Associate Legal Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP is an Accredited Entity of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). To continue to strengthen this partnership with the GCF, UNEP is seeking an Associate Legal Officer to be located in the Corporate Service Division at the Nairobi duty station and assist the Green Climate Fund Coordinator in supporting the coordination functions with the Green Climate Fund. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) volunteer position will be located in the Green Climate Fund Coordination Unit of the Corporate Services Division.

The UNV volunteer will work for the GCF Unit in UNEP/CSD. The UNV will provide legal support, quality assurance of proposals, reporting, legal instruments, compliance and other matters.

Under the overall guidance of the Green Climate Fund Coordinator, Corporate Services, and direct supervision of the Legal Officer at the Green Climate Fund Coordination Office, the UNV volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the Legal officer to undertake quality reviews and completeness checks for Funding Proposals, Readiness and Preparatory Support proposals and project/programme operations prior to submission to GCF Secretariat; • Support coordination and finalization of annual project reporting exercises to the GCF, including the semi-annual reporting of UNEP’s Readiness Portfolio; and the annual performance reporting for UNEP’s Funded Activities approved by the Green Climate Fund; • Support the Legal Officer in the review of legal instruments and other agreements and amendments, • Support the Legal Officer in the review of policy decisions of the Green Climate Fund Board and analyse their implications for UNEP’s GCF pipeline and overall portfolio; • Support the Legal Officer in the review of UN or UNEP administrative issuances and policy decisions that may have implications for UNEP’s GCF pipeline and overall portfolio; • Support the Legal Officer to monitor implementation of Funded Activities, including monitoring compliance with conditions for disbursements and preparing requisite certificates and correspondence for the same; • Perform research and analysis, and prepare briefing notes, opinions, legal certificates and correspondences on the GCF programmatic cooperation for high-level meetings; • Support the development of guidance, toolkits and training materials for UNEP Divisions and internal teams to support development and implementation of GCF projects; • Under the guidance of the Legal Officer, maintain and improve existing databases and web portals to enhance the quality of data on pipeline, project database and registry; • Support knowledge management activities, including updates to the UNEP intranet ‘wecollaborate’. • Liaises with Corporate Services Division / Legal Unit as necessary. • Perform other related duties as required.

Results/Expected Output: • Effective support is provided to the GCF Coordination Office in the review of legal instruments, and to monitor the implementation of the UNEP-GCF portfolio of approved projects. • Timely reports are submitted to the GCF Secretariat as required under the respective legal agreements with the GCF secretariat. • UNEP Task Managers and Portfolio Managers are well supported with timely and accurate information through the UNEP intranet ‘wecollaborate’. • Provision of independent, accurate and comprehensive research. • Contributions to carefully conceived studies, recommendations, as well as well-written legal and other documents, reports, indictments, etc.

• Professionalism • Team Work • Communication • Client orientation • Planning and Organizing

corporate law, including legal and policy aspects of international contracts;(progressively responsible experience). • Experience with guidance on privileges and immunities, legal analysis, research and writing. • Previous experience with the United Nations is an advantage

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National 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.