UNICEF WCARO
TERMES OF REFERENCE
Position Title : Regional MRM Specialist (Monitoring and Reporting
Mechanism)
Contract Type : Temporary Appointment (TA)
Duty Station: WCARO Dakar - Senegal
Job Level: P4
Duration: 6 Months
Application Close: 10 August 2013
1. Background
Since 1999, the UN Security Council has adopted nine resolutions to improve the protection of children in situations of
armed conflict, including Resolutions 1261, 1314, 1379, 1460, 1539, 1612, 1882, 1998, and 2068. Resolution 1612 created
a monitoring and reporting mechanism (MRM) to collect timely and reliable information on six grave violations
committed against children in situations of armed conflict, including recruitment or use of children by armed forces or
groups, killing or maiming of children, abduction of children, rape or other forms of sexual violence committed against
children, attacks against schools or hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access to children. Today, the MRM is an
important tool for holding perpetrators accountable and for providing appropriate responses to protect and assist children
who are victims of grave violations.
The MRM is established in countries where parties to conflict are listed in the UN Secretary-General’s annual reports on
children and armed conflict for recruitment or use of children, killing or maiming of children, rape or other forms of
sexual violence against children, and attacks against schools or hospitals. The MRM is implemented through UN-led task
forces comprised of UN agencies, and sometimes NGOs, which collect and verify information on the six grave violations.
UNICEF is mandated by the UN Security Council to co-lead the MRM,1 and UNICEF’s Child Protection Policy calls for
it to “continue active participation in conflict-related mechanisms such as the monitoring and reporting mechanism under
Security Council resolution 1612”.2 To date, the UN has established the MRM in 13 countries, including six countries in
Africa: CAR, Chad, DRC, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
In 2013, Mali will become the fourth MRM country in WCAR along with CAR, Chad, and DRC. When established, the
MRM in Mali will operate with a regional approach affecting Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger, as there may be
victims of the six grave violations living in refugee camps and among host communities in these neighboring countries.
While Cote d’Ivoire is no longer officially an MRM country, the UN Country Team there is nonetheless still monitoring
and reporting on the six grave violations as Cote d’Ivoire remains a situation of concern on the UN Security Council
agenda. Information is also currently collected on six grave violations committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in
CAR, DRC, and South Sudan. Finally, according to the office of the SRSG CAAC, in 2014 Nigeria will become the fifth
MRM country in WCAR because of violations committed by the armed group “Boko Haram”.
2. Purpose of the Position
UNICEF COs in MRM countries in WCAR are currently facing serious challenges in the implementation of the
mechanism due to renewed conflict, violations of commitments made to end the recruitment or use of children, and lack of
specialized MRM staff within child protection teams. These challenges include the following country-specific situations:
1) CAR: The March 2013 coup d’état in CAR resulted in the temporary relocation of non-essential staff to Cameroon,
thereby stalling the collection and verification of MRM-related information. In addition, two armed groups in CAR
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2
Articles 82 and 83, Secretary-General’s Report on Children and Armed Conflict, 9 February 2005.
Art. 41, UNICEF Child Protection Strategy, 20 May 2008.
involved in the coup d’état are now in violation of Action Plans signed in 2011 to end the recruitment or use of
children, and the coalition of armed groups known as “Seleka” which is now in power after overthrowing President
Bozize has perpetrated grave violations against children, including widespread recruitment or use, killing or maiming,
and rape or other forms of sexual violence. In addition, the UNICEF CAR CO has new child protection staff and very
little MRM capacity. This situation will require ongoing MRM technical support.
2) Chad: The Chadian Army is in violation of an Action Plan signed in 2011 to end the recruitment or use of
children. The Government of Chad has come under considerable political pressure to correct the situation in light
of the deployment of Chadian troops to fight insurgent groups in Mali. A joint mission to Chad in May 2013 by
the SRSG CAAC and UNICEF HQ/RO resulted in agreements with the Chadian Government to fast track the
implementation of the Action Plan in order to be in compliance with its obligations. These efforts will require
ongoing MRM technical support of the UNICEF CO as new MRM/DDR staff is recruited.
3) Cote d’Ivoire: The UNICEF CO in Cote d’Ivoire will require MRM technical support given the countrywide
clashes which began in April 2013 and have continued to deteriorate, and reports of continued grave violations
