Child Labour Specialist - Food and Agriculture Organization

The Regional Office for Africa (FAORAF) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO’s strategic response to regional priorities. FAORAF contributes to FAO’s strategic objective on reducing rural poverty primarily through three Regional Initiatives. Its programmes and policy guidance focus on addressing and improving the many different factors that contribute to poverty.

Worldwide and in Africa, most of child labour is found in agriculture. The sector hosts 85% out of 72 million child labourers on the continent. Child labour perpetuates a cycle of poverty for the children involved, their families and communities. Without education, these boys and girls are likely to remain poor. The prevalence of child labour in agriculture violates the principles of decent work.

By perpetuating poverty, it undermines efforts to reach sustainable food security and end hunger. 2021 has been declared the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, and child labour is monitored in the 2030 Agenda through indicator SDG 8.7. FAO contributes to accelerate these important efforts by giving voice and building commitment among agricultural stakeholders and increasing the visibility of ongoing accomplishments and achievements.

Reporting Lines

The child labour specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Regional Programme Leader for Africa, and the technical supervision of the Programme Officer on Child Labour in Agriculture, based in the Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equity Division (ESP). The Child Labour Expert in the regional office of FAO for Africa (RAF) will contribute to the regional component of the FMM-funded project titled ’Generational gaps and Eliminating child labour in agriculture ’ (FMM.GLO.137.MUL). S/he will contribute to RAF’s emerging area of work on decent employment in agrifood systems.

Technical Focus

Support to FAO’s regional work on child labour elimination in agriculture.

Tasks and responsibilities

S/he will work in close collaboration with the technical team in FAO HQ and RAF Programme Leaders/Unit Heads, and will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Contribute to regional and national processes in relation to the observance of the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour including: i) Provide technical and organizational support to the preparation of FAO’s regional Conference (in-person or virtual event), including the preparation of related background and outcome documentation; ii) Support relevant FAO Country Offices in gathering inputs from agriculture stakeholders that will feed into the regional conference;
• Supervise the elaboration of a compendium or other similar output on “10 years of FMM supported good practices on child labour elimination in agriculture in Africa”.
• Carry out regional capacity development programmes, drawing from the FAO-ILO e-learning course (FAO elearning Academy) Ending Child Labour in Agriculture for government representatives and agricultural stakeholders on addressing the root causes of child labour in agriculture;
• Support the production and dissemination of communication outputs (Video in Uganda, Podcasts) in collaboration with the programme support consultant based in RAF and ESP/HQ as part of the global strategy for the visibility of FAO’s contribution to the International Year;
• Contribute to regional policy processes (i.e. ECOWAS, African Union) and facilitate collaboration between FAO and ILO at regional level on child labour elimination in agriculture, including exploring opportunities for contributing to the ILO regional consultation for Africa in the lead to the 2022 V Global Conference on Child Labour in South Africa;
• Mainstream child labour activities in agriculture into FAO’s regional activities and plans and strengthen country initiatives in coordination with the UNCT (United Nations Country Team), paying specific attention to Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder countries;
• Develop a strategy for disseminating good practices and replicating activities/experiences in preventing and eliminating child labour in agriculture in Africa, particularly among Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder countries, FIRST programme countries and other agrifood systems/rural areas where agricultural activities provide the major livelihood opportunities;
• Support the engagement of FAO-Cote d’Ivoire and FAO-Ghana in the framework of EU’s Dialogue on Sustainable Cocoa;
• Foster partnerships, advocacy work and resource mobilization efforts at country and regional level, including support to FAO Country Offices in engaging with EU Delegations in EU-FAO joint programming;
• Support FAO/RAF’s work in promoting decent rural employment and reducing rural poverty;
• Perform other tasks as needed to support the work on ending child labour in agriculture in the region.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in rural development, political or social sciences, law, agriculture or other related field.
• At least 5 years for Level B and at least 2 years for Level C of relevant experience in policy assistance and programme development in the field of rural development and/or poverty reduction and/or rural employment, with experience related to child labour.
• For consultants: Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of French. Working knowledge of French is an asset.
• For PSA: Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Selection Criteria

• Extent of knowledge and experience in policy support and technical assistance as well as programme/project development in the field of child labour prevention/reduction in agriculture.
• Level of knowledge and experience in concepts and methodologies related to child labour in agriculture.
• Extent of experience in advocacy, policy support, capacity development and technical assistance related to child labour in agriculture.
• Experience in working in multidisciplinary and multi-cultural teams.
• Working proficiency in French will be an added advantage.