Media Consultant

Result of Service Under the guidance of the UNREDD Communications and KM Specialist, the Media Consultant will be responsible for organizing the media workshop, including identifying and bringing together journalists and planning a media workshop and visit. Such activity will be essential for expanding the reach, visibility and footprint of the LMR project and UNREDD Asia Pacific activities among its target audiences and beyond.

Output 1: Pre-organization of a UN-REDD Lower Mekong Initiative media workshop and site visit Delivery date: 30/10/2022 1.1. List of participating journalists, government officials and venue/ site confirmed 1.2. Draft programme and activities confirmed 1.3. Promotion of the media workshop and site visit on social media and corporate media channels

Output 2: Implementation of the UN-REDD Lower Mekong Initiative media workshop and site visit Delivery date: 30/11/2022 2.1. Interim progress report with key deliverables and outcome summary delivered 2.2. Final media tracking Excel spreadsheet to list all media mentions and gather all media links of the participating journalists from the workshop 2.3. Final progress report with key deliverables and outcome summary delivered

Output 3: Webinar on forestry and sustainable forest trade ahead of the media work hop and site visit Delivery date: 30/11/2022 3.1. 90 minute webinar executed to prepare participants of the workshop as well as give opportunity to other journalists who cannot attend the media event 3.2. Sending out and tracking all invitations and handling of all promotions around the webinar 3.3. Edited and captioned recording of the webinar

Output 4 Production of communications content about the UN-REDD Lower Mekong Initiative to assist in its engagement with media Delivery date: 30/12/2022 4.1. Three short social media video clips summarizing the workshop outcomes for promotion 4.2. At least 2 blog stories related to the content of the media workshop

Work Location Home Based

Expected duration 15 September 2022- 31 December 2022

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 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.

UNEP’s Asia and the Pacific Office geographically serves 41 countries across the region to promote and implement sustainable development solutions. It assists countries of the region pursue sustainability, particularly in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including technical expertise, facilitating access to finance, undertaking cutting-edge science-policy assessments, offering advisory services and strengthening laws, policies, management and governance.

UNEP works with national and local authorities, civil society, other UN organizations, research institutions and the private sector to catalyze the efficient use of the region’s natural assets and reduce the degradation of the environment.

The Lower Mekong basin is a globally important ecoregion that encompasses a high diversity of forest habitats. These forests are home not only to diverse and rare wildlife but are also a source of essential products and services for many communities. To reduce the pressure on this valuable natural resource and to halt deforestation and forest degradation in the region, the Government of Norway is collaborating with the UN-REDD Programme to implement a new two-year regional initiative (2020-2022) that will support countries in the Lower Mekong region (Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam).

The Initiative will focus on working with key institutions in these countries, as well as in China, the primary importer of wood products from the region, to reduce forest crime by strengthening forest governance, and in particular, the effectiveness of systems designed to ensure legal and sustainable trade in timber.

As part of its outreach and communications efforts in 2022, the UN-REDD Programme will hold a media workshop in Thailand in order to enhance the understanding by media in the Asia Pacific region about the role that the Lower Mekong Initiative plays in ensuring sustainable wood trade in the region. Additionally it will help support the strategy of increased media engagement by UNEP and the UN-REDD programme with increased media coverage of REDD+ topics and mentions of UNEP and the UN-REDD Programme in the Asia and the Pacific.

The objective of this consultancy is to support the UN-REDD Programme in organizing a media workshop in order to enhance the understanding by media in the Asia Pacific region about the role that the Lower Mekong Initiative plays in ensuring sustainable wood trade in the region. Specifically it will: - Serve as a platform to bring together journalists across the region to communicate technical concepts around sustainable forest trade and the UN-REDD Lower Mekong Initiative activities and impacts; - Help support the strategy of increased media engagement by UNEP and the UN-REDD programme; and - Increase media coverage of REDD+ topics and mentions of UNEP and the UN-REDD Programme in the Asia and the Pacific.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: - Bachelor degree in Media and Communications or any related field

Experience: - A minimum of three years working as a media professional or journalist - Experience working in the news industry - Experience working with international media and/or organizations - Preference for prior experience working for the U.N.

Language: - Fluency in written and spoken English is required - Knowledge of Thai, Khmer or Lao language is an asset, but not required.

Skills: - Strong practical background in Media Outreach - Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and able to work closely with staff; - Innovative and creative

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.