Organization Mission

The Development Coordination Office (DCO) manages and oversees the Resident Coordinator system and serves as secretariat of the UN Sustainable Development Group. Its objective is to support the capacity, effectiveness and efficiency of Resident Coordinators and the UN development system as a whole in support of national efforts for sustainable development. It is based in New York, with regional teams in Addis Ababa, Amman, Bangkok, Panama and Istanbul, supporting 130 Resident Coordinators covering 162 countries and territories. At the regional level, DCO serves as first port of call for Resident Coordinators and their offices. They also serve with UNDP and the Regional Commissions as part of the joint secretariats for the Regional Collaborative Platforms and ensure connectivity between global and country level initiatives.

Context

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. Every year, the UNITE Campaign focuses on a specific theme. The campaign calls on citizens to show how much they care about ending violence against women and girls by sharing the actions they are taking to create a world free from violence towards women.

UN Development and Coordination Office (DCO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ROECA) in cooperation with UNV, has established a Special Programme Initiative, aiming at engaging UN Volunteer(s) to support UNDCO ROECA and UN Women Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) in a joint campaign on and in particular the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign in Europe and Central Asia.

The selected national UN Community Volunteer will assist DCO and UN Women team in Istanbul in the following tasks:

· Awareness, Advocacy and Outreach: Supporting digital campaign on 16 days against GBV: Support DCO and UN Women in the design and implementation of the 16 days campaign.

· Organize local events, online campaigns, and use social media to amplify messages about ending violence against women. In addition, selected national UN Community Volunteer will engage in creative activism through art and community outreach, raising awareness and promoting stories.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of DCO Sustainable Development/UNSDCF Partnership and Programme Officer, the national UN Community Volunteer will:

· Assist in designing the overall campaign theme, messaging, and timeline tailored to the ECA region.
· Design visual and graphic content for digital platforms, ensuring materials are visually engaging and aligned with UN branding.
· Draft and edit digital and print materials, including social media posts, infographics, and educational toolkits.
· Schedule and monitor posts, track engagement.
· Assist in organizing webinars, panel discussions, and other campaign events, ensuring smooth execution.
· Track campaign coverage, social media metrics, and public engagement, providing regular updates.
· Collect feedback, compile lessons learned and draft a campaign report with recommendations for future initiatives.
· Propose new digital tools, storytelling formats, or interactive content to engage diverse audiences effectively.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
– Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day, 5th of December).
– Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
– Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities (for instance at https://vra.unv.org).
– Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
– Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
– Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Required Skills and Experience

· At least secondary education or equivalent;
· Experience in graphic design and communications is an asset;
· Voluntary service, community engagement or work experience can be considered in lieu of any formal education;
· Skills in community development;
· Skills in computer and office applications;
· Good communication skills.

Core Competencies

· Accountability
· Adaptability and flexibility
· Creativity
· Judgement and decision-making
· Planning and organising
· Professionalism
· Self-management

Living Conditions

This is a volunteer assignment, not employment. By sharing your time, energy, and talents, you can support communities in need and become part of something greater than yourself — a global movement for peace, development, and humanitarian aid. Volunteering strengthens trust, solidarity, and reciprocity among citizens, and it can promote a sense of belonging and purpose.

This UN Volunteer assignment is based on a telecommuting arrangement, meaning the UN Volunteer will provide support from their current location, with no expectation to relocate to the duty station ”Istanbul”. The UN Volunteers are responsible for arranging her/his own housing and other living essentials within UNV contract period.

Summary of this national UN Volunteer Entitlements:

• Private insurance: Health, dental, life and dismemberment (coverage by CIGNA)
• Certificate of Service
• Experience with UN programmes
• There will be no payment, stipend, or any allowances.

UN Volunteer supporting SPI in Europe and Central Asia region:

The support provided by the UN Volunteer for events supporting the host UN entity in the region of Europe and Central Asia is a Special Programme Initiative (SPI) by UNV. SPIs respond to volunteer-specific needs of the United Nations system and donor entities. They are established by specific policy documents that address the desired programmatic aims and broader SDGs’ outcomes in line with UNV guiding principles. UN Volunteers for this SPI in the Europe and Central Asia region are governed by the particular conditions set out in their offers and contracts.

In addition to the specific requirements set out above, candidates for these volunteer assignments will be subject to background checks, confirmation and clearance provided by the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS).

Persons with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply to this assignment.