committed against children.
4) Mali: The UN Country team in Mali will be obligated to establish an MRM after the publication of the UN
Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict in June 2013, which is expected to list several
armed groups in Mali as perpetrators of grave violations committed against children. The MRM in Mali will be
modeled on the recently-established MRM for Syria and affected countries. UNICEF COs in Mali, Burkina Faso,
Mauritania and Niger will need to recruit and train MRM staff in advance of the implementation of the MRM in
Mali, and will require ongoing MRM training and technical support given the complexity of the regional approach.
For these reasons, WCARO has identified an urgent need to hire a Regional MRM Specialist to directly support and assist
eight COs in their implementation of the MRM through capacity-building and ongoing technical support. The eight COs
include CAR, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Niger. UNICEF’s mandated role as co-lead
of the MRM and its commitments to protect and assist children in situations of armed conflict make it imperative that
WCARO support the implementation of the MRM in the region.
3. Major Duties/Responsibilities
 Provide strategic guidance on the implementation of the MRM in the affected countries in the region.
 Build MRM capacity of UNICEF staff and existing UN Country Task Forces, as well as the new ones to be
established in the region in 2013 and 2014.
 Review work plans for all UN Country Task Forces in the affected countries in the region, including the new ones
to be established in 2013 and 2014.
 Follow-up on partnerships with key organizations such as DPKO, OHCHR, and UNHCR.
 Build capacity on the collection and verification of MRM information.
 Build capacity on the quality of MRM reporting requirements, including for the UN Secretary-General’s annual
reports on children and armed conflict, country-specific reports on children and armed conflict, and the Global
Horizontal Notes (GHN).
 Advise on the establishment of country-specific MRM information management systems (MRM IMS) and
interface with other existing information management systems (CP IMS, GBV IMS).
 Follow-up on dialogue with governments and armed forces or groups for the signing of new Action Plans.
 Conduct ongoing review of operational frameworks for the implementation of existing Action Plans.
 Assist in fundraising for the implementation of Action Plans.
 Develop country-specific and regional MRM advocacy strategies.
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 Promote partnership between the new MRM teams that will be created in the region 2013 and 2014, the Child
Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) and Emergency (EMOPS) teams both at RO and HQ, and the Office of the
SRSG CAAC.
 Ensure that the MRM is integrated into UNICEF’s child protection programming in the affected countries in the
region, including into UNICEF donor proposals and reports.
 Ensure that the MRM is mainstreamed into the broader work of relevant humanitarian clusters in the affected
countries in the region, including the education, health and protection clusters, and the child protection and GBV
sub-clusters.
 Provide other types of CPiE support if needed.
4. Qualifications of Successful Candidate
1) Education

Advanced university degree, preferably in the social sciences, political science, law or other relevant field.
2) Work Experience and Requirements

Minimum eight years of professional work experience at national and international levels in the field of human
rights and the protection of children is situations of armed conflict.

Strong background/familiarity with Security Council Resolutions on Children and Armed Conflict, the
Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism established by Security Council Resolution 1612, and UNICEF’s mandate
on child protection.

Background/familiarity with the humanitarian cluster system.

Ability and willingness to travel to MRM countries in the region for at least 30% of the duration of the
assignment.
5. Competencies of Successful Candidate
Critical Competencies :
 Core Values (Required): Commitment, Diversity and Inclusion, Integrity
 Core Competencies (Required): Communication, Drive for Results, Working with People
 Functional Competencies (Required): Analyzing, Applying Technical Expertise, Deciding and Initiating Action,
Formulating Strategies and Concepts, Leading and Supervising, Relating and Networking.
Languages:
 Fluency in both English and French is required.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you are qualified and interested in the position and meet the requirements, please forward your application with updated curriculum
vitae and UN Personal History Form (available at www.unicef.org/employ)), with “the title of the position as the subject’’, via email
to mdiene@unicef.org and wcarohr@unicef.org by 10 August 2013.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all
national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.
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