working Group
  • Popularising the Study on Children’s Rights and Business in Africa
  • Ensure that the undertakings of the Working Group are compiled and shared with stakeholders through timely reporting to increase collaboration and pave the way for resource mobilization

Main Deliverables

The individual consultant will be tasked to support the activities of the Working Group on Children's Rights and business as contained in the Resolution for the establishment of the Working Group. Specifically, the consultant will be undertaking the following activities:

  1. Develop a dissemination strategy for the continental study on children’s rights and business
  2. Coordinate and facilitate a workshop (subject to availability of funds) aimed at popularizing the findings of the continental study
  3. Draft a policy brief and an implementation matrix based on the findings of the continental study
  4. Draft a resolution or statement on an identified peculiar issue from the findings of the continental study on children’s rights and business in Africa
  5. Support the mandate of the Working Group to develop guidelines on child rights due diligence in the agricultural sector in Africa based on the draft ToR that has already been prepared by the Working Group
  6. Draft statements or coordinate any other activities on days marked for commemorating children’s issues in the context of business e.g. Safer Internet Day (7 February 2023) and the World Day against Child Labor (12 June 2023)
  7. Organize the pre-session meeting of the Working Group during the ACERWC 41st Ordinary Session
  8. Produce comprehensive reports on all the activities of the Working Group

Required profile

The Consultant who will be recruited for this task must have the following qualifications and experience;

The Consultant(s) should have:

  1. Advanced university degree in law, human rights, children’s rights/welfare, or other related disciplines;
  2. A minimum of five years working experience in the area of children’s rights at least one of which is in relation to children’s rights and business or in general human rights and business in the African context;
  3. Demonstrated knowledge of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the work of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;
  4. Demonstrated knowledge on international and national standards and response mechanisms on issues of children’s rights and business;
  5. Work experience in the AU, UN, or other international organizations, especially in treaty body mechanisms;
  6. Excellent analytical skills, using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Additional information

  1. Dates and location of the technical assistance mission

The Consultancy based in Maseru, Lesotho for a duration of 30 payable working days. The distribution and utilization of the 30 working days will be determined through an agreement between the Consultant, the ACERWC and Expertise France.

  1. Reporting Lines

The consultant will work under the direct supervision and guidance of the Executive Secretary of ACERWC.

  1. Application

Expertise France and the ACERWC invite eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the consultancy services. Interested candidates must provide information demonstrating that they have required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

The application document should consist of the following:

  • A cover letter summarizing the background of the applicant and with names and contacts of three references;
  • A Customized Curriculum Vitae not exceeding 3 pages;
  • A Technical Proposal on:
    • Understanding and interpretation of the TOR;
    • Work plan and
    • Time and activity schedule
  • A Financial proposal on:
    • Consultant’s daily rate in US$.
  • Evidence of educational background and professional experience

Selection criteria for applications

The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :

  • Candidate’s training/skills/experience
  • Candidate’s training/diplomas related to the expert assignment
  • Candidate’s skills linked with the expert mission
  • Candidate’s experiences linked with the expert mission