Result of Service

3. Specific tasks to be performed by the consultant: Under the guidance of the responsible substantive secretariat staff, the consultant shall: • Conduct legal research in the field of asset recovery and asset return, focusing on cases involving multilateral actors; • Draft the background paper on partnering with multilateral actors for asset return (20-30 pages); • Support preparation of an expert meeting in Addis Ababa, participate in the meeting and contribute to drafting the report of the meeting. 4. Expected tangible and measurable output(s)/deliverable(s): The assigned tasks are to be performed between 1 August and 30 September 2024, over 30 working days. The Consultant will perform the assigned functions under the direct supervision of one staff member and the overall supervision of the Chief, Convention Support Section, Corruption and Economic Crime Branch, and will be home-based. The remuneration to be paid will be determined by HRMS on the basis of the level of the functions to be performed and the level of qualifications of the consultant. The consultant is expected to deliver oral progress reports with a description of how the assigned work is being carried out, together with a submission of specific deliverables. Payment of the fee will be made in two installments upon submission of the deliverables as provided below. No payment will be made if the consultant fails to complete the service specified in the contract or the terms of reference to the full satisfaction of UNODC/CEB. If the service is carried out partially, a determination will be made of the amount, if any, to be paid, based on that part of the work completed.

Work Location

Home based with travel to Addis Ababa to participate in an expert meeting in December 2024

Expected duration

15/08-31/12/2024

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Background of the assignment: In 2017, the Economic and Social Council Forum on Financing for Development follow up (“FfD Forum”) encouraged States to strengthen international cooperation on the recovery and return of stolen assets, recognized that asset return was a priority and supported “continued exchanges on the development of good practices on asset return”. Furthermore, in the political declaration entitled “Our common commitment to effectively addressing challenges and implementing measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation” adopted by the General Assembly at its special session against corruption held in 2021, Member States recognized the importance of asset recovery and return in the fight against corruption and that it, inter alia, contributes to fostering sustainable development and promoting justice and the rule of law at all levels and in all States. Similarly, the Conference of the States Parties (COSP) to the Convention adopted resolution 7/1 at its seventh session, encouraging States parties to make full use of the possibility of concluding agreements or mutually acceptable arrangements for the return and final disposal of confiscated property pursuant to article 57, paragraph 5, of UNCAC and to consider the SDGs in the use and management of recovered assets. In its resolution 9/2, the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention requested the secretariat and invited the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative, to, inter alia, expand the global knowledge and data collection on asset recovery and return through gathering and sharing information on challenges and good practices, as well as on volumes of assets frozen, seized, confiscated and returned in relation to corruption offences. In this context, UNODC has organized a series of meetings to offer a platform to bring the Convention, the sustainable development and the financing for development agenda together. A first International Expert Meeting on the management and disposal of recovered and returned stolen assets, including in support of sustainable development was held in Addis Ababa in February 2017, a second International Expert Meeting on the Return of Stolen Assets (Addis II), was held in Addis Ababa in May 2019, and a third meeting on asset return and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was held in Nairobi from 28 to 29 November 2022. A fourth meeting in this meeting series will be held in Addis Ababa in December 2024. The purpose of the fourth expert meeting in the “Addis process” is to: a) exchange information and learn from latest developments, including recent successful asset return cases and their impact on sustainable development; b) examine more in depth the use of multi-lateral funds as vehicles for asset return, and consider the creation of non-binding guidelines on effective safeguards for partnering with multilateral actors; c) hold bilateral and multilateral case meetings between requested and requesting jurisdictions to advance asset recovery and return cases. To inform the discussions, a background paper on partnering with multilateral actors for asset return will be prepared, drawing on existing case experience. 2. Purpose of the assignment: The aim of the contract is to assist the secretariat in conducting research and drafting the background paper on partnering with multilateral actors for asset return.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, business administration, management, accounting, economics, international relations, criminal law or a related field is required. A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be considered in lieu of the advanced university degree. • Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional legal experience, including legal research and drafting is required. • Knowledge of crime prevention and criminal justice issues; knowledge of and experience in anticorruption, particularly related to asset recovery and return and to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and its Conference of the States Parties is desirable. • Knowledge of involvement of multilateral actors in asset return cases is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English, i.e. oral and written proficiency, is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.