UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace, and security. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the centre of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic, and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organisations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace, and Security.

UN Women is committed to continue to provide life-saving services for survivors, in coordination and collaboration with development and humanitarian partners. UN Women works through partnerships at national and provincial levels, in addition to investing directly in community-based service delivery at district levels. The works focuses on strengthening capacities, building peer networks and structures at national and provincial levels to ensure a home-grown approach that can be sustained over time. 

Based on dialogues with national and provincial de-facto authorities, there is a shared recognition of the need for such services, and with an openness to approve the provision of services for women by women to respond to the pressing and critical needs of women and girls, including urgent humanitarian and social and economic empowerment needs.

Objective

UN Women Afghanistan is looking for an International Consultant on a Retainer Contract to support the EVAW unit in Research, Programme Design and Capacity Building for Ending Violence Against Women Prevention and Response, and to provide support for the effective implementation of UN Women EVAW programmes across target provinces in Afghanistan and the delivery of results in accordance with an agreed work plan.

The International Consultant will provide technical EVAW advice and strategic inputs by developing models for integrating prevention into current multi-donor response programmes of UN Women Afghanistan, developing a partner engagement strategy, and developing an EVAW programme design.  Under the supervision of the EVAW Programme Manager, the consultant will work in close collaboration with UN Women programme team and provincial coordinators, project staff, implementing partners, other UN agencies, and civil society stakeholders to coordinate a pool of international and national consultants ensuring a high quality of evidence-based VAW prevention and response strategies and knowledge products, and in ensuring successful EVAWG programme implementation.

UNDP Bhutan supports the Royal Government, CSOs, Private Sector, other development partners and the people of Bhutan in pursuit of equitable, inclusive and sustainable development. Bhutan will be graduating from the Least Developed Countries status by 2023 and with the transition into the new era of lower middle-income country, the developmental challenges faced by the country will become more complex, which could compromise the achievements made thus far. UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 embraces the complexity of development and commits the organization to helping countries find faster, more durable solutions to achieve Agenda 2030. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and inequality pose significant challenges on our path to achieve the 2030 agenda of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The challenges faced by the Country in the 21st century is different from the ones experienced in the past, it has become highly complex and interdependent, which requires a shift from a linear, single bullet approach to a more holistic approach in Systems Thinking /Design.

To support government in addressing complex 21st century issues/challenges, UNDP Bhutan Country Office has embarked on a new development pathway, to be more proactive, agile and flexible in providing relevant solutions to its partners. UNDP CO as part of the new approach has formed a joint initiative comprising ofthree units (Accelerator Unit, Governance Unit and Economist) within the Country Office. The joint workplan will assist the country office in advancing its strategic priorities of youth unemployment, development finance, public sector innovation, supporting 13th Five Year Plan and justice sector.

Bhutan has established a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to advance the rule of law and access to justice. Since the 1950s, the development of the legal and judicial sector has progressed at a remarkable pace which was further accelerated with the professionalization of the judiciary from the 1990s and the creation of Office of Legal Affairs in 1999 which was later replaced as the Office of Attorney General (OAG) in 2006. The 2008 Constitution guarantees separation of powers and judicial independence, a democratically elected parliament, a well-qualified and effective judiciary and Attorney-General’s office and a system of mediation at local level.

Significant investments to advance the justice sector and strengthen the rule of law in Bhutan are underway, with a Justice sector strategic plan (developed in 2018) providing a strategic framework for action and prioritized thematic action areas defined under its five strategic goals. These goals include:

1. Justice Sector Leadership, Governance, and Collaboration are Effective;
2. Justice Service Providers are Competent and Motivated;
3. Justice Services are Responsive, Efficient, and Accountable;
4. Justice Sector Services are Accessible and Inclusive; and
5. Infrastructure is Adequate to Deliver Justice Services More Efficiently.

Well-functioning governance systems and institutions are at the heart of Bhutan’s 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) 2018-2023 vision of a “just, harmonious and sustainable society through enhanced decentralization”, and are critical for building resilience that will allow the country to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises such as COVID-19 while addressing existing and emerging vulnerabilities.

