Communication and Advocacy Officer

UNICEF has a long-term commitment to Iraq’s children and young people, with the first formal cooperation agreement signed with the Government in 1963. UNICEF works in close partnership with the Federal through established Cooperation Agreements. UNICEF has a broad geographic presence in the country with four offices located in Basra, Baghdad, Erbil and Dohuk. UNICEF collaborates with UN agencies, international and national NGO partners to meet the humanitarian and development needs of most vulnerable children and young people.
In recent years, UNICEF’s work to support the unique needs of young people has gained momentum, as the challenges facing them have come more sharply into view. UNICEF is committed to deliver for all children and young people through its overall impact goal of ‘realizing the rights of every child, especially the most disadvantaged. The UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2018−2021 recognizes the whole spectrum of young people, including young adults or youth over 18, and includes in its Change Strategies “supporting young people and children as agents of change.” Taking its cue from the strategic plan, the Global Communication and Advocacy Strategy 2019−2021 (GCAS) asserts the important role that young people can play in the successful realization of UNICEF’s mandate, and outlines the need to listen to, co-create and collaborate with young people and create meaningful engagement opportunities for them to make a difference. Being important drivers of change, children and young people are essential partners and contributors to both the development and implementation of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2022 2025. With a new and ambitious SP, UNICEF intends to be deliberate and committed in fully involving children and young people in creating the solutions to accelerate the realization of the SDGs and driving change forward.

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNV and UNICEF have designed the YOUNG WOMEN TALENTS IN MENA initiative, aimed at promoting more diversity within UNICEF Workforce in MENA region. Embarking on a new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNICEF continues its effort to build a child- and youth-powered organization. While UNICEF has been strategically engaging
Youth and Women in the programmatic context it has not fully leveraged to engage these groups in Country- and Regional- levels. To enhance the mechanisms for Youth Engagement and Gender Parity, UNICEF MENA and DHR will develop a youth-oriented programme in collaboration with the UN Volunteer programme, as a cost-effective talent solution to engage young professionals, while supporting their professional growth for a successful career at UNICEF and the UN System in general. Based on the Region’s specific needs, the programme will initially target female candidates and nationals of MENA countries. In order to support the implementation of this initiative, as well as to foster knowledge about UN Volunteers among different UNICEF Operations in the Arab Region, UNICEF and UNV ROs agreed to dedicate a capacity (National UN Volunteer) to the UNICEF Regional Office for one year to coordinate the partnership efforts.

As part of their work for the Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships Section, the UN Volunteer will act as a focal point for the section, based in Erbil. The volunteer will liaise with programmes and partners and ensure all UNICEF communication and advocacy priorities, as well as branding guidelines, are reflected in UNICEF’s work in the field. As part of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will visit regularly UNICEF-supported projects in the North of Iraq. In addition, the UNV will take full part in all planning, coordination and monitoring activities of the Communication, Advocacy, and Partnerships section, and in all those exercises and events as the office deem applicable.

The incumbent will be responsible for the following:
Media Relations and Advocacy
• Liaise proactively with local, regional, and national media outlets to build strong relationships with journalists and editors.
• Draft and disseminate press releases, media briefs, and reactive lines in Kurdish, Arabic, and English.
• Organize press conferences, media briefings, and workshops to highlight UNICEF’s work and child rights issues.
• Coordinate and escort journalists on field trips to document UNICEF-supported interventions.
Content Development and Storytelling
• Scout, research, and produce compelling human interest stories that showcase the impact of UNICEF’s work on children and communities.
• Translate key content from English/Arabic into Kurdish, ensuring accuracy, nuance, and child-sensitive language.
• Capture high-quality photos and videos of UNICEF activities and edit short video products for web and social media.
• Contribute to UNICEF Iraq’s digital platforms by preparing engaging multimedia content tailored for local audiences.
Monitoring and Reporting
• Produce the daily media monitoring report covering Kurdish, Arabic, and English outlets, highlighting narratives related to children’s issues and UNICEF’s presence.
• Track and analyze local media trends, providing recommendations for communication and advocacy strategies.
• Maintain an updated media contact list for Erbil and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
Advocacy and Partnerships
• Support organization of workshops, seminars, and campaigns with government partners, civil society organizations, and academic institutions to promote children’s rights.
• Contribute to advocacy initiatives aligned with UNICEF’s priorities, ensuring strong participation of youth and local partners.
• Support donor visibility activities by documenting UNICEF-supported projects in KRI.
Administrative and Cross-Cutting Tasks
• Ensure all communication and advocacy materials comply with UNICEF’s branding, visibility, and ethical guidelines.
• Provide interpretation/translation support (Kurdish, Arabic, English) in official meetings, events, and workshops.
• Contribute to the CAP team’s overall strategy by participating in planning, monitoring, and evaluation processes.
• Perform other duties as required to strengthen the communication, advocacy, and partnerships function.