International Consultant to Support Organization of Conference on Combating Child Labour in ASEAN/Southeast Asia

Terms of Reference

I.                    Background & Rationale

Child labour is a significant socio-economic problem that continues to affect the lives of many. In the Asia-Pacific Region alone, there are around 62 million children who are engaged in some form of labour.^[1]  In Viet Nam, the 2018 National Child labour survey identified an estimated 1, 031, 944 cases of child labour among 5-17 year olds, 51 per cent of whom are boys and 49 per cent are girls. In Viet Nam, where most child labour occurs within families and small household enterprises, it is generally deemed as natural for children to contribute to their family income. According to a 2019 survey on knowledge attitudes and practices towards child labour in Viet Nam, this attitude is particularly prevalent towards boys, who are viewed as more responsible for bearing household economic burdens in times of financial hardship. However, as broader research indicates, girls' work often takes more hidden forms, as they are more likely to face the double burden of combining household chores with economic activities.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified inequalities and disrupted work towards the protection of vulnerable groups—including children. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), the pandemic has devastating short, medium and long term effects on children—specifically those who are at the margins. This public health emergency not only restricts their movement, but also impacts their mental and physical health, as well as the full enjoyment of their basic rights.^[3] Existing literature on child labour in the relation to the pandemic in the region has pointed to a rise in cases.

Despite this shared issue, to date, there have been no joint activities involving Viet Nam and other ASEAN countries to engage scholars and research agencies in the prevention of child labor in ASEAN countries. There have also been limited efforts to share practical lessons learned, effective initiatives and models. In light of the current situation, a conference would be an effective way to promote the role and participation of scholars and research agencies in the prevention of child labour in ASEAN countries. This would contribute to the development of practical lessons on effective initiatives and models to improve the effectiveness of child labour prevention through scholars and researchers in Southeast Asia. It would also contribute to the expansion of multi-sectoral networks, and encourage increased discourse and more action on intersecting issues relevant to child labour. This would serve to promote the role of governments in the prevention of child labour and raise awareness on SDG Target 8.7.

To this end, the ENHANCEProject is seeking an international consultant to support the organization of a Conference on Combating Child Labour in ASEAN/Southeast Asia, in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including: ILO ENHANCE; the Vietnam National University- School of Law; the Southeast Asian Human Rights and Peace Studies Network (SEAHRN); and the Programme to Strengthen Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in ASEAN/Southeast Asia (SHAPE-SEA).

II.                  Objective/purpose

The purpose of the consultancy service is to coordinate preparation and organization of the Conference on Combating Child Labour in ASEAN/ Southeast Asia.

The specific objectives of the Conference are

• To increase awareness among scholars, practitioners, public officials and corporate and industrial sectors on child labour standards and issues
• To foster education on children’s rights in Vietnam and Southeast Asia; specifically, VNU-LS will ensure sufficient learning materials through the Master’s Programme on human rights;
• To build a strong regional and local network of lecturers, researchers and scholars at Vietnamese universities, and among Southeast Asian experts and scholars; and
• To disseminate materials developed from the conference (a booklet published by the project will be sent to related local state agencies, social organizations and academic institutions for education, reference and other professional purposes).

III.                Scope of Work

The consultant will work closely with the ILO ENHANCE project, the Vietnam National University School of Law, SEAHRN and SHAPE – SEA, to support the preparation, coordination and organization of the conference. Specific activities for the assignment may include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Based on a concept note jointly developed by related organizations, the consultant will support the development of the content and materials to promote the conference for uploading on the websites of SHAPESEA and SEAHRN.
• The consultant will be the contact point for communications and information exchanges with various stakeholders involved in the conference.   
• The consultant will work with the ILO ENHANCE Project, Viet Nam National University – Law school, SEAHRN and SHAPE – SEA to communicate progress.
• The consultant will collaborate with review committee members to mobilize and coordinate the review and selection process to identify relevant abstracts for the conference.
• The consultant will communicate with the selected participants to facilitate the development of articles for the conference.
• S/he will follow-up on requests, letters and invitations to ensure the involvement and mobilization of all stakeholders and relevant participants, including facilitators and key note speakers, to prepare and facilitate the conference.
• S/he will support the execution of the programme scheduled in the agenda, including coordinating and working with presenters, facilitators and key note speakers to finalize the papers and conference programme, and to prepare and facilitate the conference. 
• S/he will be responsible for developing a conference report. The report should at least outline a detailed schedule, the hosting stakeholders, participant numbers, content briefs from discussions and experience sharing, and any conclusions, follow-ups and recommendations from the conference.
• S/he will facilitate the consolidation and editing of the publication after the conference.

IV.                Specific Tasks and methodology

V.                  Expected results

• An international conference to be held Hanoi for 2 days with an online platform to facilitate the attendance of at least 60 participants, including at least 30 experts / scholars from other ASEAN countries (other than Viet Nam).
• A conference proceedings booklet will be available including a collection of speech papers, bilingual in print, to provide to relevant government agencies and social organizations in ASEAN and Viet Nam.

VI.                Timeline and Deliverables

1.       Submission of a collection of paper abstracts– 15 April  21

2.       A finalized collection of papers to present at the conference – 30 May 21

3.       Submission of a conference report – 30 June 21

4.       A conference publication – 31 August 21

VII.              Source of fund & financial agreement

Source of funds: 105007//032.028/581115- SEMINAR - CONSULTANTS

Financial agreement (in conjunction with above-mentioned expected deliverables)

Required qualifications and experience of the Consultant

The following qualifications are required for the selected consultant:

• At least 5 years’ experience  in the field of human rights, child protection, child labour;
• Knowledge of, and experience in the preparation, coordination and organization of the conference  at national and regional levels especially with scholars and researchers in Southeast Asia;
• Sound knowledge and skills of gender-sensitive planning, supporting and facilitating workshops, conferences and participatory training methodologies;
• Knowledge, understanding and experiences in working with the ILO ENHANCE project, the Vietnam National University School of Law, SEAHRN and SHAPE – SEA is an asset;
• Experience working in developing abstracts, articles and publications for international conferences;
• Excellent writing and communications skills.

VIII.            Submission of Proposal

Please send CV, including a cover letter and the proposed consultancy fee to [email protected] with copy to [email protected] before 5pm 17 March 2021.  Late submission will not be accepted.

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Funding is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL-26682-14-75-K-11.  This material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government. 100 percentage of the total costs of the project or program is financed with Federal funds, for a total of 8 million dollars.

Annex for internal use only:

The checklist in Annex 1 of IGDS No. 224 must be completed and attached to the Purchase Order in IRIS

ATTENTION NOTE

Please having more detailed information from Guidelines on the use of External Collaboration contracts and preparation of TORs

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