Legal Counsellor

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 168,113 USD and 216,746 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1. Organizational Context

1. Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Copyright Law Division, within the Copyright and Creative Industries Sector. This Division is responsible for the implementation of WIPO’s strategic goal concerning the balanced evolution of the international normative framework for intellectual property in the area of copyright and related rights, and for providing assistance to Member States in drafting and updating their national legislation in the aforementioned field of intellectual property. The Division also functions as the secretariat for the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).

2. Purpose Statement

The incumbent contributes to the substantive work of the Secretariat related to copyright and related rights, including all activities related to the SCCR, with a particular focus on areas at the intersection of copyright and the digital environment. Among other tasks, the incumbent delivers legislative advice to Member States on issues related to copyright law and also delivers technical assistance activities.

3. Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Director of the Copyright Law Division.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a. Contribute to the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the Organization's program on copyright and related rights towards achieving the strategic objectives of the Division. In this context, provide under his/her responsibility legislative and policy advice in the field of copyright and related rights.

b. Provide and coordinate Secretariat services and legal advice to norm setting processes within the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), as well as to WIPO technical committees, other bodies and meetings, including diplomatic conferences, with respect to copyright and related rights.

c. Provide authoritative written and oral advice, upon request, on all aspects of copyright and related rights, externally to Member States, and internally to other units within the Organization, such as Communications, the Arbitration and Mediation Center, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Division and the Office of Legal Counsel and within the Sector, to areas such as WIPO Connect and the Accessible Books Consortium.

d. Draft and revise legal documents, such as legislative advice, legal opinions, treaty texts, and other legal materials.

e. Plan and undertake outreach and capacity building activities in all regions, including Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, with the objective of promoting WIPO-administered treaties in the field of copyright and related rights.

f. Represent WIPO at international, regional and national meetings and in policy-making processes, including multilateral and multi-stakeholder processes led by other intergovernmental organizations; deliver interventions and presentations on topics related to copyright and related rights.

g. Plan, organize and participate as a presenter or instructor in seminars, workshops and training courses, preparing technical documents and the delivering lectures; liaise with external partners and other work units in the Organization to determine needs and priorities for the planning and implementation of capacity building activities.

h. Plan and undertake the work of the Division in relation to issues at the intersection between copyright and the digital environment.

i. Maintain direct contact with national copyright offices and representatives of Member States, as well as with various categories of rights owners and users.

j. Perform other related duties, as required.

3. Requirements

Education (Essential)

Advanced university degree in law. A first-level university degree in law plus an additional two years of professional experience in addition to the essential experience mentioned below may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Education (Desirable)

Postgraduate specialization in intellectual property law with a specific focus on copyright and related rights.

Experience (Essential)

At least seven years of relevant professional experience in the field of copyright and related rights including in a multilateral intergovernmental organization with involvement in norm-setting processes.

Experience (Desirable)

Knowledge of, and experience with, the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. Experience with the delivering of legislative assistance and technical assistance activities in the area of copyright and related rights.

Language (Essential)

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and either French or Spanish.

Language (Desirable)

Good knowledge of an additional official United Nations language.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Solid and updated knowledge of the copyright and related rights international legal framework, including all matters related to technological development and emerging business models. Good knowledge of norm-setting and policy processes, legal structures and practice of international and regional organizations dealing with IP and related issues. Ability to analyze legal texts and draft legal documentation. Ability to conduct comprehensive legal research independently and to formulate opinions on complex legal questions. Ability to communicate complex legal subject matter to diverse audiences. Excellent organizational skills. Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and the internet. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

4. Organizational Competencies

1. Communicating effectively.
2. Showing team spirit.
3. Demonstrating integrity.
4. Valuing diversity.
5. Producing results.
6. Showing service orientation.
7. Seeing the big picture.
8. Seeking change and innovation.
9. Developing yourself and others.

5. Information

Mobility: WIPO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director General and may be assigned to any activities, office or duty station of the Organization. Accordingly, the selected candidate may be required to move from time to time to new functions and/or to another duty station.

Annual salary****:

Total annual salary consists of a net annual salary (net of taxes and before medical insurance and pension fund deductions) in US dollars and a post adjustment. Please note that this estimate is for information only. The post adjustment multiplier (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change (increase or decrease) without notice. The figures quoted below are based on the March 2021 rate of 86.3%

P4

Annual salary

$74,913

Post adjustment

$64,650

Total Salary

$139,563

Currency USD

Salaries and allowances are paid in Swiss francs at the official rate of exchange of the United Nations.

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

* Initial period of one year, renewable, subject to satisfactory performance. No fixed-term appointment or any extension hereof shall carry with it any expectancy of, nor imply any right to, (further) extensions or conversion to a permanent appointment.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill other posts at the same grade with similar functions in accordance with Staff Rule 4.9.5.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

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By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.