JOB DESCRIPTION

Result of Service

Progress report on mainstreaming and structured overview are prepared on timely manner ahead of the meeting of the Subsidiary Body, mainstreaming aspects identified in national reports are analyzed and reflected in the Global Review, meetings of the Subsidiary Body of Implementation and COP17 are supported and parallel events at COP17 are successfully organized.

Work Location

Hybrid

Expected duration

11 months

Duties and Responsibilities

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING The United Nations Environment Programme 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. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for ”sustainable development”. The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature in Rio in 1992. The Convention has 196 Parties and has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme. Its main tasks are to arrange for and service meetings of the Conference of the Parties, including preparation of pertinent documentation, operation of the central node of the clearing-house mechanism, liaison and coordination with other international bodies and processes and, in close collaboration with these partners, the provision of technical support for the effective implementation of the Convention. Additional information on the Convention, COP decisions and documents can be found on the CBD website at: www.cbd.int. Duties and Responsibilities Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Programme Officer, BETI Unit, and the overall guidance of the Senior Programme Officer and head of the unit, SSSF Division, the consultant will take the lead in discharging the work programme on mainstreaming, and in particular:

• Collect, organize and analyze good practices, tools, mechanisms, guidance and solutions shared by Parties, governments, organizations and other stakeholders, and prepare a structured overview of such information to support biodiversity mainstreaming across relevant sectors, for dissemination through the clearing-house mechanism.
• Integrate and adapt a platform within the clearing-house mechanism, in line with the knowledge management strategy, to support exchange of best practices and lessons learned on the implementation of the Framework, with particular attention to Goal D, Targets 14, 15, 18 and 19, and the resource mobilization strategy.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity-building on biodiversity mainstreaming by organizing virtual dialogues aiming to foster sector-specific communities of practice, with diverse stakeholders (including subnational governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth networks, private sector, NGOs and financial institutions).
• Review and analyze submitted national reports to identify biodiversity mainstreaming elements, trends and gaps, and synthesize findings to inform the Global Review and related reporting processes.
• Prepare a progress report on the mainstreaming related activities to be considered by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation to be held before the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.
• Support the organization of parallel and associated events at COP17 such as the Business and Biodiversity Forum, the Finance and Biodiversity Day and the Action Zone with a view to strengthen stakeholder engagement and the successful implementation of the GBF.
• Support servicing pertinent agenda items at the meetings of the Conference of the Parties and its subsidiary bodies.
• Contribute to overall communication and outreach of the Secretariat on the subject matter.
• Undertake other related functions and associated support to relevant cross-cutting work of the Secretariat, as requested by the Executive Secretary, the Principal Officer of the SSSF Division, and/or the Head of BETI Unit.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic qualifications: Advanced level university degree in international relations or related fields is required. Interdisciplinary exposure across environmental, social and/or economic disciplines is desirable. A first level university degree combined with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Experience: A minimum of two years of working experience on environmental policy development and associated natural resource and ecosystem management are required. Experience in organizations linked to the environment, international organizations, the UN and/or the CBD is desirable. Experience on biodiversity mainstreaming, economics or business links is desirable. Skills: Skills in planning, organizing, and support in servicing meetings at international level including skills in drafting documents for various purposes and audiences (policy documents, reports, minutes, briefings) are required. Competencies: Communication

• Teamwork
• Planning and Organizing

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is desirable. NOTE: “Fluency equals a rating of “fluent” in all four areas (read, write, speak, understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of “confident” in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Special conditions The work location for this position is Montreal, Canada. The successful candidate must be based in the same time zone (Eastern Time, GMT-5) or in a time zone with slight difference, to ensure that working hours are convenient and aligned for both the consultant and the Secretariat. Travel may be required. The consultant should support servicing of the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body of Implementation scheduled to take place in August 2026 and COP17 in October 2026.

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.