The purpose of the consultancy is to support the Youth, Women, Civil Society and Private Sector Fora of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

UN in support of peace and security in the Great Lakes Region is an EU-funded Programme with the overall objective to promote ongoing peacebuilding and consolidation efforts in the African Great Lakes Region, in support of ICGLR. It is implemented jointly by the UN (through UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in coordination with ICGLR. The three overall outcomes of the project are:

Outcome 1: The ICGLR Peace and Security Programme is strengthened.
Outcome 2: Control of the exploitation of selected mineral resources (tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold) is enhanced.
Outcome 3: The provisions of the Protocol on Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence Against Women and Children are effectively applied in the Great Lakes Region.

UNFPA is responsible for activities under Outcome 1, i.e. “A1.5 Support for the participation of the ICGLR Fora (multifunctional Youth Forum, Women Forum, Civil Society Forum and Private Sector Forum) in the ICGLR consultative process”. The activities are implemented during 2019-2020.

UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a joint strategic engagement between the two Agencies since 2008. The Joint Programme aims to protect girls and women by accelerating abandonment of FGM and also providing care for its consequences for those who are already subjected to the practice. The programme will also support initiatives which have served to amplify efforts to position the issue of FGM high on the international Agenda.