Current vacancies

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

Scope of Work:

Work with the legal expert to finalise the revision of the Family Code in line with CEDAW ensuring that there are no elements from the Child Code included in it and all provisions on children are in line with the UN Child Rights Convention (UNCRC).

Provide technical support to the amendment of the 2012 Child Code to ensure it strengthens the child protection system including through a gender lens and aligns with the UNCRC.

Provide technical and capacity building support to the central level child protection department to:

• Review and upgrade Laws and Regulations on Social Services and Social Workers
• Based on findings of the Mapping of child protection system, develop a long-term vision of the enhancement of the child protection system
• Roll out training for new child protection social workers including through monitoring and follow up after training and ensuring they are all included on the mentoring platform already developed
• Work with Bishkek Humanities University to integrate all newly developed in-service training courses for child protection social workers as part of continuing professional development and include university staff into the team of Master Trainers to roll out the trainings.
• Strengthen regular administrative data collection as the digital case management database remains partially or not functional – on children in institutions, open case files and types of cases, closed case files to ensure regular picture of child protection for planning and reporting purposes 
• implement VAC pledges in a timely manner, in collaboration with MOH, MOES, MOIA, MOJ, CSOs, UN agencies. This includes amending the existing Child Code to ban corporal punishment, advocacy with key stakeholders (Parliament, Presidential Administration etc) to approve amended provisions, develop an multisectoral action plan to address VAC – prioritizing the Kyrgyz Government’s VAC pledges, coordinate and implement a nationwide comms plan and actions to provide parents with positive discipline techniques, develop improved parenting support mechanisms through child protection social workers,
• Develop 1- 2 new training packages based on existing materials but contextualized from amongst the following. 1) Laws and regulations governing work of child protection social workers; 2)  VAC (includes gender aspects including SBC); 3) family support (includes gender aspects including SBC). Training should include reference to the particular vulnerabilities of children with disability, domestic violence and humanitarian contexts (conflict, climate change, repatriation).

Operationalize the new amendments to the Child Code. This may include advocacy to increase the number of child protection social workers and support to analyse financing for child protection social workers; draft competency framework for social service workforce, plan interventions to effectively utilise existing (and where necessary increase the number of) foster carers and monitoring of them.

Work under the supervision of Chief Child Protection and Social Policy from April – December 2025, 9 months

Tentatively 3 local travels within regions of Kyrgyzstan are planned. 3 trips 4 days each over the contract are planned.

Deliverable 1 end June 2025– 30%

Deliverable 2 end September 2025– 40%

Deliverable 3 end December 2025 -30%

More information on deliverables is here  ToR CP.docx and attach the fin proposal  fin offer CP.xlsx

Qualification Requirements:

• Master's degree Social work, psychology, education, Law
• 5 years proven experience working in child protection, ideally in collaboration with MLSWM
• Experience supporting capacity building of frontline government staff; developing and rolling out training in child protection and mentoring of trainees
• Experience supporting development and roll out of child protection related strategies and action plans, monitoring framework
• Proven skills in influencing, advocating and promoting action by government on sensitive topics such as violence
• Good writing and presentation skills (5 points) English and Russian are a requirement. Kyrgyz is an asset;

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.