Adolescent and Youth Engagement UNV Specialist

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfilling their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up.
In the East Asia and Pacific Region, UNICEF works to uphold the rights of all children. This means the rights of every child, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them

Recognizing children, adolescents and youth have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives, a right to a healthy and safe environment, and a right to protection from harm, UNICEF is calling for governments and businesses to address the climate crisis through reduction in greenhouse emissions, increased investment in children’s awareness and climate literacy, and by engaging young people in environmental and climate related policy making.

Thailand has a vibrant and diverse youth population whose participation is essential to building an inclusive and sustainable future. Across the country, young people are increasingly active in community development, climate action, and social innovation, yet their voices remain underrepresented in policymaking and programme design. UNICEF Thailand is working to strengthen meaningful youth participation across all areas of its work, ensuring that adolescents and young people are not only beneficiaries but active partners in shaping programmes on education, health, climate resilience, child protection, and social inclusion. The Country Office supports national and local efforts to expand youth engagement platforms such as the Children and Youth Council of Thailand and the Young People Advisory Board (YPAB), while fostering stronger collaboration between young people, government, and civil society.
Within this context, the National UN Volunteer Specialist will play a key role in mainstreaming youth engagement across UNICEF programmes and ensuring that young people’s perspectives inform decision-making at all levels.

Under the supervision of the Chief of Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) and in close collaboration with the ADAP Officer (Participation), the National UNV Specialist will support youth engagement processes and contribute to mainstreaming meaningful participation of young people across UNICEF Thailand programmes. The tasks include, but are not limited to, the following :

1. Coordinate and support the Young People Advisory Board (YPAB)

- Serve as the main liaison for the YPAB, facilitating regular meetings, preparation of agendas, and follow-up of action points.
- Ensure the YPAB membership is representative of diverse geographical areas, backgrounds, genders, marginalized youth, and support recruitment, orientation, and capacity building of YPAB members.
- Support youth leadership within YPAB, mentor members as needed.
- Ensure that YPAB inputs are integrated into programme planning, monitoring, evaluation, and advocacy, and that feedback loops are established so that YPAB sees how their contributions influence decisions.

2. Programme management support

- Collaborate with programme sector teams to embed youth participation strategies into their workplans and annual work cycles.
- Map and analyze existing youth-led platforms, networks, and mechanisms in Thailand (national, regional, local), identify gaps and opportunities for scaling or replication.
- Maintain updated databases and records of youth partners, YPAB membership, youth engagements, contacts, events, consultation outcomes, and follow-up.
- Prepare periodic progress reports, contribution to programme updates, and documentation of youth engagement outcomes.
- As needed, travel to regions/provinces to support youth engagement activities, capacity building, consultations.

3. Capacity Building and Technical Assistance for Youth Consultations, Participation Platforms & Dialogue

- Support the delivering of training, workshops, webinars, toolkits and guidelines for partners, and local stakeholders on adolescent and youth participation, facilitation methods, youth-friendly engagement, inclusive practices, and ethical engagement of children and adolescents.
- Facilitate meaningful consultations with young people (in-person and virtual) across diverse contexts to gather their inputs, aspirations and feedback on programme design, implementation, and evaluation.
- Document youth voices, stories, case studies and feedback and help package them for use in advocacy, communications, research and stakeholder dialogues.

4. Youth Partnerships Management

- Liaise with youth organisations to promote youth participation, co-design and alignment of youth policies or plans.
- Foster collaboration with youth networks and local-level youth groups.
- Represent UNICEF in youth forums, coordination meetings, national or regional youth events, and ensure that UNICEF’s youth engagement agenda is visible, responsive, and informed by young people.