National Individual Consultant: Support the Finalisation and Endorsement of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the State of Palestine

UNICEF State of Palestine is seeking for a National Individual Consultant to Support the Finalization and Endorsement of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the State of Palestine. The duration of this assignment is (45 working days over 6 months period)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Protection 

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. We are working for every child and young person in the State of Palestine. 

Since 2017, UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) in reviewing and updating the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim is to align national legislation with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and ensure full protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The current Disability Law No. (4) of 1999 established important principles of equality and non-discrimination but has faced implementation challenges, mainly due to limited resources. Following Palestine’s ratification of the CRPD, the law no longer fully aligns with international standards, prompting continued advocacy from the disability movement for its revision.

With UNICEF’s support, MOSD has led broad consultations with stakeholders and developed several drafts of the revised law. Although the draft has reached the Cabinet multiple times, adoption was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, recurring conflicts, shifting priorities, and fiscal constraints.

Recently, momentum has increased to finalize the law, driven by the government’s renewed commitment to strengthening the disability legal framework and the upcoming discussion of Palestine’s first CRPD State Report. This effort has gained further traction following the issuance of Law by Decree No. 36 of 2023, which formalized the publication of the CRPD ratified by the State of Palestine in 2014.

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is to provide high-level legal expertise and technical support to the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) to finalize and endorse a revised Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The consultant will ensure that the law is fully aligned with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), national legislations and reflects the current policy, humanitarian, and socioeconomic realities in the State of Palestine. The assignment seeks to strengthen the legal framework protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly amid the collapse of related infrastructure in Gaza and the deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in the West Bank, and to reinforce the State of Palestine’s compliance with its obligations under the CRPD.

The specific objectives of this assignment is In response to MOSD’s request to advance the process, UNICEF seeks to engage a consultant to:

• Review and update the latest draft of the law to ensure full alignment with the CRPD and relevant national legislations, humanitarian, and socioeconomic context. This includes considering the significant changes since 2023, such as the collapse of disability-related infrastructure in Gaza and the severe socioeconomic deterioration in the West Bank, both of which have disproportionately affected persons with disabilities and widened service and protection gaps. Comparative insights from disability laws in other regions or conflict-affected contexts may also be considered, acknowledging contextual differences.
• Facilitate consultations with the General Union of Persons with Disabilities, government ministries, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other key stakeholders to ensure inclusive participation and consensus.
• Provide technical guidance to the Technical Committee overseeing the endorsement process, composed of representatives from MOSD, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Justice and key disability organizations and advocates.
• Develop recommendations for the post-adoption phase, including implementation mechanisms and monitoring provisions.
• Receive any final comments from stakeholders on the disability draft law

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  New Disability Law Consultancy UNICEF and MOSD feedback included.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: A master’s degree in one of the social sciences, disability studies, public policy, law, international human rights, or another related field relevant to the development, review, and endorsement of legislation on the rights of persons with disabilities

Work Experience: 

• Proven professional experience of at least 5 to 7 years in the disability sector, particularly in strategic planning, the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, disability-related policy development, legal analysis, legislative drafting, and legal reform.
• Proven experience reviewing, drafting, or updating legislation and aligning national laws with international conventions, particularly the CRPD.
• Experience working with government institutions, technical committees, and civil society organizations, including disability representative organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct multi-stakeholder consultations and facilitate consensus among diverse actors.
• Demonstrated experience relevant to the work of the MoSD, particularly in the social sector and specifically in the field of disability.
• Strong understanding of national legal frameworks and governmental procedures for law adoption and endorsement.
• Excellent analytical, legal drafting, and reporting skills.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills to liaise with government, civil society, and disability representatives.
• Ability to work independently and deliver results within tight deadlines.
• Strong understanding of the sociopolitical context in the State of Palestine, including Gaza and the West Bank.

Language Requirements: Proficiency in Arabic and English, with excellent reading, writing, and oral communication skills in both languages

Desirable / Preferred:

• Familiarity with the legal, social, and institutional context for persons with disabilities in the State of Palestine.
• Experience supporting legislative or policy reform in humanitarian or post-crisis contexts.
• Knowledge of international human rights law, social protection systems, and inclusive governance.
• Flexibility to engage stakeholders across different regions and adapt to challenging or rapidly changing contexts.
• Commitment to impartiality, integrity, and inclusivity in consultation and drafting processes.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.