Plastic Pollution and Waste Management Consultant

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

• Support implementation of selected COBSEA activities under the MA-RE-DESIGN project. • Develop good practice case studies on marine litter prevention/ reduction/ monitoring. • Develop regional sectoral guidelines on the prevention and reduction of marine litter. • Support knowledge sharing, outreach, and regional events related to the project. • Support the COBSEA Secretariat in liaison with project partners and stakeholders, coordination with development cooperation partners and relevant UNEP projects, and consultation of the WGML.

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

1 Mar 24-28 Feb 25

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 Ecosystem Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) is a regional intergovernmental mechanism and one of 18 Regional Seas programmes with nine participating countries – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam – aimed at the protection and sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment. COBSEA focuses on marine pollution, ecosystem-based marine and coastal planning and management, and ocean governance. The COBSEA Secretariat is hosted by Thailand in Bangkok and administered by UNEP. The Twenty-fourth Intergovernmental Meeting of COBSEA (IGM 24) adopted the 2019 Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (RAP MALI) to guide regionally coherent action to reduce and prevent marine litter from land-based and sea-based sources, strengthen monitoring and assessment, and create an enabling framework for implementation. The COBSEA Working Group on Marine Litter (WGML) provides guidance on implementation of the RAP MALI and develops respective biennial workplans. IGM 25 established the East Asian Seas Regional Node of the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML) as a knowledge and networking hub on marine litter, and the Secretariat launched the web platform of the Node in 2022. The ‘Marine litter prevention through reduction, sustainable design and recycling of plastic packaging’ (MA-RE-DESIGN) project, is implemented in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), with funding from the Government of Germany. MA-RE-DESIGN contributes to achieving the RAP MALI, linked to Actions 1, 3, and 4. The project aims at preventing plastic waste leakage through better waste management and strategies to reduce single-use plastic packaging and promote Extended Producer Responsibility in Thailand at national level (Outputs 1-3, led by GIZ and WWF) and to exchange knowledge and build capacity to prevent, reduce and monitor plastic marine litter and promote harmonization across COBSEA countries at regional level (Output 4, led by COBSEA).

Qualifications/special skills

• A postgraduate level university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental science/Management, Political/ Social Science, Development/Sustainability studies, Marine Science/Management, or any related filed is required. • A minimum of five years’ professional experience in international programme/project planning, development, coordination, and/or implementation is required. • Demonstrable experience working on plastic lifecycle management, plastic waste management, preventing/reducing plastic pollution, plastic pollution monitoring and assessment, or marine litter management is required. • Experience working in environmental management, sustainable development, policy analysis, technical assistance and capacity development is required. • Experience in developing technical knowledge products, case studies, reports and similar is required. • Experience in knowledge management, outreach, awareness raising, and knowledge sharing events is desirable. • Experience working with government officials and other stakeholders in the East Asian Seas region is desirable. • Experience working with UNEP, COBSEA or other Regional Seas programmes is an asset. • Strong analytical, research and report writing skills are required. • Strong communication and relationship-building skills • Ability to work independently with excellent time management. • Ability to work in a multi-cultural team environment and to deliver under pressure/meet deadlines • Innovative and creative, problem-solving skills

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. • Knowledge of a language of the East Asian Seas region is an advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.