• A zero draft of the synthesis report containing a brief overview of the state of coherence, collaboration, and coordination on the environment within the UN system, based on the information contributed by UN organizations.
• Progress reports on the SWFS to relevant inter-agency and intergovernmental fora such as the UNEP CPR, UNEA and the QCPR process.
Homebased
The Consultant will be expected to deliver agreed-upon outputs and services within a period of 4 months starting January 2022 until end of April 2022
The Environment Management Group (EMG) is a United Nations (UN) System-wide coordination body on environment and human settlements established in 2001 pursuant to the General Assembly resolution 53/242 in July 1999. The Group is supported by a secretariat provided by UNEP, located in Geneva, Switzerland. The EMG membership consists of the specialized agencies, programmes and organs of the United Nations including the secretariats of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
The EMG identifies issues on the international environmental agenda that warrant cooperation, and finds ways of engaging its collective capacity in coherent management responses to those issues. In accordance with its Terms of Reference, the EMG works through technical meetings, Issue Management Groups, Consultative Processes and Task Teams.
A consultant is sought to support the Secretariat of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG) in the preparation of the third report under the System Wide Framework of Strategies in the UN system (SWFS).
The consultant will help the EMG to respond to the resolution 1/11 of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) which “requested the UNEP Executive Director, to develop system-wide strategies on the environment mainly through the Environment Management Group (EMG) and in line with paragraph 88 of the outcome document of the Rio+20 (United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”).
The SWFS was prepared by the EMG as a collaborative framework to achieve greater synergy, collaboration and coherence in the UN system’s work on the environment to support Member States in the delivery of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The Framework was endorsed by the Senior Officials of the EMG on 30 March 2016, and launched at the second session of UNEA on May 25th, 2016 in Nairobi. The EMG Secretariat has been tasked serve as the secretariat for the implementation and follow-up of the Framework.
The first synthesis report under the Framework was launched in 2017. The second SWFS report was prepared in 2020 as a thematic report on biodiversity by the EMG Consultative Process on Biodiversity.
Future reports of the SWFS will contribute to the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of UN system operational activities (resolution [A/RES/75/233] on 21 December 2020), para 29.b, which calls upon the UN development system to “ Advance the development of a system-wide approach, implement measures and report regularly to their respective governing bodies, through existing reporting and mandates, on their efforts to reduce their climate and environmental footprint; ensure consistency of their operations and programmes with low emissions and climate-resilient development pathways; stressing the urgency of climate action and contribute to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework...”
Guided by the EMG Secretariat and by the SWFS Consultative Process, the consultant will compile and organize data received from UN entities and prepare an analytical compilation document to be delivered to the EMG Senior Officials.
Skills: Skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various information sources. The candidate should demonstrate professional competence in analysing complex issues. The candidate should have the ability to deliver outputs and work independently under pressure to meet the deadlines mentioned in this ToR.
Academic Qualifications: An advanced university degree in the area of Global Environmental Governance and Sustainable Development / Environmental studies. In case of more experienced candidates in the relevant area, the academic requirements could be reduced.
Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience working with issues related to environmental governance and sustainable development at the global, UN system level. Experience in preparing analytical reports (situation and gap analyses, strategic and forward-looking papers) for the UN system, familiarity with the work of UN agencies on environmental issues as well as knowledge of international environmental and sustainable development institutions and intergovernmental processes including the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is required.
Language: For the advertised post, fluency in oral and written English is an absolute requirement.
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.