UNFPA Albania, National consultant for the revision of the National Youth Strategy 2022-2029

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Over the past years, the Western Balkan region has been affected by fluctuating geopolitical dynamics, marked by continued aspirations for EU integration alongside persistent regional tensions. Youth in the region face high unemployment rates and limited opportunities, suffer from transgenerational trauma, and gender-based violence, is increasingly expanding to the cybersphere, and traditional societal norms still present significant barriers. Media freedom remains a critical issue, with concerns about press freedom, media ownership transparency, and the safety of journalists. 

The increase in divisive narratives and rhetoric within and across communities, countries/territories, taking place on the internet, particularly on social media, as well as in public debate, political rallies, sporting events, and in everyday social interaction, have the potential to aggravate regional dynamics, mistrust and grievances. 

Research shows that the hate speech phenomenon is mainly oriented on the bases of ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality and targets members of vulnerable/minority groups (LGBTQI+, refugees, Roma, women, people with disabilities and migrants). With the region witnessing high numbers of youth emigration, young people, particularly those who remain in the region, continue to experience legacies of the past. To adhere, youth reported hate speech on- or off-line as the most common form of violence or discrimination. 

The recent surge in divisive rhetoric and narratives across the region has been met with important but nonetheless limited regional programmatic action. As such UNDP, UNFPA, UNESCO and UN Women are implementing “Youth 4 Inclusion Equality and Trust” regional initiative in five countries and territories of Western Balkan region, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo[1], Bosnia and Hercegovina and North Macedonia, financially supported by UN Peace Building funds. The focus of this project is divisive narratives and their impact on social cohesion regionally as well as to address the hate speech and divisive narratives in the WB region. In Albania, UNFPA and UNDP coordinate closely to implement the activities at the country level.

During 2022-2024 the project created momentum by bringing youth into decision-making processes, leading to positive policy and legislative changes for youth in the region. During 2025-2026, the project will maintain and further expand these results through increasing alignment with the Women, Peace and Security and Youth, Peace and Security agendas at the strategic and operational levels. This proposed initiative will expand on previous efforts by building on country and territory-specific activities and lessons learned and fostering increased regional cohesion and cross-fertilization to implement the first UN regional project tackling hate speech and divisive narratives. In addition, this project introduces and embeds a strong gender dimension across outputs to directly address an important root cause behind the spread and persistence of divisive narratives in the region. 
[1] All references to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

UNFPA Albania is looking for a national consultant who will support Ministry of State for Youth and Children to revise the National Youth Strategy 2022-2029 (NYS), against five pillars of United Nations Youth Peace and Security Agenda (YPS Agenda), and translate the principles, components and guidance provided in the UN YPS Agenda and its related resolutions into strategic outcomes, outputs, activities and indicators to the best extent possible, by considering the Albanian context, by also considering the alignment with evolving national and EU accession priorities. The consultant will also coordinate with another national consultant, who is already hired by UNFPA to support MoYC in costing the implementation of the NYS. The final product of both consultants is the revised and costed NYS which incorporates YPS Agenda, ready for implementation by the MoYC. 

You would be responsible for:

In close coordination with UNFPA and UNDP Albania, and in close cooperation with the Minister of State for Youth and Children (MoYC) the national consultant, will complete the below tasks:

Submit the final document to MoYC, UNFPA, UNDP.

Duration and working schedule:

Total of 15 working days between the period of August – December 2025.

Deliverables: 

2 WD

August 2025

10 WD

October 2025

 December 2025

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Knowledge and Experience: 

Languages: 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

Exemplifying integrity, 

Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 

Embracing cultural diversity, 

Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

Achieving results,

Being accountable,

Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,

Thinking analytically and strategically,

Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.