JOB DESCRIPTION

Result of Service All deliverables are to be submitted electronically. a. By 20 October 2025: Annotated outline of the STS (maximum 6 single-spaced pages) and a summary of best practices and lessons learned from other LDCs (maximum 2 single-spaced pages). b. By 15 November 2025: Record of consultations, synthesizing key discussion points (maximum 10 single-spaced pages). Page 2 of 2 c. By 15 December 2025: Initial draft of the STS for review (maximum 30 single-spaced pages, excluding tables, figures and annexes) d. By 15 January 2025: Revised draft, incorporating feedback received (maximum 40 single-spaced pages, excluding tables, figures and annexes) In addition, the consultant will be requested to report the progress regularly to ESCAP and, as appropriate, present it at a national or regional workshop.

Work Location Remote

Expected duration 97 days

Duties and Responsibilities Cambodia is scheduled to graduate from its least developed country (LDC) status on December 19, 2029, following a five-year preparatory period endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly. This decision reflects Cambodia’s development progress across income, human assets, and economic and environmental resilience. However, this transition also involves the phasing out of LDC-specific international support measures (ISMs). The loss of these ISMs, particularly preferential market access schemes such as the European Union’s “Everything But Arms”, could impact the competitiveness of Cambodia’s key exports, especially garments. Furthermore, the transition to less concessional financing may raise the long-term cost of borrowing for public investment in critical infrastructure. To ensure a smooth and sustainable transition, a well-crafted national Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) is essential. This strategy, developed through inclusive consultations, will serve as a roadmap to ensure that the withdrawal of ISMs does not reverse hard-won development gains. In this context, ESCAP, as part of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on LDC Graduation (IATF), is seeking to engage an international consultant. The consultant will work closely with Cambodia’s Ministry of Planning (MoP) to support the formulation of the STS. The STS draft will then be used as inputs for further refinement, additional consultations, research, validation and finalization by the MoP in 2026. The consultant should be familiar with the LDC graduation process, understand the implications of graduation, possesses a solid understanding of Cambodia’s development status and trajectory. Prior experience in developing STS in other graduating or graduated countries is desirable. The following structure of STS was proposed in the Roadmap for Preparing Cambodia’s Smooth Transition for Graduation from LDC Status. Chapter 1: Cambodia’s Path to Graduation Chapter 2: Identifying the Impacts and Opportunities of LDC Graduation Chapter 3: Smooth Transition Strategies and Actions by Priority Chapter 4: Implementation Roadmap of STS Chapter 5: Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Framework DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Under the direct supervision of ESCAP, and in coordination with the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Cambodia (RCO) and the MoP, the consultant will undertake the following responsibilities: 1) Annotated STS Outline:

• Review STSs of other graduating or graduated countries and identify best practices and lessons learned.
• Develop an annotated outline for the STS, building on the Roadmap for Preparing Cambodia’s STS and incorporating lessons from the experiences of other LDCs. 2) Consolidation of inputs:
• Synthesize the expected direct and indirect impacts of graduation for Chapter 2, drawing on existing studies and conducting additional research where required.
• Organize consultations with stakeholders from ministries, development partners, NGOs and the private sector. These consultations will serve to discuss inputs for Chapters 2 and 3 and to solicit inputs for Chapters 4 and 5.
• Prepare necessary background documentation for these consultations, and post-meeting, maintain a detailed record, synthesizing key discussion points and outcomes.
• Consolidate and propose concrete mitigation measures for the identified impacts for Chapter 3.
• Identify other contextual challenges for Chapter 3, such as emerging trade restrictions and climate change, that could further pose challenges in the graduation process.
• Propose key enabling factors and strategies to sustain development after graduation for Chapter 3, highlighting existing strategies as well. 3) Initial STS Draft Preparation:
• Develop initial drafts of Chapters 2 and 3.
• Propose an implementation roadmap for Chapter 4 and a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework with a relevant governance structure for Chapter 5. 4) Presentation and Feedback Integration:
• Present the draft of the STS at a workshop or a meeting, tentatively scheduled for Q4 2025.
• Attend meetings of the National Committee on LDC Graduation when required.
• Maintain a record of feedback and comments received during the workshop or meeting.
• Update the draft and inputs by integrating feedback received and any additional inputs provided by the MoP, other relevant Government ministries and United Nations agencies, and inputs gathered via the Development Partner Coordination Mechanisms. Note: ESCAP will be responsible for soliciting and consolidating feedback from IATF members, including DESA and OHRLLS, and will provide this feedback to the consultant. The MoP will assist in facilitating communication and coordination with relevant government institutions.

Qualifications/special skills A master’s degree in economics or a related field is required. A PhD in these fields is an advantage. A minimum of 10 years of policy and/or research experience in development economics or a related field, with a demonstrated focus on Cambodia, is required. Proven expertise in LDC graduation is required. Previous experience in developing STS in other graduating or graduated countries is desirable.

Languages Fluency in English is required.

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.