The Global Stocktake (GST) has underscored that the world is falling short of the ambitious 1.5oC goal set forth in the Paris Agreement. Persistent gaps and challenges are hindering progress towards mitigating climate change and significant efforts will have to be undertaken to cut global greenhouse gas (GHG) to the required levels indicated by science. The GST also included stronger references to institutional framework, human rights, social inclusion and gender equality. To complement the Global Stocktake decision agreed at COP28, which offers valuable insights into the global trajectory, as well as certain measures that should be considered in addressing existing gaps, there is a need for detailed, information for governments to assess their country’s own progress in implementing their more recent climate pledges.

The country is approach the next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) revision cycle, and globally the world is presented with an enormous opportunity to strengthen NDCs once again and get back on track to the 1.5 pathway. At the same time, it is clear that raising ambition is intricately connected to seeing progress on implementation of current NDC targets and measures. Building on the guidance provided by the Global Stocktake, countries are expected to embark on the revision process, extend timelines and explore an economy-wide scope, while ensuring alignment with 1.5oC.  As a critical starting point of this 2025 NDC revision process, the country will therefore need to reflect on the progress made to date on their current NDCs in order to identify bottlenecks, gaps, and opportunities for raising further ambition, and inform the next generation of NDCs.

Turkmenistan as the party of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have submitted NDCs which indicate the mitigation and adaptation targets they are willing to reach to achieve the Paris Agreement goals as soon as possible.

In addition, UNDP considers NDCs as gateways for advancing not only climate targets but also achieving sustainable development priorities such as leaving no one behind, a rights-based approach centred on empowerment, inclusion, equity, human agency and human development capabilities which recognizes that poverty and inequality are multidimensional. In this regard, UNDP’s direction of change involves supporting countries in recognizing the rights, priorities and needs of underrepresented actors, such as women, Indigenous Peoples and youth, typically excluded from climate policymaking.

Through the Climate Promise, UNDP is supporting countries to undertake a national stocktake to support the modernization of national legislation, to identify the level of integration of gender equality and social inclusion aspects in NDC planning and implementation. The primary purpose of the NDC stocktake is to comprehensively assess national progress towards the Paris Agreement pledges and identify needs and opportunities as well as remaining challenges and recommendations for improvement in the next round of NDC. The objective of the assignment is to assess the progress made at the country level on modernization of national legislation, implementing gender equality and social inclusion commitments included in the previous NDC and assess the level of integration of these aspects. Through facilitating collective reflection on NDC implementation, the aim is to encourage higher ambition and quality of the existing NDC, using an inclusive approach, which both recognizes and promotes a human rights-based approach, advances gender equality and women’s empowerment, enhances intergenerational equity, strengthens effective participation and leadership, increases capacities and knowledge to drive implementation and strengthens access to and control over resources such as finance, information, and technology of underrepresented groups typically excluded from the NDC planning and implementation process.
The NDC Implementation Stocktake project is implemented under the auspices of the UNDP CO Turkmenistan.

Implementation of the enabling activities under this Terms of Reference will be carried out using the existing national infrastructure and institutional setting already established for the phased implementation of the NDC of Turkmenistan.

• Review whether institutional arrangements and coordination mechanisms effectively engage institutions or ministries working on gender and women’s empowerment, youth, social inclusion and/or Indigenous peoples issues;
• Review whether there is evidence of institutional strengthening on gender and social inclusion in climate action, such as through capacity building  and/or awareness raising efforts;
• Based on the institutional coordination analysis above, articulate any concrete recommendations to improve the social inclusiveness and gender responsiveness of institutional arrangements within the overall climate change policy framework and coordination process.

2) Integration of legislative, social inclusion and gender equality:

• Review the country’s NDC and analyze the national legislation in the field of climate change and related level of integration of gender equality and social inclusion considerations in NDC implementation to address structural inequalities and close gender gaps4
• Analyse the level of integration of gender equality and social inclusion in implemented adaptation/ mitigation measures. Identify barriers/challenges and provide recommendations to promote greater ambition on the integration of gender-responsive and socially inclusive actions/measures into the NDC.

3) Policy alignment:

• Assess how climate policy and legal frameworks (i.e. the NDC) align with international legal framework related to recognition of human rights and climate change;
• Identify any potential gaps and barriers for integrating gender and social inclusion into climate and/or sectoral policies and provide recommendations for relevant government entities on integrating gender and inclusivity aspects into the relevant policies.

4) Capacity building:

• Analyse if country have built capacities on the interlinkage of gender, social inclusion and climate change and then identify any capacity gaps in this regard relates it relates to NDC planning and implementation;
• Assess what actions have been taken to enhance the capacities of women’s groups, Indigenous peoples and youth in climate matters;
• Analyse to what degree capacity building approaches have been successful in engaging and empowering Indigenous women and youth in climate matters and processes;
• Develop recommendations for consideration by the NDC team of experts in drafting and delivering the relevant capacity building trainings for the relevant national entities.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements