UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private, government and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

Working in close collaboration with BPPS Gender Team, the Hubs also contribute to implementation of UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 (2022-2025), a corporate complement to the UNDP Strategic Plan, which guides the whole of the organization to accelerate progress for gender equality across all signature solutions (poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy, and gender equality). The Strategy establishes as one of the main goals to help governments to shift systems and power structures that generate and perpetuate gender inequalities and women’s empowerment promotes integrated approaches in each thematic area, stronger investments in data and analysis, the implementation of innovative solutions to transform social norms, and stronger partnerships with UN agencies and with civil society, in particular feminist and women’s groups. The BPPS Gender Team, in collaboration with other teams, spearheads flagships on gender equality such as EQUANOMICS, which supports countries in making fiscal policies work for women and for gender equality. EQUANOMICS works with countries to examine and address three linked pillars: tax reforms and debts, expenditures, and institutional strengthening for gender equality (through UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal programme).

BPPS’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on nature, climate change, energy, and waste. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:

• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;
• Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems;
• Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS;
• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
• Sustainable Energy;
• Extractive Industries;
• Chemicals and Waste Management;
• Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy; and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) approaches.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets.

The Biodiversity Finance Initiative – BIOFIN – was developed to provide a comprehensive methodology for governments to 1) review the existing policy context, 2) measure expenditure levels for biodiversity, 3) calculate future financial needs and 4) design strategic plans to deploy the right mix of finance solutions, tailored to the country context. The methodology has been conducted in 30 countries to date, with many now having reached the implementation stage.

BIOFIN’s first phase (2012 – 2019) enabled full assessments and initial implementation of finance plan elements in target countries. Based on lessons learned, a new and comprehensive version of the BIOFIN Methodology was developed. Significant scaling up of finance solutions is required in all 41 countries to address the biodiversity finance challenge. BIOFIN’s second phase (2018 – 2026) focuses mainly on the implementation of prioritised finance solutions while also allowing additional countries to undertake the initial assessments and create the finance plan. It will also focus on strengthening gender integration, including in fulfilment of UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) but also to deepen and propel transformative opportunities for gender equality in biodiversity finance and programming. BIOFIN is supported by the Governments of Germany, Canada, Flanders, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the European Union. (See more at www.biofin.org  for further information; see all guidance on UNDPs Social and Environmental Safeguards in the SES Toolkit.)

Anchored as part of the global and regional Gender Teams, together with the BIOFIN team under the Nature Hub, the Gender Equality and Safeguards Specialist will lead gender equality programming in the BIOFIN portfolio, ensuring risks are identified, safeguards are applied, and actions to propel transformational impact for gender equality are identified and put in place. The position will also help generate and share new knowledge on gender and biodiversity finance.

The incumbent will be located in the Istanbul Regional Hub premises with the Gender Team, reporting to the BIOFIN Global Manager and a Senior Advisor on Gender Equality, with day-to-day collaboration and management from the Regional Gender Team Lead/ Senior Gender Advisor in Istanbul.

Key Duties and Accountabilities

1.Lead gender equality programming, risks management, and safeguards in the Biodiversity Financing portfolio

• Review UNDP’s policies on gender equality, risks management and safeguards, as well as the Nature Pledge and other key Nature-related policies and strategies, and provide advice to ensure full compliance and to enhance integration and elevation of gender equality results;
• Review and update periodically (at least yearly) Social and Environmental Screening (SESP) and related risk registers for BIOFIN to ensure gender equality is targeted as one of the main results;
• Develop a Gender Analysis and corresponding Gender Equality strategies and plans for BIOFIN including key Financial Solutions;
• Support updating the BIOFIN social related risk analysis and risk log;
• Propose gender equality and Indigenous peoples and local communities indicators for M&E framework;
• Lead/contribute to corporate reporting processes (such as the Gender Equality Strategy Annual Report and Nature reporting) to ensure gender and biodiversity finance efforts are captured;
• Develop the capacity and conduct trainings for national teams, as well as global team members involved, and national counterparts in the fields of gender equality, risk analysis and applying safeguards;
• Review finance solution proposals and other relevant documents to identify risks and opportunities to enhance the positive impacts on gender equality;
• Appropriate and integrate gender, safeguard, and risk management inputs to the BIOFIN semestral reports, when required.
• Provide technical assistance to partners on how to best achieve results, particular on issues related to gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable groups, governance, international good practices, and the SDGs;
• Work closely with BIOFIN technical advisors and gender advisors and specialists to identify opportunities for project development and mobilizing resources to advance gender equality in BIOFIN portfolio;
• Contribute to project theory of changes as well as results framework to incorporate gender issues as well as needs of vulnerable groups.
• Contribute to sub-regional, regional, and global inter-agency initiatives related to biodiversity and gender equality and social inclusion agenda;
• Contribute to developing concept notes and proposals on gender equality and biodiversity;
• Identify and provide guidance on integrating biodiversity finance in gender equality programming and flagships, as relevant, such as EQUANOMICS.

2.Guide Gender Integration and Lead Risk Management, and Safeguards for BIOFIN at Country Level 

• Conduct gender analysis to inform the design of new financial solutions, country strategies and overall gender inclusion assurance, and ensure gender equality integration in newly developed concept notes and proposals;
• Integrate gender equality, risk management, and safeguards for Global and Country implementation of BIOFIN including planning for expenditures, activities, partnerships, resources, capacities, communication, and learning;

3.Facilitate Communication, Knowledge Management, Learning and Capacity Building on Gender & Biodiversity and Safeguards 

• Ensure gender equality integration into UNDP’s wider and BIOFIN’s knowledge eco-system including website, social media, internal CoP knowledge management platforms, and any developed knowledge products;
• Produce key strategic guidance and progress update documents on gender, biodiversity finance and development;
• Support research, design, analysis and presentation of data and information to inform policy briefs and position papers, elevating gender equality in the BIOFIN portfolio to strengthen evidence-based policies and programme design from a gender perspective;
• Contribute to global, regional, and national meetings as a resource person for sessions related to social risks, safeguards and gender equality;
• Contribute to the review of main tools like the BIOFIN workbook, Catalogue of finance solutions, and others to integrate a gender perspective and apply safeguards;
• Provide thematic inputs for knowledge management, communication, presentations, and other advocacy and reporting efforts;
• Strengthen partnerships and coordinate with key national stakeholders, UN agencies, civil society organizations, academia, research institutions and other stakeholders to advance gender equality programming and policy in the BIOFIN agenda;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide project improvements and future strategic interventions;
• Facilitate dialogue and experience sharing on integration of targeted results for gender equality among BIOFIN teams;
• Organize and conduct training for CO staff on gender advancement, gender equality, women’s empowerment, women’s issues, and social development;

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Gender Equality and Safeguards Specialist will be based in Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) hosted by the IRH Gender Team;
• The Gender Equality and Safeguards Specialist will work under the supervision of the BIOFIN Global Manager (day to day) and a Senior Advisor on Gender Equality (overall substantive guidance and oversight);
• The Gender Equality and Safeguards Specialist will work with the BIOFIN and Gender Equality global and regional/national Teams, UNDP Country Offices, core and donor country governments, other international/multi-lateral organizations, and contractors;
• The Gender Equality and Safeguards Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, relevant software, etc.) and shall have access to a stable, secure, and reliable internet connection;

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies