Current Vacancies at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Result of Service

• At least two (2) EAs proposals drafted and submitted to the GEF 
• One CEO Endorsement request document submitted to the GEF, updated to respond to any arising comments, and resubmitted for approval 
• The CBIT-GSP mid-term review evaluation undertaken UNEP partners/countries supported to receive financial/technical services for report for their NC/BUR/BTR preparation; and execution of TNA IV and GSP-CBIT  
• Enhanced collaboration between EAs programme and finance teams 
• Prioritization of 2024 targets ( closure and expenditures) 
• Annual report to the GEF prepared, for consideration at COP 29

Work Location

• UNEP Nairobi Duty Station

Expected duration

• 6 months

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. 
• The overall objective of UNEP's Climate Change Division is to deliver effective strategic guidance and high-impact action in support of the transition towards climate stability. 
• UNEP provides capacity building and technical support to governments to enhance their policy and implementation capacity and helps them access finance to align to the Paris Agreement, decarbonize, anticipate and adapt to climate impacts. 
• Its work is guided by ambition, innovation, credible science, alignment to global climate goals and needs of individual countries.  
• The GEF Climate Change Mitigation Unit, of the Climate Change Division is seeking services of one consultant to support the GEF portfolio of Climate Change Enabling Activities (EAs). 
• This portfolio comprises projects that assist countries to meet their reporting obligations under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement (PA), through the preparation and submission of National Communications (NC); Biennial Update Reports (BUR); and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). 

The consultant who will be under the guidance and supervision of the GEF Climate Mitigation Unit Head and will be responsible for 

• identification and development of new Climate Change Enabling Activity (EA) projects; 
• supervision of implementation of the EA projects; and 
• supporting UNEP and GEF corporate tasks.  This position will be based in the UNEP Officer in the Nairobi Duty Station for a period of 6 months with a possibility of extension up to 9 months.  

Specific tasks and responsibilities: 

Identification and development of climate change enabling activities projects  Liaises with internal and external partners to identify relevant and eligible project concepts. 

• Discusses and clears such concepts with the Senior Programme Officer  
• Consults with UNEP’s Divisions and regional offices as necessary.  
• Advises project proponents on how to revise concepts to respond to issues raised by the peer reviewer and other reviews.  
• Monitors Global Environment Facility project milestones to avoid delays and potential project cancellation.  
• Addresses Global Environment Facility Secretariat reviews and ensures that Project Review Committee recommendations are considered in further project development by the executing agency.  
• Verifies that the project proposals meet Global Environment Facility quality-at-entry standards before submission to Senior Programme Officer and Global Environment Facility Coordination Office for Project Review Committee review.  
• Supports the executing partners in mobilizing Co-financing for the project.  
• Upon Global Environment Facility Chief Executive Officer approval, works with the Fund Management Officer to internalize the project document.   

Supervise implementation of the enabling activity portfolio of projects: 

• Prepares project supervision plans under his/her portfolio for their entire duration and applies adaptive management principles to the supervision of the projects.  
• Organizes and manages the project inception meeting.  
• Provides oversight to project execution and prepares reports in accordance with UNEP and Global Environment Facility criteria, rules and regulations.  
• Participates or delegates participation when needed, in relevant Project Steering Committees and ensures that Project Steering Committee fulfills its function.  
• Regularly monitors project progress and performance and rates progress towards meeting project objectives, project execution progress, quality of project monitoring and evaluation, and risk.  
• Monitors reporting by project executing partners.  
• Promptly informs management of any significant risks or project problems and takes action and follows up on decisions made.  
• Prepares reports in accordance with Global Environment Facility and UNEP requirements.  
• Maintains adequate project-related documentation.  
• Applies adaptive management principles to the supervision of the project.  
• Assists with the preparation of project revisions.  
• Reviews project outputs, provides technical input and ensures quality standards are met.  
• Manages any mandatory project(s) reviews.  
• Supports the project mid-term or terminal evaluation when relevant or project final reports.  
• Takes responsibility to ensure that project is financially closed in a prompt manner after completion of project activities.   

Contribute to UNEP and Global Environment Facility Corporate Tasks: 

• Identifies opportunities to complement the UNEP Programme of Work with GEF-financed initiatives;  
• Represents Climate Change Division in UNEP and Global Environment Facility –related meetings;  
• Participates in the UNEP Project Review Committees;  
• Provides regular substantive backstopping to UNEP senior colleagues and partners, including the regional and liaison offices;  
• Provides input to Global Environment Facility corporate evaluations, country portfolio evaluations, thematic evaluations and impact evaluations and to the preparation of the Management Action Record.  
• Maintains the enabling portfolio of projects and risk management records and contributing to UNEP and Global Environment Facility information and knowledge management;  
• Keeps abreast of developments in his/her technical field and further develops competencies and skills; and undertakes at least one relevant learning activity each year;  
• Prepares his/her annual work plan for result based management with clear goals and indicators.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics, engineering, law, environmental policy, development, climate change, finance or a related field is required.  
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree is required.  
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is an advantage. 
• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in climate mitigation (non-AFOLU) project or programme development, management and capacity building is required.     
• Experience in Global Environment Facility project development or management is desirable.  
• Experience in developing or managing multi-country projects is desirable.     
• Experience within the United Nations or a similar international organizations is desirable.     
• Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is required.