In order to respond to the rapidly evolving governance developments and findings from the impact analysis of the COVID-19 crisis on vulnerable populations, governance institutions and social contract, building on the multi-year framework, UNDP Bhutan has identified a set of strategic interventions from the IGF that will be funded by UNDP’s Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience (GPCR) funding window.

The strategic outcome envisaged, in line with the CPD Outcome 1 (UNSDPF Outcome 3), is that by 2023, Government institutions provide equal opportunities for all, and women and vulnerable groups hold leaders accountable.

Contributing to the above outcome are four outputs:

1. Central and local governments engage with citizens for an equitable, effective and transparent service delivery
2. Increased access, inclusion, transparency and accountability in the justice sector
3. Parliament drives progress towards fundamental rights protection, sustainable development and GNH
4. Innovation and partnerships are leveraged for efficient, transparent and accountable governance.

Output 2 is an integral part of the MYF and supports the implementation of the JSSP to strengthen access to justice, including through leveraging digital solutions to better respond and recover from the COVID pandemic.

The consultant's main objective will be to build technical capacities of the NCCC to undertake the
advisory, support, supervision and coordination role of the NAP process in STP and enhance its links with
the National Assembly through a three-day retreat.
The consultant will contribute for the development of the NAP project’s Component 1: Actors mobilized,
institutional framework stablished, and national capacity strengthened to successfully develop and
implement the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in Sao Tome and Principe (STP); Sub-outcome 1.1: NAP
leadership, management and institutional arrangements established, and national adaptation process
launched in STP. He/She will be responsible for the derivable of Activity 1.1.3 (Build capacities of the
National Committee on Climate Change (NCCC) to undertake the supervision and coordination role of
the NAP process in STP and enhance its links with the National Assembly through a three-day retreat of
NCCC members including training key sessions delivered by experts) with the support of the Project
Management Unit (PMU) and under the supervision of the project Coordinator and UNEP Task manager.
Capacity of the NCCC will be strengthened in the following matters, among others to be defined
according to the needs and interests:
1) Understanding Climate Change:
• What is Climate Change?
• How does Climate Change impacts’ the environment, ecosystems and biodiversity, public health,
conflicts, society, economy and development.
• Climate Change in STP: assessing vulnerability, risks and impacts;
• National communications (NC), national determined contributions (NDC)and Biannual Update
reports (BUR) on Climate Change
• Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation.
• Adaptation: knowing adaptation principles, measures, and benefits
• Understanding first order and second order impacts of Climate Change.
• Equality versus inequality in climate change: what is social inequality and who are the most
vulnerable groups (youth, disabled and elderly as well as poorest and single-headed households,
women) and why.
• Mainstreaming Gender in to Climate Change
2) The NAP process:
• From project-based traditional modus operandi to an integrated approach to adaptation
• NAPs main objectives and gains for countries
• National Adaptation Plans: Design & Implementation
• Monitoring & Evaluation the NAPs
• Funding opportunities
3) The NAP process in STP
• Outcome 1: Actors mobilized, institutional framework established, and national capacity
strengthened to successfully develop and implement the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in São
Tomé and Príncipe (STP).
• Outcome 2: Evidence base for adaptation planning developed through the production of
preparatory elements and gathering of background information for the NAP process.
• Outcome 3: NAP priorities operationalized into plans at local and national level and supported by
an iterative planning framework and monitoring process.
• Outcome 4: Access to resources and investments facilitated to implement adaptation priorities in
STP.
5) NCCC role and responsibility in the NAP process including PSC and working groups:
• How to engage stakeholders (governmental and non-governmental) in the NAP process;
• How to develop vulnerability and risk analysis;
• How to develop cost-benefits analysis;
• How to engage the private sector;
• How to look for funding;
The main tasks to be carried out during the consultancy are listed below:
Task 1: Prepare workshop content, tools and exercises
The agenda of the training will be developed by the consultant based on consultations with NCCC
members on their needs and interests as well as on a short assessment of past training delivered and
remaining capacity gaps. The goal will be to complement what has already been done while avoiding
duplication. Key resources for this work include the project document, baseline study as well as report
of last NCCC meetings, retreat and trainings. In advance to the workshop all content, tools, and
exercises to be developed and presented during the three-day retreat shall be prepared. In
particularly, exercises and the brainstorming sessions shall be developed with the support of the
project management unit.
Task 2: Three-days NCCC workshop (retreat).
The three-day retreat will be intended to the NCCC members. Parliaments will be invited to participate
to one day of the retreat to enhance the link between the NCCC and the National Assembly and
support NAP approval process. The retreat schedule has to be strategically developed to touch the key
matters most relevant to the parliaments.
Task 3: Workshop report of the three-day NCCC retreat
The consultant needs to present a report on the three-day retreat with special focus on lessons learned,
progresses made and remaining gaps identified during the retreat, feedback from the brainstorming
sessions and guidance on further capacitation of the NCCC.
This work will inform and feed in the Training and Capacity Need Assessment (TCNA) that will be
developed as part as activity 1.3.1.

