Result of Service

The consultant will support the delivery of Outputs with the overall objective to provide technical assistance and support to UN Country Teams to promote and protect the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in Asia Pacific. The consultant will undertake research and prepare the deliverables under the supervision of the Regional Coordinator for Environmental Governance. The consultant will carry out the activity to prepare a situation report on Human Rights and the Environment for 3 target countries: Timor Leste, Mongolia, and Malaysia.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP’s Asia and the Pacific Office geographically serves 41 countries across the region to promote and implement sustainable development solutions. It assists countries of the region pursue sustainability, particularly in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including technical expertise, facilitating access to finance, undertaking cutting-edge science-policy assessments, offering advisory services and strengthening laws, policies, management and governance. UNEP works with national and local authorities, civil society, other UN organizations, research institutions and the private sector to catalyze the efficient use of the region’s natural assets and reduce the degradation of the environment. UNEP has been working on human rights and the environment for almost two decades and engages with members States and other actors to promote, protect and respect environmental rights under the Environmental Rights Initiative. A core pillar of the Environmental Rights Initiative is integrating environmental rights, including rights to a healthy environment into UN processes. These processes include the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the UN regional cooperation mechanisms particularly the Issue Based Coalitions (IBC). The UN Cooperation Framework draws upon the UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) for its situation analysis, priority setting and programmatic focus. The CCA is the UN system’s independent, impartial and collective assessment (i.e., a description of a country situation) and analysis (i.e., a description of causes and their implications) of a country’s situation for its internal use in developing the Cooperation Framework. It examines progress, gaps, opportunities and bottlenecks vis-à-vis a country’s commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda, UN norms and standards and the principles of the UN Charter including human rights. Multi-disciplinary in nature, the CCA seeks to engender integrated, cross-pillar systems thinking, summarizing the interlinkages and integrated nature of the SDGs; multidimensional factors spanning the development, humanitarian, peacebuilding and human rights spectrum; the country’s legal, institutional, policy and financial landscape as it pertains to the 2030 Agenda and; the root causes of crises – potential or actual – in order to prioritize our support in preventing these. In other words, the CCA should both reflect and support the ambitious and transformational change called for in the 2030 Agenda and guide how the UN can further that Agenda. In this new generation of CCA’s, there is a requirement to integrate analysis of human rights and the environment, and their impact on achieving the 2030 Agenda in the country. In this context, UNEP and the broader regional UN development system has been receiving an increasing number of requests from RCs and UN Country Teams to support them on the analysis of environment and human rights issues to feed into the UN CCA and UN Cooperation Framework.

Qualifications/special skills

A first level law degree from a university or institution of equivalent status with specialization in environmental related field, including natural resources management, environmental assessment, environmental policy, or law. A minimum of seven years of experience with environmental law and governance is required. Experience in designing and delivering analysis on environmental rule of law is desired. Working experience in engaging and effective communications with diverse organizations and audiences is desired

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.

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.