Closing date
31 May 2024Request for Expression of Interest for participation in the UN Youth Consultative Board North Macedonia
UN Youth Consultative Board North Macedonia
Terms of Reference
(Adopted by UNCT on 18.01.2024)
Background
UN agencies in North Macedonia work together under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (SDCF) to help the country achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDCF 2021-2025 is a key strategic document guiding the work of the UN System in North Macedonia, developed in close partnership with the Government of North Macedonia and other stakeholders. The success towards the Sustainable Development Goals depends on these close partnerships, and among them one with the youth of North Macedonia. The UN recognizes the critical role and potential of meaningful youth participation and empowerment in the overall reach of our work as well as its impact. As a result, the UN continuously seeks to create new venues and opportunities for meaningful youth participation and empowerment to ensure that youth have a real, tangible, impact on all policies and programmes that affect them. To this end the UN Country Team aims to establish a mechanism for youth participation and cooperation that is: Institutionally mandated, rights-based and safe, designated, resourced, transparent, accessible, voluntary, informative, and ensures accountability of youth to UNCT, and vice versa. This mechanism, titled the UN Youth Consultative Board, will serve as the primary venue for all consultations with youth on programmatic or operational matters.
Responsibilities and scope of work
The UN Youth Consultative Board is chaired by a representative of the UNCT Youth Group. The selection and appointment of youth representatives will be based on an open call/Request for Expression of Interest sent to youth and youth serving organizations in the country (partners), and it will be available in local languages and accessible to young people with disabilities. The format of the cooperation will be agreed jointly with youth representatives to the Board in a manner that is age appropriate and inclusive. Partners agree to cooperate on voluntary basis to advance their mutual interests in promoting efforts for development. The UN Youth Consultative Board will support the UNCT by:
• providing ongoing dialogue, liaison, and overall coordination among partners in order to support effective mobilization activities among youth associations.
• advising on the selection, structuring, and designing of outreach activities through their networks
• consult on programme development and implementation with the aim to enhance youth participation in all decision-making process and add a youth lens to the breadth of UN programme activities and operational processes
• participate in consultations and regular reviews of the UN Joint Work Plan, development of the UNSDCF, and other strategies, programmatic approaches or thematic discussions organized by the UNCT
Composition, roles and responsibilities of the Consultative Board:
The UN Youth Consultative Board is chaired by a representative of the UNCT Youth Group and is composed of:
• UNCT Youth Group members
• Youth representatives of scale partners (youth and youth serving organizations with established networks and which represent vulnerable groups)
| Entity | Roles and responsibilities |
| UNCT Youth Group members |
- Chair the UN Youth Consultative Board - Maintain regular coordination with all members - Organize and host semi-annual meetings - Organize structured onboarding / briefing of youth members - Keep notes/records from the meetings and lead the development of an end year summary of the work of the UN Youth Consultative Board
|
|
Youth representatives of scale partners The following organizations will be invited to nominate a representative: • National Youth Council of Macedonia • Coalition SEGA • Y-Peer Network • Scout Association of Macedonia • The Macedonian Red Cross Youth • Romaversitas • Macedonian Platform Against Poverty • Special Olympics Macedonia • CYA.KRIK • Mladiinfo • HERA • US Embassy youth board | LEAD fellows *The list is not exhaustive, and will be revised periodically. The selection and appointment of youth networks to represent in UNCTs will be based on an open call/Request for Expression of Interest, will be available in local languages and accessible to young people with disabilities. The composition of the youth representatives of scale partners will be gender balanced, including use of reserved seats for youth with disabilities, Roma youth, and in case one of the genders is represented with less than 40% in the group. |
- Identify a Consultative Board member and focal person for correspondence with UNCT Youth Group - Establish and maintain a contact list of its UN Youth Consultative Board focal persons in the communities of operation and share it with UNCT Youth Group - Actively participate in the process of defining topics and identifying challenges relevant to their own programmes and the programmes of the UN in the country - Provide expertise and share knowledge on youth views on various topics in their respective areas, including on Roma, poverty, volunteerism, sexual and reproductive health, participation, disability etc. - Attend all UN Youth Consultative Board meetings - Keep notes/records from consultation with wider youth constituents - Participate in developing an end year summary of the work of the UN Youth Consultative Board
|
