Youth Engagement and Coordination Support Assistant

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.

The UN Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) is managed and strategically guided by the UN Resident Coordinator in the country. The RCO fulfils five key functions in support of the responsibilities of the RC and the UN Country Team: (1) strategic planning; (2) development economics; (3) partnerships and development finance; (4) data and results management and reporting; and (5) communications and advocacy.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing significant challenges related to the engagement, empowerment, and participation of youth. Addressing these challenges is pivotal for harnessing the potential of youth, ensuring their well-being, and fostering sustainable socio-economic development. Intensified involvement from public institutions, CSOs, and development partners is essential to create lasting and effective solutions that boost youth participation in the country’s socio-economic and political life.

In response to this challenge, the UN Country Team in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNCT) has adopted the UNCT Youth Strategy 2023-2025. This strategy was developed to advance the Youth2030 agenda by outlining key areas for joint action on youth, including programming and advocacy. It aims to localize global commitments and turn them into achievable goals within Bosnia and Herzegovina, while setting priorities for youth policy as entry points for UNCT support. The strategy emphasizes meaningful youth engagement and how the UNCT can enhance coordination, capacity, and services to better fulfil its commitments to young people.

To achieve this, the UNCT has established key mechanisms such as the Youth Empowerment Group (YEG) and the Youth Advisory Body (YAB). The Youth Empowerment Group (YEG) is a collaborative platform for UN agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina that aligns UNCT resources to implement the UNCT Youth Strategy, assists governments in developing youth empowerment policies by 2030, formulates strategies to address challenges, cultivates partnerships, and serves as a hub for analyzing youth trends and opportunities. The Youth Advisory Body (YAB) is a group of youth leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the United Nations to provide strategic advice, advocate for youth participation, and offer insights into youth-related programming and initiatives. YAB ensures that young people's voices are integrated into decision-making processes, promoting a youth-inclusive approach across all UN activities.

Globally, the United Nations Youth Office leads global advocacy and engagement on youth issues across peace, security, sustainable development, and human rights, promotes inclusive participation of youth and youth-led organizations in UN processes, fosters collaboration and accountability across the UN system, and supports Member States in youth empowerment, education, and capacity building, while encouraging innovative approaches and intergenerational dialogue.

To monitor the implementation of the UNCT Youth Strategy, UNCT BiH is using the Youth2030 Scorecard for UNCTs, a strategic tool for planning, performance measurement, and accountability in UN Country Teams. The scorecard uses 19 indicators to assess how well UNCTs are working both for and with youth, based on principles of meaningful youth engagement, including being rights-based, inclusive, transparent, and accessible.

Under the direct supervision of the RCO Data Management, Monitoring and Reporting Officer, and in close collaboration with the UNCT and YEG, the NUNV will:

• Support the implementation of the UNCT Youth Strategy by assisting with coordination and ensuring alignment across relevant UN entities.
• Assist in coordination of the Youth 2030 UNCT Scorecard planning and reporting in collaboration with the YEG, ensuring accurate tracking of progress and performance, and improvement plans.
• Support the coordination of the YEG by preparing periodical updates and briefing notes in line with relevant global agendas and frameworks concerning youth issues (e.g. Youth 2030, Agenda 2030, EU Youth Strategy, Youth Action Plan in EU external action, the UN Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, etc.), organizing inter-agency meetings, and providing coordination support for developing joint programming on youth.
• Serve as the main point of contact for the YAB, support YAB in coordinating activities and youth consultations to ensure diverse youth perspectives are incorporated into strategic decisions and policy recommendations, create opportunities for meaningful youth engagement with the UNCT in line with the Guidelines and Checklist for Meaningful Youth Participation and YAB's ToR, and enhance communication and outreach efforts to better engage youth groups and young people.
• Assist RCO in provision of support to UNCT and YEG in strengthening the capacity of governments to mainstream youth engagement in the design, implementation, and monitoring of sectoral programmes, particularly in alignment with the 2030 Agenda, in close collaboration with YEG chairing agencies.
• Participate in the global network of youth focal points and assist the RCO in strengthening knowledge management by sharing experiences, lessons learned, and best practices within the UNCT, and adapting successful approaches from other countries to the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Assist the RCO in fostering cooperation with the UN Youth Office in areas of global advocacy and engagement on youth issues, inclusive participation of youth in UN processes, collaboration across the UN system, and youth empowerment.