Financial reporting consultant

Result of Service Meetings of the Technical expert group on financial reporting are successfully discharging their terms of reference related to the monitoring and measurement of private finance for biodiversity, as evidenced by effective recommendations of these bodies to the subsidiary bodies of the Convention that are reflected in their recommendations to COP-16.

Work Location Remote - Home-based

Expected duration Six months

Duties and Responsibilities The Convention on Biological Diversity and its Secretariat.

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the key agreements on a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development. 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 from the use of genetic resources.

The CBD Secretariat, administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is located in Montreal, Canada. 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.

COP-15 adopted the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with ambitious targets on the mobilization of financial resources as the key to successful implementation of the framework. In this context, COP-15 adopted a decision on resource mobilization which established a new fund for implementing the GBF and an inter-sessional process to keep implementation under review and to assess the need for further action.

Additional information on the Convention, COP decisions and documents can be found on the CBD website at: www.cbd.int.

Inadequate funding levels are a major impediment to effective biodiversity policies in many countries and may be associated with failures to meet global targets. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in December 2022, sets the ambition for adequate funding through Goal D and Target 19 of the framework, while Target 18 on incentive measures is also considered to be relevant. The indicators for monitoring the goals and targets are included in decision 15/5 on the Monitoring Framework; however, additional research and discussion is necessary on a number of indicators associated with resource mobilization. An expert group on financial reporting will provide further guidance on this.

The consultant will report to the Senior Programme Management Officer and Head of the Biodiversity Economy Transformation and Innovation Unit (BETI).

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Senior Programme Officer, BETI Unit, and the overall guidance of the Principal Officer, SSSF Division, the consultant will:

(a) prepare a brief scoping paper and a background note for the perusal expert group on financial reporting, focusing specifically on approaches for measuring private funding and expenditures for biodiversity, including: (i) linkages with the other headline indicators; (ii) options for national and global monitoring of private funding; (iii) disaggregations needed, for instance domestic versus international private finance, and (iv) an assessment of the feasibility of each approach identified;

(b) support the pertinent work of the technical expert group on financial reporting, including the preparation of its report.

Work document referenced under (a) above would consist of a desk review of relevant information and reference materials, as well as interviews with experts from governments, relevant organizations and stakeholders, as well as with members of the expert group.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications:

Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in environmental management/governance/policy related sciences, economics, finance, or related fields is required. Interdisciplinary exposure across environmental, social and/or economic disciplines is desirable. A first level university degree combined with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Working Experience:

A minimum of seven years of progressive experience on environmental policy development and associated natural resource and ecosystem management, including associated finance and resource mobilization is required.

Experience at international level is desirable.

Concrete experience in assessing and monitoring biodiversity finance at all levels and from all sources is desirable.

Experience within the United Nations system is desirable.

Competencies required:

Professionalism

Planning and organization

Communication

Teamwork

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 another UN official language is desirable.

Additional Information TRAVEL

Travel is applicable - to the meetings of the Technical expert group on financial reporting.

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.