Result of Service

The selected consultant will be expected to carry out the following activities, outputs and fulfill the following indicators: 1. Country-Specific Legal Processes – On the basis of the documents, procedures and legal frameworks already developed by the Alliance related to the intellectual property registration of the Environmental Label of America, conduct a legal study for each of the five countries to determine the specific requirements for registering trademarks (logo and seal) as intellectual property. – Provide guidance on how to adapt the trademark registration applications based on the national laws of each country. – Draft and prepare necessary legal documents for trademark applications, including trademark registration forms, authorization letters, and any contracts required for brand protection. 2. Support the trademark Registration and Submission – Support the Alliance to submit trademark registration applications for the Alliance’s logo and seal to the relevant intellectual property offices in each country. – Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and deadlines in each jurisdiction. – Facilitate communication with the relevant authorities (e.g., intellectual property offices, trademark authorities) to ensure smooth processing of applications. 3. Follow-up and Compliance – Provide ongoing support to the Alliance and its members to address any queries or issues raised by the national intellectual property authorities during the review of trademark applications. – Monitor application progress and ensure compliance with procedural requirements until the trademarks are successfully registered. 4. Post-Registration Strategy – Offer recommendations on post-registration brand protection strategies, including mechanisms to monitor and enforce the Alliance’s trademark rights in each country, in line with the Trademark Protection Strategy. – Develop a plan to address potential trademark infringements and provide guidance on legal recourse options.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

As the UN’s leading environmental entity, UNEP, tackles environmental problems at global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental political consensus, keeping the global environment under review, and informing governments and the international community of emerging issues for their action. The mid-term strategy (MTS) 2022-2025 highlights unsustainable consumption and production as the main drivers of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – the three planetary crises. To combat these interconnected issues, advocacy for a holistic approach that promotes a shift towards a resource-efficient and circular economy is needed. This consultancy is part of the project “Greening supply and demand: Promoting Ecolabels and Sustainable Public Procurement for climate and biodiversity protection (Eco-Advance).” The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV), through the International Climate Initiative. One of the objectives of the project is to assist the regional environmental labeling program called the Environmental Alliance of America (referred to as Alianza Ambiental de América or “the Alliance”), a regional initiative of Latin American countries that strives to create a regional ecolabel known as the Environmental label of America. The initiative aims to develop common criteria for products, processes, and services among countries and increase regional recognition and awareness of sustainable products and services. The Alliance has made significant progress toward legally constituting itself. The Alliance now seeks to register its logo and seal as intellectual property in Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay. The consultant will support the Alliance to register and protect the logo and seal as trademarks in the aforementioned countries. Objective The main objective of this consultancy is to provide legal support for the registration of the Alliance’s logo and seal in Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay, ensuring secured intellectual property rights for the Alliance’s brand in these countries.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced University Degree (master’s or equivalent) in Intellectual Property Law or a related field, such as Non-profit Law, is required. A first-level university degree in law with at least 2 (two) years of qualified and relevant professional experience is accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. – A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated professional competence in legal affairs, including general intellectual property knowledge or non-profit organization law – Experience working with Latin American legal frameworks is required. Familiarity with intellectual property laws in Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay is desirable. – Experience in registering trademarks for international or regional organizations is desirable. – Ability to work independently, using independent judgment to plan, prioritize and organize a diverse workload in a fast-paced environment. – Special skills/knowledge: Intellectual Property Law or a related field, such as Non-profit Law.

Languages

For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written Spanish is required. English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. 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.