Services of a Legal Expert on Energy and Environment

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

In line with the Country Programme Document and the UNDP Strategic Plan, the Lebanon Country Office works in three broad development contexts: eradicating poverty; structural transformations; and building resilience. The programme is driven by the Sustainable Development Goals while focusing also on the major development challenges facing Lebanon, particularly the Syrian refugee.

The Energy and Environment Programme is one of the areas of focus in UNDP Lebanon; currently implements numerous projects in Lebanon that range in thematic areas from climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, institutional support to the Ministry of Environment, industrial depollution, decentralized renewable energy projects and solid waste management. The programme also works on the support of host-communities in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and is the Social and Environmental Safeguards focal point for the office; therefore, the team also ensures the integration of environmental best-practices into the overall implementation strategy of UNDP.

UNDP is seeking the services of a legal expert to support the various projects within the Energy and Environment Programme on a long-term basis on legal matters that relate to any of the topics mentioned above. More details about the exact scope of work are mentioned below.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant shall perform all the services/work as necessary to fulfill the objectives of the consultancy contract which are detailed below in terms of outputs but that would cover various sectors in environment as follows:

1. land use planning process so as to avoid insensitive infrastructure development, conversion of productive lands, poor range and farmland management practices, and encroachment on natural ecosystems especially forests
2. governance framework, institutional set-up and functioning of the committees that manage the protected areas in Lebanon and nature reserves management and other types of related analysis
3. Reporting on healthcare waste and other types of environmental reporting to the ministry of environment
4. Decentralized municipal solid waste management activities and other types of related analysis
5. Climate change agenda and legislation and ways forward particularly related to climate financing mechanisms and funding platforms/structures that could be made available in Lebanon
6. Energy regulation and activities, in specific in relation to both distributed and utility-scale renewable energy installations and integration

7. Energy regulation and activities, in specific legislation related to both distributed and utility-scale renewable energy installations and integration

Competencies

• Proficiency in English and Arabic languages. French is an asset;

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• Bachelor Law degree.
• Master’s degree in public law, public administration, political science, or related field is desired.

II. Years of experience:

• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience.

III. Technical experience:

• Proven experience in the field of environmental law in Lebanon;
• Proven experience working with the public sector;
• Proven experience in legal drafting (drafting of regulations, legislations, etc);
• Proven experience in assessing legal regulatory frameworks and procedures;
• Experience working with multilateral organizations and the UN system preferred;
• Knowledge of regional and international best practices is an asset.

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