La réponse face au VIH/Sida en République du Congo s’organise de façon conjointe et coordonnée à travers le principe des « Three-Ones » qui demande : un seul système de suivi-évaluation, une seule instance de coordination nationale et un seul cadre stratégique national (CSN). En 2003, les autorités de la République du Congo ont mis en place une réponse du VIH structurée autour du Conseil National de Lutte contre le Sida, devenu depuis juillet 2017 le Conseil National de Lutte contre le VIH/Sida, les infections sexuellement transmissibles et les épidémies (CNLSE).

Les jeunes de moins de 18 ans représentent 45 % de la population du Congo, dont 50,2% de sexe masculin et 49,8% de sexe féminin. La tranche d’âge des 10-24 ans représente près de 31% de la population générale en 2018 avec une dynamique d’augmentation au fil du temps. En effet, les moins de 15 ans représentent 42% de la population dans un contexte d’accroissement de la population de l’ordre de 2,6% par an. Selon l’ONUSIDA, la prévalence du VIH en 2022 est estimée chez les jeunes filles de 15-24 ans à 3,3% contre 0,7% pour les garçons. En 2018, le nombre des nouvelles infections par le VIH chez les 15-24 ans représente 30% du total (ONUSIDA 2019). Les données disponibles pour la tranche d’âge 15-24 ans sont fournies par Spectrum 2020. Elles indiquent une prévalence en régression chez les 15-24 ans depuis 2014 (-5% chez les garçons et -20% chez les filles entre 2010 et 2018) avec un niveau plus élevé des nouvelles infections cependant chez les filles. En effet en 2019, la prévalence chez les garçons de 15-24 ans est estimée à 0,59% et 2,16% chez les jeunes filles du même âge. Cela traduit nettement une incidence dans le groupe des jeunes de 15 à 24 ans et justifie pleinement la priorisation des interventions et le ciblage.

Tenant compte de l’ampleur de l’épidémie du VIH au niveau de cette couche de la population, il paraît important d’avoir des nouvelles données sur les indicateurs épidémiologiques liés au sida chez les jeunes et adolescents, afin d’une part, d’orienter la réponse nationale, et d’autre part d’atteindre l’objectif fixé par l’ONUSIDA de mettre fin au sida en tant que problème de santé publique d’ici à 2030. C’est dans ce cadre que la Direction Exécutive du CNLSE se propose de réaliser une enquête sur les Connaissances Attitudes et Pratiques sur le VIH/Sida auprès des jeunes et adolescents en République du Congo, avec l’appui technique et financier du Projet NMF-3 piloté par le PNUD/Congo.

L’objectif général est d’évaluer le niveau des connaissances, attitudes et des pratiques des jeunes et adolescents de 10-24 ans face au VIH/Sida, dans les douze (12) départements du Congo en 2022.

