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. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has been present in Brazil since 1950, supporting the most important changes in childhood and adolescence in the country. UNICEF participated in major immunization and breastfeeding campaigns; the mobilization that resulted in the approval of Article 227 of the Federal Constitution and the drafting of the Child and Adolescent Statute; the movement for universal access to education; programmes to combat child labour; among other great advances in guaranteeing the rights of Brazilian girls and boys. In recent decades, Brazil has promoted a strong process of inclusion of children and adolescents in public policies. However, a significant portion of the population remains excluded. Therefore, in its cooperation programme with the Brazilian Government for the period 2024-2028, UNICEF focuses its efforts on the most vulnerable and excluded girls and boys, with a special focus on children and adolescents who are victims of extreme forms of violence. These children and adolescents in situations of greater vulnerability are spread throughout Brazil, but they are more concentrated in the Amazon, in the Northeast and in large urban centers. Through the UNICEF Seal, UNICEF promotes commitments to guarantee the rights of children and adolescents in the Northeast and in the Amazon regions in Brazil. In large cities, UNICEF works with a focus on reducing intra-municipal inequalities, through the #AgendaCidadeUNICEF.

Since 1950, UNICEF has supported the most important transformation for children and adolescents in Brazil. UNICEF Brazil with its main office in Brasília and nine field offices UNICEF works in close partnership with national and sub-national government, corporate partners, youth, and civil society organizations. For information of the work of our organization in Brazil, please visit our website: UNICEF Brazil
One of the most significant challenges faced by Brazil is to support a positive and protected transition of its vast youth population into the workforce. With over 49 million individuals aged 15 to 29, it is crucial to prioritize educational opportunities, professional training, digital inclusion and the prevention of the school exclusion reasons especially considering the violence as a key one. The One Million Opportunities (1MiO) initiative, launched by UNICEF in 2020, strives to address these issues by providing structured public schools development in terms of educational content programs, teachers capacities, planning strategies, apprenticeships workshops, and the offer of employment opportunities for vulnerable youth.
The UNICEF Country Programme contributes to the realization of child rights in Brazil through 1MiO initiatives, developed at sub-national level, summing up to the overall country results. In the State of Maranhão, it has been developed within the SELO UNICEF - a certification strategy to acknowledge municipal achievements in local indicators for children, reaching out the state of Maranhao and Piauí, covered by Zonal Office Sao Luis; and the #AgendaCidadeUNICEF Platform, developed in the capital cities to prevent and counteract different expressions of violence against children and adolescents. Besides, a specific MoU with the Government of the state of Maranhao was signed having in focus the support to the following areas of the 2nd Decade of Life: Creative Education, Technological Apprenticenship/STEAM, Integrated Mental Health, Protection Against Violence, and Social Participation. The combination of those has grown as a large scale supporting program to the state level public schools in Maranhão, reaching out an increasing number of students in the last three years. Private companies has been invited to join the initiative through the Aliança pelo Maranhão strategy, in order to amplify the offer of job opportunities to youth in the state.
Maranhão sums up some of the most challenging indicators of Brazil. It has the lowest per capita monthly income of the entire country: R$ 945,00 (IBGE, 2023); and also the worst Human Development Index (IDH): 0,676. It is the 3rd state with the worst scenario in terms of multidimensional child poverty, according to UNICEF index (1) . On Brazilian Basic Education Development Index (IDEB 2023), the state of Maranhão is placed in the 20o rank among 27 states, regarding the phase when adolescents shall complete elementary school. And the proportion of under 16 people engaged in formal work is also the country lowest: 35,7% [IBGE 2022].
The present vacancy announcement is an important component of UNICEF contribution to transform that reality, in close collaboration with local and state level governments, private sector, civil society and youth organizations.

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(1) https://www.unicef.org/brazil/relatorios/pobreza-multidimensional-na-infancia-e-adolescencia-no-brasil-2017-2023

Under the supervision of both the Chief Education and the Chief Field Office in São Luis, the 2nd Decade of Life - Education/1MiO Officer will provide overall technical, managerial, and operational functions to deliver results on UNICEF programs related to ensure access to learning opportunities, STEAM strategies, live skills development and transition from school to work by adolescents, especially those most vulnerable, working closely with other team members, local authorities, and partners.
Within the frame of UNICEF County Program and the Annual Working Plan, the Officer will be responsible for:
(i) conducting and updating the situation assessment and analysis;
(ii) providing technical assistance to municipal and state level authorities, private, civil society and community partners, as well as service providers and specialists;
(iii) ensuring effective identification and coordination of partners actions;
(iv) managerial and operational functions to deliver results within the context of the program implemented by ZO São Luis in MA and PI states, along with institutional partners;
(v) supporting program design, implementation, monitoring and reporting,
(vi) elaborating donors’ proposal and reports;
(vii) acting as focal point for the partnership with related Implementing Partners;
(viii) technically supporting the regional and national program team, as well as PFP teams, to work in the states of Maranhão and Piauí, and
(ix) working closely with other team members, local authorities, and partners, contributing to overall UNICEF national coordination in order to promote integrated and intersectoral work.