Overview
The role involves providing legal assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by mapping legal networks, establishing a network of lawyers and legal aid organizations, and convening meetings to improve legal assistance strategies.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct a comprehensive desk review and initial consultations with relevant UN entities, national legal actors, service providers.
- Identify and map lawyers and legal aid organizations in the targeted countries with the required knowledge and expertise, including demonstrated expertise in family law, who are willing to provide pro bono legal services.
- Establish a network of the lawyers and legal aid organizations identified.
- Convene a meeting of network members (lawyers and legal aid organizations) to exchange good practices and identify strategies for the resolution of paternity and child support claims, strengthen referral pathways and improve consistency in legal assistance provided to victims of SEA.
- Identify good practices on the provision of legal assistance to victims, which can be disseminated across the community of practice of field advocates, lawyers and legal aid organizations.
- Identify and establish contacts with national authorities and relevant UN entities in target countries (Liberia/Nigeria and CAR/Cameroon) coordination with SVROs, SVRPs and other UN entities.
- Establish a multi-stakeholder forum bringing together relevant national authorities and UN actors in the target countries to address legal and procedural barriers to the recognition of paternity for children born of SEA by UN staff and affiliate personnel.
- Perform other related duties as required to support the advancement of access to justice objectives under the OVRA mandate.
Required Experience
A minimum of five years of progressive experience in rule of law, including providing technical assistance to national authorities, is required. Demonstrated experience in supporting and advising national legal assistance providers and pro bono lawyers is required. Demonstrated experience in supporting and providing technical assistance to national authorities on resolving complex legal and procedural issues in criminal, administrative or family law is required. Familiarity with family law, and with issues relating to paternity and child support claims for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse is highly desirable. Experience across peacekeeping, humanitarian, and development contexts is an asset.
Qualifications
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in law. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