Les objectifs spécifiques sont de :

1. Décrire les caractéristiques socio démographiques des jeunes et adolescents ;
2. Évaluer le niveau de connaissances des jeunes et adolescents sur le VIH/Sida et autres IST ;
3. Apprécier les attitudes des jeunes et adolescents face au VIH/Sida et autres IST ;
4. Identifier les pratiques des jeunes et adolescents face au VIH/Sida et autres IST ;
5. Recenser les déterminants des connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des adolescents(es) et jeunes sur la prévention de l’infection à VIH/Sida ;
6. Établir la relation entre les violences basées sur le genre et l’exposition au risque VIH et IST.

La présente étude sera conduite par le CNLSE en partenariat avec le Fonds Mondial, et avec la collaboration des parties prenantes nationales, associatives et de l’OMS

The consultant's main objective will be to build capacities of national communication professionals on
the importance and complexity of adaption to climate change and how to communicate, inform and
sensitize around the issue and the NAP process, during a three-day training workshop.
The consultant will contribute for the development of Component 1: Actors mobilized, institutional
framework stablished, and national capacity strengthened to successfully develop and implement the
National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in Sao Tome and Principe (STP); Sub-outcome 1.1: NAP leadership,
management and institutional arrangements established, and national adaptation process launched in
STP. He/She will be responsible for the derivable of Activity 1.2.7: International expert to conduct a
three-day training session for national and local journalists to improve understanding, coverage, and
reporting on adaptation in STP.
During the workshop the consultant will build capacity on the main needs related to Climate Change
Adaptation Communication within the framework of the implementation of the NAP process. The needs
shall be assessed prior to the training with the support of the Project Management Unit and included in
the initial report.

Following is a list of potential issues that could be covered by the training:
1) Climate Change & Adaptation:
• What is Climate Change?
• How does Climate Change impacts the environment, ecosystems and biodiversity, public health,
conflicts, society, economy and development.
• Understanding the difference between hazard, vulnerability, and risk.
• Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation.
• Adaptation: knowing adaptation principles, measures, and benefits
• Climate Change in STP: assessing vulnerability, risks and impacts;
• Understanding first order and second order impacts of Climate Change.
• Equality versus inequality in climate change: what is social inequality and who are the most
vulnerable groups (youth, disabled and elderly as well as poorest and single-headed households,
women) and why.
• How climate change impacts the most vulnerable social groups.
• Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation.
2) Communication on Climate Change & Adaptation?
• Information sources: Where to find reliable data and information. Distinguish from trustable
sources and doubtful sources.
• Common myths and disinformation: Sorting Facts from Fiction.
• Writing stories about Climate Change & Adaptation scientifically accurate and simultaneously
sensitizing.
• Interviews in the context of Climate Change? How to address the same questions/issues to
different interviewees?
The main tasks to be carried out during the consultancy are listed below:
Task 1: Assess the communication gaps and journalists interests and prepare workshop content, tools
and exercises.
The agenda of the training will be developed by the consultant based on consultations
with journalists and media on their needs and interests as well as on a short review of the quantity
and quality of communication/news around climate change and adaptation in the country and the
past trainings already provided such as the Training on Climate Change for Journalist during the
project “Cumprindo a Promessa Climática em STP”. The goal is to identify remaining capacity gaps
to be filled by this training. In advance to the workshop all content, tools and exercises to be
developed and presented during the three-day retreat, shall be shared with the project
management unit. It is expected for the workshop to have theoretical content but specially applied
with real-case examples of good and bad examples in climate change communication, exercises,
and teamwork. The training needs to be interactive and adapted to the audience.
Task 2: Three-days Workshop
The consultant will capacitate journalists from the main communication channels in STP (TV and
Radio) and interns doing their degree/master thesis on topics related to the environment. The
consultants must present a proposal of methodology to evaluate the impact of the workshop to the
participants. A certificate will be prepared to be delivered in the end of the training to successful
participants.
Task 3: Workshop report of the three-day NCCC retreat
The consultant needs to present a report of the three-day retreat with special focus on lessons
learned, progresses made and remaining gaps identified during the workshop. A questionnaire
should be distributed before and after the training to assess participants learning, the training
impact and collect their feedback. Certificates will be delivered to participants based on their
attendance and learning.