Communications & Advocacy 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.

UNEA 5 The first session of UNEA-5 (UNEA-5.1) was held online on 22-23 February 2021 with a revised and streamlined agenda that focused on urgent and procedural decisions. UNEA-5.1 was prepared at the fifth meeting of the Open-Ended Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, which was organized online on 15-16 February 2021.

Substantive matters that require in-depth negotiations will be deferred to a resumed in-person session of UNEA-5 on 28 February – 2 March 2022 (UNEA-5.2). UNEA-5.2 will be followed by a Special Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-SS), to be held 3-4 March 2022, which will be devoted to commemorating of the 50th anniversary of the creation of UNEP in 1972.

UNEA-5 is an opportunity for Member States to share best practices for sustainability. It will create a momentum for governments to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic through green and

Objective of Assignment: This role is required in the Ecosystem Division to support the Director’s Office to assist in the organization and production of briefing notes and UNEA-5.2 side events with the objective to increase advocacy outputs, impacts, and ensuring a common narrative.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of The Chief, Environmental Education & Training Unit or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Youth and Education Unit will: 1. Provide assistance to the Director's Office on internal and external communication and advocacy: Providing support in developing clear, concise, and descriptive communication materials that convey to the Division’s content to and for senior management in raising the organization’s profile on nature, biodiversity and the ecosystems in general. • Support the preparation and review of speaking points/briefing notes/speeches at short notice: Analytical review, development and/or compiling of speaking points/briefing notes/speeches, etc. for the Division Director to Senior Management, working with the technical and policy experts in the Branches on the different priority themes, to ensure that the messaging is clear and in line with the Division and UNEP’s overall priorities; • Participate in the Division’s Communication Focal Point Group: Work with the Group to identify key events and moments for advocacy and communication activities, ensuring that the Director has readily available highlights that enhance the visibility of the Division’s lead role within the context of the organisation’s goals and priorities as outlined in the Medium-Term Strategy as well as other initiatives with high visibility on issues such as the UN Decade on Ecosystems restoration, Marine Litter and other key agendas for the division. 2. Advocacy support across the division at key moments, with a focus on UNEA: • With other colleagues leading on communication and advocacy in the Division, to support in the curation of plans for UNEA and its planned side-events – and ensuring that the Division has a clear plan and approach to make this event a success. • Support in the hands-on production of side events from Member States, UN entities, representatives from the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA’s), accredited major groups and stakeholders, and UN Environment Programme Regional Offices and Divisions • Support in the coordination and briefing of speakers and side-event organisers; preparation of run-of-shows; collation and organisation of pre-recorded video content. • Support the coordination of packaging and online hosting of side events / high level segments for UNEA (in collaboration with others) and working through what other demands are needed 3. Support other tasks as required: • Support the team on key projects as when / required such as: • Supporting the advocacy objectives of the unit’s non-formal education work including the work on sport, gaming and plastics; • Supporting the advocacy objectives of the unit’s formal education work including the Youth and Education Alliance and the work around nature, behaviour change, decarbonization, curriculum change and government engagement.

Results/expected outputs The UNV is expected to deliver the following outputs; • Talking points and briefs as required from the organisation for senior management and high-level strategic activities and events, duly organized and filed in the database. • A series of impactful digitally hosted UNEA side events aligned to UNEA’s outcomes are successfully packaged and hosted online, with a blend of high-impact, digital / offline moments with wide reach. • Advocacy materials: content to support key advocacy moments such as UNEA within the Division.

• Professionalism • Teamwork and respect for diversity: • Planning and organizing: • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNEP’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

relevant field. A professional work experience at the national/or international level working in a university environment with insight as to how to work with such institutions around the tasks described above, or other relevant programmes; as is experience working with youth movements, higher education or in the UN or other international development organization; • Knowledge of project design: a strong track record of designing projects that secure buy-in and generate results (essential), project management: able to deliver highly complex projects of a global nature efficiently and effectively; • Experience in videography and video-editing will be preferred but is not essential. • Experience in online event production with be preferred but is not essential. • Excellent oral and written skills – strong writer of stories and proposals that support the agenda of the week, excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills, and able to bring diverse group of individuals and partners together to agree a collective programme of work as well as able to write high quality reports and proposals as required; • 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 MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment, ability to think creatively about how to evolve pre-existing programmes to have maximum impact; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision, ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in Advocacy, 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, 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.