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Background
Uzbekistan, a landlocked country in Central Asia, is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures—occurring at nearly twice the global average in the region—are contributing to more frequent and intense droughts, heatwaves, and water scarcity. These environmental stressors disproportionately affect children, who are among the most vulnerable to climate-related disruptions in health, education, nutrition, and access to clean water and sanitation.
According to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), nearly every child in Uzbekistan is exposed to at least one climate or environmental hazard. The country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commits to a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, yet recent assessments indicate that Uzbekistan’s NDC meets only 2 out of 4 criteria for child and youth sensitivity, placing it in Category B. This highlights a critical gap in addressing the specific needs and rights of children and young people in national climate policy.
UNICEF Uzbekistan has been actively working to integrate climate and environmental considerations into its programming. Initiatives such as the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), the Children’s Climate Risk Index - Disaster Risk Model (CCRI-DRM), and youth-led climate actions and climate advocacy programmes have laid the groundwork for more inclusive and child-sensitive climate action. However, the upcoming NDC 3.0 submission presents a strategic opportunity to institutionalize these efforts by embedding child-sensitive approaches into Uzbekistan’s national climate commitments.
The integration of child-sensitive strategies into the NDC is essential to ensure that climate policies not only mitigate environmental impacts but also protect and empower children. This includes recognizing children as rights-holders and stakeholders, incorporating child-sensitive indicators, and ensuring their participation in climate decision-making processes. Moreover, aligning the NDC with child-critical sectors such as education, health, WASH, and social protection will enhance the resilience of essential services and promote intergenerational equity.
Mainstreaming climate considerations and ensuring that climate and environmental policies—particularly Uzbekistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—are child-sensitive is a key priority for UNICEF Uzbekistan. The national consultant will play a pivotal role in supporting the integration of child-sensitive approaches into these national frameworks. This will involve conducting detailed reviews and analyses of Uzbekistan’s current NDCs, identifying opportunities to enhance child and youth sensitivity, and developing relevant indicators. The consultant will also facilitate stakeholder consultations to gather inputs and build consensus, and design and deliver capacity-building workshops for government counterparts and relevant stakeholders. These efforts will ensure that national institutions are equipped to implement, monitor, and sustain child-sensitive climate actions effectively.
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
The national consultant will lead efforts to ensure that Uzbekistan’s updated NDCs are child-sensitive, aligning with UNICEF’s global guidance and the NDC Toolkit for Children. Additionally, the consultant will support in modelling and analytical work related to National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), and NDCs.
Scope of Work:
Under the supervision of Emergency, Climate Change and DRR Officer and in collaboration with the Senior Climate Finance Consultant for Central Asia and UNICEF team, the national consultant will undertake the following activities:
- Conduct a comprehensive desk review of Uzbekistan’s current NDC and related climate policy documents, with a focus on identifying gaps in child and youth sensitivity.
- Support the application of the Child and Youth Sensitive NDC Toolkit to Uzbekistan’s NDC 3.0 development process, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s global guidance and regional priorities.
- Provide technical inputs to the international consultant on modeling of NAPs, BTRs, and NDCs, ensuring national data, priorities, and child-sensitive considerations are reflected.
- Facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations, including with government and UN agencies, youth organizations, adolescents and youth, academia, and civil society, to gather input on child-sensitive climate priorities and build consensus.
- Participate in the NDC3.0 Working Group, established by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change and UNDP, as an expert on empowerment of children rights
- Develop a set of child-sensitive indicators for monitoring and evaluating the integration of child-focused elements in the NDC 3.0, aligned with national data systems and international frameworks.
- Draft or contribute to sections of the NDC 3.0 that reflect child-sensitive commitments, in coordination with the NDC 3.0 drafting team and relevant ministries.
- Design and deliver capacity-building workshops and technical briefings for government stakeholders on child-sensitive climate policy, planning, and budgeting.
- Support the establishment and/or strengthening of sustainable youth engagement mechanisms (e.g., youth advisory boards, consultations) to ensure regular meaningful participation of children and young people in the NDC process.
- Contrbute to the development of advocacy materials, including briefs, case studies, and presentations, to promote the integration of child-sensitive approaches in national climate policy.