go to method of application »

Result of Service

With the aim of supporting the implementation of Chile's recently adopted climate change law, the consultant will deliver:  

• A baseline analysis of all relevant international and regional obligations of the Government of Chile under international law or treaty related to climate change, including the management and regulation of GHG emissions, and water resources.  
• The review of five draft environmental regulations, with suggested amendments that integrate international best practice as appropriate.  
•  The review of twenty final draft climate change plans, with suggested amendments that integrate international best practice as appropriate.

Work Location

Expected duration

• 3 months  From 01/05/2024 to 31/07/2024

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 mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence. UNEP Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP in the field of environmental law, governance and related policy issues. The Law Division also leads UNEP’s role as secretariat to the Fifth Montevideo Programme on the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo Programme V). Montevideo Programme V is ten-year intergovernmental programme adopted by the UN Environment Assembly at its fourth meeting in March 2019. Montevideo Programme V will promote environmental rule of law, strengthen the related capacities in countries, and contribute to the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Programme commenced in January 2020 and is a flagship initiative of the Law Division.  This consultancy will support the implementation of the project “Elaboration and modification of national regulations for the implementation of Law No. 21,455, Climate Change Framework”, funded by the NDC Partnership Action Fund (PAF). In 2022, Chile published the Framework Law on Climate Change, which aims to address the various challenges that the country faces on climate change, in order to move towards a low carbon economy, and a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Under this project, UNEP will provide technical legal assistance to Chile in drafting three national regulations, amending two national regulations and developing twenty climate change plans, with the aim of supporting the implementation of the country's recently adopted law on Climate change. Three national experts on climate change will be engaged in this project to provide technical knowledge and expertise on national legal and institutional frameworks, and support in the legal procedures associated with the elaboration and modification of regulations and plans in the framework of the implementation of the law in Chile.  The project falls under the umbrella Law Division project “Progressive Development and Implementation of Environmental Law: Delivering Montevideo Programme V”.  The three environmental law experts shall work under the supervision of the Head, Montevideo Coordination and Delivery Unit (MCDU) of the Law Division or her designated representative(s), including the UNEP Subregional Office for the Southern Cone located in Montevideo, Uruguay, and UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.   

Responsibilities:  

• The consultant will undertake the following activities to support the elaboration and modification of national regulations for the implementation of Chilean Law No. 21,455, Climate Change Framework:  
• Undertake a baseline mapping analysis of all relevant international and regional obligations of the Government of Chile under international law or treaty related to climate change, including the management and regulation of GHG emissions, and water resources.  
• Provide input and feedback on the methodology for the baseline mapping analysis of the policy, legislative and institutional framework governing climate change, the management and regulation of GHG emissions, and water use in Chile, based international good practice and relevant international law.  

Review the following regulations and plans and provide feedback with an aim to strengthening the draft, based on relevant international good practice:  

• draft regulation on GHG emission standards;  
• draft regulations related to a GHG certification system; 
• draft regulations on water use;   
• regulation on the Strategic Environmental Assessment Process; 
• Regulation establishing the procedure for issuing environmental quality and emission standards, and Prevention and/or Environmental Decontamination Plans; and  twenty draft climate change plans (sectoral and regional plans).  
• Review outcomes of all stakeholder consultations on the draft regulations and provide feedback as appropriate, to improve the draft regulations and plans, in collaboration with the project team.
• Provide a review of a proposal to strengthen legal capacities of government officials and municipalities for the timely implementation of the climate change plans and integrate feedback based on international good practice.  
• Participate in periodic meetings with the project team on project activities and progress and contribute as required.  
• Communicate periodically with UNEP representatives, such as MCDU, UNEP Subregional Office for the South Cone, and UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, including through organizing and conducting team meetings to update on progress and milestones.  
• In undertaking the above tasks, work closely alongside UNEP national consultants also supporting the above activities.

