Consultant - Technical Support to the work on Biodiversity and Health

Result of Service The ultimate result of this consultancy will be a revised version of the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health which is aligned with the GBF and support the consideration of biodiversity and health linkages and the implementation of the One Health approach during GBF implementation.

Work Location Remote - Home-based

Expected duration Nine (9) 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 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 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.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will contribute to the work on Biodiversity and Health, under the Science, Society and Sustainable Futures Division, and will be under direct supervision by the program officer on biodiversity and health. He/she will perform the following duties:

In line with the GBF (decision 15/4), which should be implemented taking into account biodiversity and health considerations, and in line with the area of work on biodiversity and health (15/29); the consultant should support the SCBD by:

(i) Preparing a revised version of the Global Action Plan for Biodiversity and Health considering the following elements: (i) Feedback from the 24th meeting of the SBSTTA on the original version of the draft global action plan, (ii) recommendations from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, (iii) feedback from other stakeholders and actors.

(ii) Producing a revised version of the target messages that accompany the global action plan on biodiversity and health.

(iii) Support the SCBD in undertaking a peer review process for the revised version of the action plan. Support should include: (i) design of the peer review exercise, (ii) compilation and summary of peer review comments, and (iii) consideration of peer review comments in preparing a final revised version of the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health.

(iv) Producing an Information document that will accompany the revised Global Action Plan, on Biodiversity and Health that will include: (i) synthesis of key findings from recent publications in the areas of One Health, Planetary Health and Biodiversity and Health linkages that could be useful to support the implementation of the revised Global Actin Plan, (ii) information on resources available to support biodiversity mainstreaming into the other sectors and the up-taking of the One Health approach, including databases, websites and portals, tools, guidance, etc, (iii) suggestion of sectoral areas were biodiversity and health linkages could be mainstreamed.

(v) Present the revised Global Action Plan at SBSTTA 26 side event (May include traveling)

(vi) Contribute to other activities, as may be required.

Qualifications/special skills Academic qualifications

Advanced university degree in biological, environmental sciences or related field (Master's degree or equivalent) is required. A first level university degree combined with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible work experience in the field of biological, environmental sciences combined with experience in biodiversity and health linkages and the application of the One Health approach is required.

Work experience with an international organization and/or publications in the area of biodiversity and health is desirable.

Skills:

Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint) is required.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is desirable.

Additional Information OUTPUTS - TIMELINE

Expected Outputs:

Delivery of Outputs 1 and 2 (1st revised draft of the global action plan on biodiversity and health, and first draft information document). Tentative deliverable date: By 16 October 2023.

Delivery of output 3 (Supporting the peer review process). Tentative deliverable date: By 30 November 2023.

Delivery of output 4 (2nd revised draft of the global action plan on biodiversity and health including are vised version of the target messages that accompany the action plan; and revised version of information document). Tentative deliverable date By 11 December 2023.

Delivery of output 5 (presentation of action plan at SBSTTA 26 meeting). Tentative deliverable date: By 31 May 2024.

Due to the limited time available to carry out the activities the selected candidate(s) will be expected to commit to providing deliverables on time

TRAVEL

Travel may be required.

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.