ILCA is seeking interested members to volunteer for its United Nation Liaison team. A Liaison for ILCA is a person so designated by ILCA to serve as its representative and spokesperson in communications with specific external organizations and communities, in this instance the United Nations.
ILCA is part of the Uniter Nations Breastfeeding Advocacy Team (UNBAT) which is a grouping of NGOs that share ILCA’s breastfeeding advocacy. This group also includes WABA and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Liaisons have been able to introduce other NGOs to the importance of breastfeeding and appropriate support for optimal infant and young child feeding. ILCA finds natural partners among NGOs who care about infant and maternal health; security and poverty reduction and gender equality.
Representing ILCA, as a liaison to the United Nations, is a diplomacy job but an easy one to learn if you truly believe in ILCA’s vision that the IBCLC is the globally recognized professional authority in lactation and mission to advance the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) profession worldwide through leadership, advocacy, professional development, and research.
Essential criteria:
- Member of ILCA in good standing
- Current IBCLC
- Ability to attend meetings in New York as needed
- Live within a reasonable proximity to New York City – train or bus preferable
Desirable criteria:
- Basic understanding of the United Nations system and the relationship of NGO’s to the system.
- A knowledge of documents used for advocacy include the Innocenti Declarations (1990 & 2005), Convention on the Rights of the Child, the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding, the WHO Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and all subsequent relevant WHO resolutions.
- Ability to identify and track external trends in the United Nations system to ensure ILCA’s timely participation and use of best practices.
- Commitment to respond to e-mails and work with the ILCA team and other breastfeeding representatives.
- Ability to help draft statements for various United Nations documents and seek ILCA board approval for statements.
- Forward written reports on meetings attended to ILCA Board Liaison for approval prior to publishing in eGlobe and ILCA’s website.
- Excellent diplomacy and communication skills.
- Ability to identify and mentor members for the group who can provide expertise, professionalism and cooperative effort to the group’s mission.
Term of Office: Three years
If you live within a reasonable proximity to New York City by train or bus and are interested in applying for the volunteer position of United Nation Liaison team, please forward a brief CV to Joy Heads, Director of Global Outreach at joyheads@ilca.org and fill out a Volunteer Application.