Qualifications/special skills

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Law and/or International Environmental Law, preferably with a focus on climate change and/or natural resource management is required. An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) is an asset.    
• Excellent writing and communication skills both in English and Spanish would be an asset. 
• Strong analytical skills 
• Demonstrated capacity to work in a consultative manner and good networking skills. 
• A minimum of two years of progressive experience in environmental law, international environmental law, climate change and sustainable development related matters is required. Background in development of legal and institutional frameworks for environmental management is an asset. Experience in working on environmental issues in Latin America, particularly in Chile, is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

go to method of application »

Result of Service

This project will produce: 

• A comparative analysis of the three reports including legal mapping, gap analysis and needs assessment of the waste management frameworks in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau; 
• A comparative analysis of the three reports on specific measures relating to the labor workforce in the waste management sector in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau 
• General recommendations for  legislative and institutional reforms in the waste management sector based on the  analyses conducted in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, taking due account of integrated solid waste management principles, the WaCT findings in the three countries and international labor and health standards and best practices, that may be replicated in other countries in the region; 
• Input and comments on the reports of the stakeholders’ consultations and validation workshops conducted in the three countries.

Expected duration

• 12 Months

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 mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and outposted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence. UNEP Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP in the field of environmental law, governance and related policy issues. The Law Division also leads UNEP’s role as Secretariat to the Fifth Montevideo Programme on the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo Programme V). Montevideo Programme V is ten-year intergovernmental programme adopted by the UN Environment Assembly at its fourth meeting in March 2019. Montevideo V Programme will promote environmental rule of law, strengthen the related capacities in countries, and contribute to the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Programme commenced in January 2020 and is a flagship initiative of the Law Division.    This consultancy will support the implementation of the project “Environmentally sounder and safer waste management frameworks in Africa”, funded by the United Nations Development Account (UNDA), which is implemented by UNEP in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and in close cooperation with the UN Country Teams (UNCT) in three countries in the African continent. Specifically, the project aims to strengthen waste management frameworks of selected countries in Africa (Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone) with the aim of promoting the environmentally sound and safe management of waste and the better inclusion of informal structures and workers, thus ensuring protection of the health and rights of informal waste pickers. The project falls under the umbrella Law Division project “Progressive Development and Implementation of Environmental Law: Delivering Montevideo Programme V”.   The international consultant shall work under the supervision of the Head, Montevideo Coordination and Delivery Unit (MCDU) of the Law Division or his/her designated mandated representative(s).   

Responsibilities:   

• The consultant will undertake the following activities to support the improvement and development of solid waste management legal frameworks and the advancement of environmental rule of law in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau:    

Review and provide substantive inputs and comments to the two reports which will be delivered by national legal experts in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau: 

• a report including a legal mapping, gap analysis and needs assessment of the waste management framework (one report for each country); 
• a report on specific measures relating to the labor workforce in waste management for consideration in legislative reforms (one report for each  www.unep.org  2 country). The consultant will be required to guide the national legal experts and ensure that the analysis and research on the existing regulatory and institutional frameworks governing waste management in the three selected countries are harmonized and in line with principles of integrated waste management and those for the protection of the health and rights of the waste labor force, especially the informal workers.    
• Based on the careful review conducted in paragraph 1, the consultant will draft a comparative analysis of the three reports including a legal mapping, gap analysis and needs assessment of the waste management framework in the three selected countries, and a comparative analysis of the three reports on specific measures relating to the labor workforce in waste management for consideration in legislative reforms in the three selected countries.   
• Support the national legal experts in the development of recommendations for reform of the legislative and institutional frameworks for waste management in the three selected countries, with due consideration to the informal labor sector, and based on the reports delivered under paragraph 1. The recommendations will integrate the findings/evidence collected by the use of UN-Habitat’s Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT), which will monitor the performance of municipal solid waste management systems at city level in Abuja, Freetown and Bissau, and will include draft clauses/provisions of legislation.   
• Based on the analysis conducted in the three selected countries and on the recommendations provided, the consultant will draft general recommendations for legislative and institutional reform in the waste management sector that may be replicated in other countries in the region.   
•  Support the preparation and organization of two series of stakeholder and expert consultations for each country (including feedback sessions with UNEP and other project implementing partners), one provisionally scheduled in 2024 Q3 and the second in 2024 Q4 or 2025 Q1, to discuss the impact of the existing regulatory waste management frameworks in the informal structures and the need to adapt the frameworks to integrated waste management principles. During the consultations, the deliverables mentioned in paragraphs 1 to 4 above will be presented and reviewed. The consultant will support the integration of the outcomes of the consultations/validation workshops in the final versions of the reports including recommendations on specific measures and draft provisions for enhanced legislative frameworks, and will provide comments and input to the stakeholder consultations’ reports.   
• 6. Work in close collaboration with UNEP, UN-Habitat and stakeholders involved, provide regular updates on the progress of the activities to UNEP, as required, and carry out any other tasks which may be assigned under the project.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in law, specializing in environmental law or waste management law (required).
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in the field of environmental law is required.
• Experience in leading collective research projects in law is required.
• Experience in research and analytical report writing on legal and policy issues related to waste management is desirable and would be considered as an advantage.
• Working experience in Africa and especially in Western Africa is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of Portuguese is an advantage.