Contract Duration - 29 Months
Working arrangement - Remote work, Child Protection Section, Belgrade, Serbia
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.
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
Thousands of children in the Republic of Serbia face the justice system every year, as offenders, victims, witnesses, or recipients of free legal aid. Despite legislative and policy development, challenges remain regarding the consistency in applying diversionary measures, using alternative sanctions, reintegrating children who in conflict with the law, protecting child victims and witnesses of crimes, and ensuring equitable access to quality and efficient legal aid to children.
Recognizing that access to justice is a fundamental human right, UNICEF, together with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, and with support from the European Union Delegation in Serbia, has launched a three-year Project “Promoting Children’s Access to Justice in the Republic of Serbia” (hereinafter: Project), co-funded by the EUD and the UNICEF, to address the mentioned and other challenges and strengthen a child-friendly justice system, to be able to work in the best interests of the child and safeguard children’s rights, ensure their meaningful participation, and provide equitable, supportive, and effective justice for all children in Serbia.
The Project contributes directly to Sustainable Development Goal 16 on just, peaceful, and inclusive societies, particularly Targets 16.3 (access to justice for all) and 16.2 (ending violence against children). At the national level, it supports Serbia’s EU accession process under Chapter 23 and is aligned with key frameworks, including the Judicial Development Strategy 2020–2025, the National Strategy for the Realization of the Rights of Victims and Witnesses of Criminal Offenses 2020–2025 (NSRRVWCO), and the Strategy on Prevention and Protection from Discrimination 2022–2030.
The project has four expected outcomes:
1. Improved performance of the courts/prosecutors’ offices and service providers in implementing diversionary measures, alternative sanctions and reintegration of children in conflict with the law.
2. Improved performance of the courts/prosecutors’ offices and service providers in relation to the rights of child victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings, as stipulated by the Juvenile Justice Law.
3. Strengthened system capacities for enabling free legal aid providers from local self-governments to provide child friendly legal aid for children.
4. Strengthened institutional capacities of Ministry of Justice to lead, coordinate, monitor and advance the justice for children’s agenda in line with international standards.
The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical support to UNICEF in advancing the protection of children’s rights by strengthening the implementation of access to justice for children reforms in Serbia, setting up conditions for an effective and enabling environment for child-centered approach, and promoting social inclusion through a range of national, regional and local level interventions.
If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: 
TMC0002426 External ToR.pdf
Minimum Qualification required:
Education
Advanced degree in law (Masters or higher), with specialization in child rights/justice for children
Work experience
At least 10 years of relevant experience in justice for children reform
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills
- Proven experience in institutional reform, including development of regulatory frameworks, by-laws and governance structures
- Advanced policy advisory, analytical, writing skills as evidenced through reports, publications produced
Language Requirements
Excellent knowledge of Serbian and English
Desirables
Experience/Knowledge/Expertise which will be considered an asset:
- Demonstrated experience in multidisciplinary approaches and coordinating child protection, social welfare and justice sector responses for J4C reform
- Experience working with ministries, judicial councils, working groups and inter-ministerial coordination bodies relevant for J4C reform
- Demonstrated experience applying international, EU and Council of Europe standards on child-friendly justice
- International experience in J4C reform within the broader region
For every Child, you demonstrate...
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UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
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.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):
Remarks:
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Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.