UNICEF Pacific Internship- Pacific Project Officer, Suva, Fiji, 3 months

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. 

 For every child, protection.

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work in the link provided here www.unicef.org/pacificislands    

How can you make a difference? 

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist, the individual will:

• Lead and support synthesis of research findings into the existing child protection program and organize consultations with government representatives, Child protection working groups and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support the mapping of current institutional response capacities in the area of children left behind the development of partnership agreements and small-scale funding with both INGOs and NGOs and provide required technical support to partners in implementing agreed activities, and the mechanisms for monitoring and reporting.
• Support project start up for family violence programs in the North Pacific as required including planning and coordination aspects.
• Support project start up including coordination on parenting programs in the Pacific
• Any other related tasks as required by the Supervisor.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. degree programme or have graduated within the past two years.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Be proficient in at least one of UNICEF’s working languages: English, French or Spanish. Fluency in the working language of the office you are applying to is required.
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and
• Have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to.
• Individuals must demonstrate excellent academic performance through recent university or institution records.
• Experience in social work, family violence or migration/ mobility will be highly regarded.

Contract Duration & Terms:

• This contract is for an initial 3-month duration.
• Full-time working schedule: 40 hours per week
• Intern is expected to be in the office when needed for specific activities.
• The anticipated start date of this internship is June 2024.
• This full-time internship is paid with a stipend of net US$622.00 per month
• Individuals must fund their travel and living expenses.
• Individuals must have proof of medical insurance covering their time at the duty station.
• Individuals are personally responsible for obtaining any required visa or residence permit, covering the entire period of their internship.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA). 

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 and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for personnel with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

 Remarks:  

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

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 selected candidates 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 contracts.