Legal Expert (International)

Result of Service UN-Habitat will benefit from this consultancy as the consultant will provide the legal backstopping for the policy dialogue and legal reform. UN-Habitat will be able to support the Government of Iraq in initiating policy dialogues on the existing land legal framework of Iraq and identifying key areas for improvement through detailed policy recommendations. In doing so, UN-Habitat will be able to facilitate the reform of Iraq’s existing land legal framework to better support, address, and protect the HLP rights of all IDPs and returnees.

Work Location Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq

Expected duration 12 months

Duties and Responsibilities Organizational Setting: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

Background: UN-Habitat has been active in Iraq since 1996 under the Oil for Food Programme. After 2003, UN-Habitat was largely engaged in early recovery efforts, particularly those supporting internally displaced persons through the provision of shelter and reconstruction solutions.

After more than five years since the official declaration of the ‘end of war against ISIL’ by the Government of Iraq in late 2017, there are still approximately 5.6 million people in Iraq affected by missing or outdated HLP documentation while it is estimated that 2.4 million people face issues due to a lack of HLP documentation or have issues with establishing security of tenure. Female-headed households remain the most affected population facing increased risk such as violation of HLP rights, secondary displacement, and violence. IDPs and returnees face major challenges in proving their ownership or occupancy rights, particularly where there is an absence of cadastral data, registry information, maps delimiting property rights, and a lack of official documents. Also there is no central cadaster that manages and administers data on HLP rights in Iraq.

The project titled “Policy Dialogue on Legislative Reform to Improve Land Governance and Secure Tenure Rights by Registering and Resolving Land Claims for vulnerable IDPs in Iraq” aims to initiate policy dialogues on the reform of the existing land legal framework, to improve land governance by establishing an inclusive and effective land management system that will increase security of tenure for all Iraqis including IDPs and returnees and protect the housing, land, and property rights of internally displaced people.

The main objective of this consultancy is to support the initiation of the policy dialogue and legal reform under the UN-Habitat project. He/she will support the Project Manager in the initiation of policy dialogues and land legal framework reform with their expertise in policymaking, policy analysis, and land management and governance.

Reporting Line: The incumbent will be based in Erbil, at the UN-Habitat Office, reporting to Head/Deputy Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Programme and/or his/her designate.

Duties and responsibilities: Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Programme and/or his/her designate, the Legal Expert will be responsible for the following duties: - Conduct a comprehensive assessment on the existing land legal framework of Iraq; - Identify weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in the existing land legal framework of Iraq, including the means of collecting and managing data; - Liaise with relevant members of the UN-Habitat Iraq Country Programme team to plan, organize, and coordinate multistakeholder policy dialogues/workshops/roundtables to discuss the land legal framework of Iraq with government counterparts, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders; - Coordinate and facilitate working group meetings with key stakeholders to discuss the reform of the existing land legal framework; - Develop concrete recommendations for improving the land legal framework of Iraq, presenting the detailed recommendations to various stakeholders including government counterparts; - Support government authorities to revise/amend the laws related to land; - Coordinate with the Project Manager in preparing progress reports, monitoring reports, and other relevant documents related to the project;

Qualifications/special skills - An advanced degree in Law, Social Sciences, Politics, International Relations, Development Studies, or other relevant field of studies is required; A first-level university degree with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. - Minimum 5 years of relevant experience is required; - Experience in coordination and facilitation of policy dialogue, multi-stakeholder forums, workshops, roundtables etc. is required; - Experience in policy analysis and policy advice is required; - Legal experience in the field of land legal reform, land management and/or governance is required; - Experience working with cadasters, cadastral maps, cadastral GIS data, is required; - Experience in project management is an advantage; - Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others; - Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills; - Wiliness to contribute and work as part of the team; - Flexible and open to learning and new experiences; and - Respect for diversity and adaptability to diverse cultures, environments and living conditions.

Languages - English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Fluency in Dutch is desirable, and knowledge of Arabic is an asset

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.