Coordination Associate

Update

The 2025 Voluntary National Review (VNR) consultations, led by NITI Aayog and supported by the UN in India, prioritized 13 “Leave No One Behind” (LNOB) groups, including Scheduled Tribes and Adivasis, highlighting the urgent need to build capacities, ensure access, and foster meaningful representation for tribal youth. The consultations identified critical gaps in skills, leadership opportunities, and systemic support for marginalised youth, emphasising the need for targeted career pathways and inclusive development strategies.

In alignment with Youth2030: The UN Youth Strategy (Phase 2: 2025–2030) which places youth at the centre of global transformation and SDG acceleration, the United Nations in India is launching a structured, first-of-its-kind one-UN initiative: the Adi Yuva Fellowship. This innovative programme will bring together the expertise of UN agencies to mentor, train, and place tribal and marginalised youth in impactful roles across government and development sectors at central, state, and district levels through the UN Volunteers modality. The fellowship will offer paid, well-supported opportunities, aiming to build a future workforce that is inclusive, empowered, and representative.

The Adi Yuva Fellows will play a pivotal role in supporting the UN Country Team (through the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office) by mapping and coordinating system-wide UN interventions aimed at tribal development in India across a number of states, districts and thematic areas. They will facilitate inter-agency collaboration and ensure coherence across UN initiatives, aligning them with the Government of India’s Adi-Karmayogi programme. Through strategic coordination and information sharing, the Fellows will help harmonize ongoing efforts, enhance synergies, and inform the implementation of tribal development priorities at both national and local levels. In parallel, the Adi Yuva Fellows will have access to learning and professional development opportunities, including a suite of certified learning programmes fostering their professional growth.

Under the direct supervision of Chief, UN Resident Coordinator Office, the UN Volunteer Adi Fellow will undertake the following tasks:

1. Support System-wide Coordination for Tribal Development
o Assist in mapping UN agencies’ interventions related to tribal development across India.
o Facilitate coordination among UN entities to ensure synergy and alignment with national priorities for tribal development.

2. Facilitate the UN Inter-Agency Tribal Development Task Team
o Provide logistical and administrative support for the functioning of the Task Team.
o Provide support in organizing meetings, prepare agendas, document discussions, and track actionable items and follow-ups.

3. Collaboration with Adi-Yuva Fellows
o Collaborate with Adi-Yuva Fellows deployed across various regions.
o Document their achievements, learning, aspiration, journey, challenges, and progress for consolidated reporting to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and other stakeholders.

4. Reporting and Documentation
o Contribute to the preparation of periodic reports, briefs, and presentations highlighting UN efforts and fellow contributions to tribal development.

5. Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as directed by the supervisor

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.