Associate Legal Officer

Volunteering Legal Environment

Overview

Assist in legal services for environmental law initiatives

You have:

• Required experience in national or international environmental law areas.
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and inclusively with a range of partners.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and other office technology equipment.
• Desirable: valid national driver's license and ability to drive manual gear 4x4 over rough terrain.
• Sound security awareness is required.

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

The Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP in the field of environmental law, governance and related policy issues, including those related to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

This National UN Volunteer position is in the Montevideo Coordination and Delivery Unit (MCDU). The objectives of MCDU are as follows:- i. To serve as secretariat of the Montevideo Programme and work with Member States in an intergovernmental process to develop and implement priority areas of the Montevideo Programme V; ii. To provide technical assistance and advisory services to countries upon request to develop, strengthen and implement environmental laws and institutional frameworks. iii. To strengthen partnerships with various environmental law institutions and stakeholders including MEA Secretariats to enhance the application of environmental law. iv. To expand the knowledge base in the field of environmental law and to ensure a wider appreciation of environmental law through information products such as studies, publications, online digital platforms, environmental law tool kits and multimedia information products. v. To convene Meetings of the Steering Committee of Implementation to monitor the progress of the implementation of Montevideo Programme V as well as convening Global Meetings of National Focal Points of Montevideo Programme V.

Under the general guidance of the Head, MCDU and the day-to-day supervision of the Legal Officer, MCDU the UNV Associate Legal Officer will:

• Assist in providing technical legal assistance to countries to develop, strengthen and implement national environmental legislation, including framework environmental laws, climate change-related laws, biodiversity-related laws and pollution-related national legislation.
• Assist in initiating and implementing capacity-building initiatives under the UNEP Programme of Work and the Montevideo V Project focusing on various stakeholders including Government officials, Parliamentarians, Legal Practitioners, Academicians, Law Enforcement Officials etc.
• Assist in organizing and servicing environmental law meetings including unit meetings, issue-based meetings, and Montevideo Programme V meetings that are organized by the Unit.
• Assist in collating from colleagues in the unit and providing input for quarterly reports and other reports required from time to time. • Prepare routine correspondence, briefs and legal documents using various templates such as for Small Scale Funding Agreements (SSFAs) and undertaking due diligence procedures in the Partnership Portal as well as Consultancies in Inspira among other templates found in Teams.
• Undertake studies, and review and prepare publications and assist in updating online products of the Unit including Law and Environmental Assistance Platform (LEAP) and other unit toolkits. • Undertake other activities as assigned by the Head of Unit and the supervisor.

• Professionalism • Planning and organising • Teamwork

focusing on or addressing national environmental law or international environmental law areas is required. Experience in the field of climate change, biodiversity or pollution is desirable.

• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Desirable: valid national driver’s license and proven ability to drive manual gear 4x4 over rough terrain; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in environmental governance volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethi-opia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; Na-tional Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org