Digital Sequence Information Support Individual Contractor

Consultant Environment Finance & Economy

Overview

Support organization and servicing of DSI-related meetings and communications.

You have:

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• A first level university degree in environmental science, law or policy, communication or related fields is desirable.
• A minimum of Seven (7) years of work experience in the field of environmental issues, policy or legal research, communication or related areas is required.
• Experience within a Multilateral Environmental Agreements sphere is desirable.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of other United Nations languages is desirable.
• Strong communication and some website maintenance skills are required.
• Strong understanding of formal meeting processes and protocols, especially in international or multi-stakeholder settings.
• Strong attention to detail and document management skills are required.
• Proven ability to write clearly and concisely and excellent communication skills for interacting with various stakeholders, including Parties and other external entities, regarding DSI and related matters.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

General support of work done on DSI by the Secretariat, in particular: - Smooth organization and servicing of the meetings of the Steering Committee of the multilateral mechanism, including the Cali Fund; - Smooth organization and servicing of the meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Allocation Methodology; - Timely and quality organization of submissions of views for the programme officers to synthesize; - Well maintained website on DSI and on the Cali Fund; - Quality organization and maintenance of documents in shared folders online.

Work Location

Montreal

Expected duration

Six (6) 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. Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme Management Officer and the direct supervision of the DSI Programme Management Officer, the individual contractor will perform the following duties: • Contribute to the preparations and service of meetings, including meetings of the Steering Committee to the multilateral mechanism, the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Allocation Methodology, and other inter-sessional meetings related to DSI; • Organize the submissions of views from Parties and observers for the three requests for submissions of views, acknowledging receipt, keeping track of submissions and organizing documents; • Respond to inquiries and requests from Parties and stakeholders regarding the Secretariat’s work on DSI, the multilateral mechanism for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, and the Cali Fund; • Assist with communications and outreach related to DSI, the multilateral mechanism and the Cali Fund, including with the website; • Provide logistical and technical assistance for the organization of capacity-building activities for DSI; • Ensure all communications, outputs, services provided are properly categorized, updated, and recorded and that the requisite follow up actions have been initiated with a view to ensuring that all issues are resolved in a prompt and organized manner; • Contribute to and assist in the preparation of relevant official documents, reports, proposals, budgets, notifications, and other relevant materials; and • Carry out other activities related to DSI as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic qualifications: High school diploma or equivalent is required. A first level university degree in environmental science, law or policy, communication or related fields is desirable. Experience: A minimum of Seven (7) years of work experience in the field of environmental issues, policy or legal research, communication or related areas is required. Experience within a Multilateral Environmental Agreements sphere is desirable. Skills: • Excellent understanding of international, multilateral or environmental processes; • Strong understanding of formal meeting processes and protocols, especially in international or multi-stakeholder settings. • Proven ability to write clearly and concisely and excellent communication skills for interacting with various stakeholders, including Parties and other external entities, regarding DSI and related matters; • Strong communication and some website maintenance skills; • Strong attention to detail and document management skills; • Strong research skills, including gathering and synthesizing information, analyzing developments in DSI and related international forums; • Strong organizational skills for managing multiple tasks simultaneously, ensuring deadlines are met and follow-up actions are tracked.

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

Local recruitment: Applicants should be Canadian residents or citizens or have permission to work in Canada. Travel to meetings 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.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org