The trade-environment profiles, the factsheets on trade policy frameworks of relevance to UNEP’s priorities in select countries, the policy briefings on trade and nature, and the capacity building activities will be used for: a) preparing the contents for TRADE Hub webinars; b) inputting to UNEP’s interventions at trade policy fora such as the WTO Public Forum and the MC 12; and d) engaging the environment community in dialgues on trade and the environment..
Remote
The contract is from November 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 (2 months) and will be deliverable-based.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global, regional and national level. This consultancy is posted in the Environment and Trade Hub under the Economic and Trade Policy Unit of the Resources and Markets Branch of the Economy Division. The Hub provides capacity-building and policy advice on sustainable trade and investment. It aims to identify, assess and inform sustainable trade opportunities that arise from a green economy transition, and to tackle related risks and challenges. It assists countries in using trade as an engine towards a green economy, by means of research, advisory services and capacity building.
The Covid 19 crisis, its repercussions on trade and current recovery efforts offer new opportunities to promote greening of trade policies nationally, regionally and internationally. With new leadership at the WTO there is an unprecedented interest by governments to ensure that trade supports more sustainable consumption and production patterns and makes a real contribution to the climate, nature and pollution action (UNEA 4 resolutions 2, 5, and 11) With UNEP’s support, 53 countries have come forward with an initiative for Structured Discussions on Environmental Sustainability at the WTO. They are calling for UNEP to further support: i) developing countries’ particiation ii) environment ministries’ and stakeholder partcipation
Existing research has indicated the need for effective trade policies to address the impacts of trade from an environmental and resource efficiency perspective, and the associated shift of environmental burden from high-income importing to low-income exporting countries. To respond to this finding and demand from the WTO, the Environment and Trade hub will undertake the following activities:
i) Research and analyze the trade-enviroment profiles based on exisiting WTO country profiles and exisiting and potential environmentally relevant trade policy frameworks of select developing country members of the WTO, in close connection to UNEP’s Medium Term Strategy and UNEP’s key envirommental priorty areas including value chains, and develop the analyses into communication-focused ‘trade and environment’ policy factsheets for policy makers’ easy reference.
ii) Support select countries through capacity building, to utilize trade policy at the multilateral, regional and national level to reduce pollution and other harmful impacts to climate and biodiversity including developing proposals for addressing the impacts of trade on biodiversity and related solutions.
These activities require the support of expertise in international trade law and policy. The UNEP Environment and Trade Hub currently does not have the required technical expertise in-house to deliver these activities, and therefore requires the service of a consultant.
Specific tasks and responsibilities per outputs
Factsheets (Outputs 2-5)
- Conduct research and data analysis to collect data on trade-environment profiles and existing and potential trade policy frameworks for nature-positive trade in select commodities for 8 developing-country member states of the WTO.
- Develop a coherent narrative and comprehensive ‘visual’ representation of information using charts, graphs and infographics.
- Make revisions and incorporate comments provided by UNEP team and country hub representatives;
- Lay out and graphically design the collected data into succinct factsheets that can be easily used by national level policy makers
Capacity building lectures (Outputs 6)
• Develop a strategic proposal/concept note, mapping key actors, and opportunities for developing capacity building lectures/webinars on trade policy and relevant entry points for environmental policy makers (i.e. environment ministers, ambassadors and high level staff of country missions to UNEP in Nairobi)
Skills: A good theoretical and practical understanding of national trade policy frameworks and biodiversity provisions, the interface of trade and green industrial policy, and trade and standards. An extensive existing network in the international trade policy community is an advantage.
Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree in law, international trade or economics or similar.
Experience: Minimum of 5 years of work experience related to trade, development, and industrial policy advisory. Broad exposure to international trade and environmental policy linkages, in particular trade and biodiversity. Proven experience of delivering trainings and advisory services to policy makers, public officials, and other public sector relevant stakeholders. Experience working with the United Nations, and other international organisations, especially, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other trade related organisatios is an asset. Previous experience with regional and country focused trade policy work is an advantage.
Language: For this position, fluency in English is required.
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.