- Assist in mapping and engaging sectoral ministries (e.g., education, health, social protection, water) to ensure cross-sectoral alignment and formal submissions of child-focused proposals to the NDC drafting authority.
- Support the preparation and engagement of children and youth from Uzbekistan in the lead-up to COP30, including organizing preparatory sessions, developing briefing materials, and coordinating with national and international partners to ensure meaningful and informed participation
- Provide ongoing technical support to UNICEF and government partners throughout the NDC 3.0 drafting and submission process, including participation in technical working groups and inter-ministerial coordination platforms.
Work Assignments Overview - Deliverables/Outputs - Timeline
Conduct a desk review of Uzbekistan’s current NDC and related climate policy documents, identifying gaps in child and youth sensitivity.
1. Deliverable: Report with the findings and recommendations for enhancing child sensitivity in Uzbekistan’s NDC 3.0. - 30 June 2025 - 10 w/d
Apply the Child and Youth Sensitive NDC Toolkit to Uzbekistan’s NDC 3.0 process and provide technical inputs to the NDC3.0 Working Group, ensuring child-sensitive approaches are reflected in the modeling and analysis of the NDC, National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).
2. Deliverable: Toolkit Application & Technical Inputs – Development of an annotated application of the Child and Youth Sensitive NDC Toolkit tailored to Uzbekistan’s context, including technical notes supporting the integration of child-sensitive approaches into the NDC 3.0, National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) - 10 July 2025 - 10 w/d
Facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations with government, youth, and civil society to gather inputs and build consensus on child-sensitive climate priorities.
3. Deliverable: Stakeholder Consultation Report – Summary of consultations, participants, and key recommendations - 31 July 2025 - 20 w/d
Develop a set of child-sensitive indicators for monitoring and evaluating the integration of child-focused elements in the NDC.
4. Deliverable: Child-Sensitive Indicators Framework – Indicators and guidance note for the NDC 3.0. are developed - 15 August 2025 -15 w/d
Draft or contribute to sections of the NDC 3.0 that reflect child-sensitive commitments, in coordination with the NDC drafting team.
5. Deliverable: Draft NDC Contributions – Drafted or revised NDC sections with child-sensitive content - 25 August 2025 - 15 w/d
Design and deliver capacity-building workshops for government stakeholders on child-sensitive climate policy and planning.
6. Deliverable: Capacity Building Package – Training materials, agendas, media message and workshop report - 30 September 2025 - 20 w/d
Support the preparation and engagement of children and youth from Uzbekistan in the lead-up to COP30, including preparatory sessions and briefing materials.
7. Deliverable: COP30 Youth Engagement Plan – Materials and coordination report.
All young people included into the National Delegation to COP-30 are trained and prepared to take an active role in COP-30 events, including national and children and youth pavilions - 31 October 2025 - 20 w/d
Develop advocacy materials and case studies to promote child-sensitive climate action in Uzbekistan.
8. Deliverable: Advocacy and Documentation Package – Briefs, 2–3 case studies, and presentation materials - November– December 2025 - 15 w/d
Total: 125 w/d
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced university degree in a relevant field such as environmental science, climate change, education, public policy, social sciences, international development, data science, or any other related field. Equivalent professional experience in lieu of an advanced degree may also be considered.
- Minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience in climate change policy, environmental governance, or sustainable development.
- Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, stakeholder and youth engagement, and climate-related programming, particularly in the context of national climate strategies such as NDCs, NAPs, or BTRs.
- Proven ability to work with young people and government institutions, including ministries of environment, education, health, or social protection, and familiarity with Uzbekistan’s institutional landscape and climate governance structures.
- Experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations, including with youth groups, civil society, and development partners.
- Strong understanding of child rights and social sector programming (education, health, WASH, social protection) in Uzbekistan is a strong asset.
- Experience in capacity building, training design, content creation, and delivery for government or civil society stakeholders.
- Familiarity with UNICEF’s programming approach and tools such as the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), or the Child and Youth Sensitive NDC Toolkit is desirable.
- Proficient knowledge English and Russian are required.
- Knowledge of Uzbek is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
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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:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
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.