Duties and Responsibilities

 Assignments include: • Provide advisory support to the RC and UNCT in Pakistan in support of the Living Indus programme for the basin’s ecological restoration that was developed jointly by the Ministry of Climate Change and the United Nations in Pakistan under a directive of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Committee on Climate Change. The consultant will provide high level advice, oversight and technical assistance as required to support implementation of the programme. • Facilitate strategic engagement among RCs and UNCTs in Bhutan, Nepal and India to advance specific common priorities on climate and environment with a focus on the transboundary Manas Kanchenjunga Landscape on which UNEP regional office, in collaboration with partners, will undertake a situational analysis and catalyze joint UN action. • Explore other opportunities in countries in the region. • Provide advisory support to the UNEP Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific for the development of an expanded UNEP advisory support system to RCs, UNCTs in the region building on existing support provided by UNEP through the UNCT Focal Point system and Regional Collaborative Platform.

• Facilitate access for RCs and UNCTs to regional assets, knowledge and mechanisms on climate, biodiversity and waste/pollution action, including through the Regional Collaborative Platform and relevant Issue Based Coalitions • Utilizing and building on expertise from UN agencies, funds and programmes with relevant mandates, and working through existing inter-agency coordination groups in-country (such as the CF Results Groups), advise RCs in selected countries on key entry points, strategic approaches and partnerships that the UNCT could pursue to enhance cohesive support on climate and environment in the national policy-making apparatus. • In selected countries and through the RC’s leadership, offer policy advisory services to the UNCT to identify key elements of an integrated approach on climate change adaptation and mitigation (sectoral transitions such as in transport, energy, food and agriculture, forests, waste, etc.), biodiversity loss and pollution in the context of wider SDG implementation and financing, and the nexus of humanitarian response, peace & security, human rights and development. • In selected countries, facilitate and support the RC and UNCT in engagement with senior level government officials and decision-makers across the breadth of government, and in the private sector, finance (public and private), civil society and academia to advance priority actions identified for the UNCT on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. • Review relevant documents as requested and provide feedback with a view to shaping high-quality plans, policies and programmes to advance the climate and environment agendas. • Maintain regular calls with UNEP regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific for updates and information exchange on planning and developments.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree in Development Studies, Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Sustainability, Economics, International Relations, Political Science, or a related field. A minimum of 10 years of work experience in senior leadership positions in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific is required. Experience engaging with senior and decision-making levels of government, private sector and civil society organizations is required. Familiarity with the Rio conventions, other global, regional and bilateral environmental agreements, and their associated processes, is required.

Experience supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships on sustainable development is required. Experience in high-level strategic analysis and developing integrated policy and programmes across the environment agenda (i.e., biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and pollution) as well as across broader the sustainable development agenda is required. Experience working with international financial institutions and private finance on climate and environmental issues is required. Experience in UN system is desirable. Experience in working and strategic support to UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams in Pakistan and in the Pacific is desirable. Strong familiarity with the socio-economic development, politics, and environmental challenges of selected countries is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.