¿ BCH National Focal Points, National Authorized Users and designated officials from Competent National Authorities (CNA) are trained in technical BCH responsibilities to ensure common understanding of the requirements and to provide the necessary information to stakeholders;
¿ Clear understanding of the common formats of BCH records and their impact on the institutional processes for creating and registering BCH information and making biosafety related decisions (e.g. registering and publishing decisions);
¿ Proposal on effective procedures to ensure that the national data in the BCH is up-to-date, in particular, entries for national contacts, laws and regulations, decisions and declarations and risk assessment reports;
¿ Increased participating country compliance with the BCH registering obligations;
¿ More (new) national records are entered on the BCH (national contacts – focal points and contact persons, laws and regulations, decisions and declarations, and risk assessment reports);
¿ Support on nBCH system management planning beyond the UNEP-GEF BCH-III Project duration;
¿ Sharing and exchange of experiences and analysis of lessons learned in BCH management at regional level using case studies from advanced countries in the region and sharing experience from BCH-2 countries; and
¿ Structural Training and awareness Systems identified by participating Parties, including BCH-II countries trainers and assistants, specific training requests and new target stakeholders.
Cairo, Egypt
1 Month
The United Nations Environment Programme 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". Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.
The UNEP-GEF Project for Sustainable Capacity Building for Effective Participation in the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH III) aims at assisting countries to sustain their participation in the BCH as established under Article 20 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB). The first BCH Project developed a modular training package that provides a comprehensive guide for BCH users to assist them in learning, understanding, using and setting up national access to the BCH. As a complement to this training package, the BCH Project collaborates with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) and has an agreement with the Secretariat that enables the availability of the training materials produced by the BCH project, as part of the help functionality of the BCH Central Portal. In its first Component, the BCH III Project seeks to ensure that countries will benefit from experiences in neighboring and other countries regarding their National Biosafety Frameworks and especially their BCH management; this will encourage if not yet established regional and sub-regional networking as well.
To achieve objectives of the national implementation component, the BCH III Project requires consultants, i.e. Regional Advisors (RAs), to participate in the preparation, planning and delivery of hybrid Pakistan national training workshop upon request and in coordination with the Project Manager and Regional Specialist.
Support the facilitation and organization of Global Training Workshop for National Focal Points and National Authorized Users in the margins of CP-MOP-10 as well as revise and finalize BCH training videos based on comments received from stakeholders in coordination with the Project Manager:
• In general: Facilitate BCH National Focal Points (BCH NFPs) and National Authorized Users (NAUs) training workshop on the margins of COP-MOP-10 whose objective is to provide support to Parties to the Cartagena Protocol with implementing the Protocol and train them on the key concepts, and use of the new platform of the BCH.
• In particular: The Regional Advisor will train key stakeholders:
1. On the common formats of BCH records and to enhance registration of new records on BCH
2. On technical national BCH responsibilities, and impact on the institutional processes for creating and registering BCH information and making biosafety related decisions (e.g. registering and publishing records);
3. In the identification of National procedures and operational linkages to gather information to be put on BCH in line with NBFs implementation and sustainability and training plan; and
Communicate, whenever required with BCH IT Officer of SCBD.
In collaboration with the BCH team and under the supervision of the Project manager and the regional specialists:
1. Key Stakeholders are trained in identifying technical national BCH responsibilities and have a clear understanding of the common formats of BCH records and their impact on the institutional processes for creating and registering BCH information and making biosafety related decisions (e.g. registering and publishing decisions);
a. Ensure completeness and accuracy of basic national records (national contacts and laws/regulations)
b. Enhanced visibility of national decisions on LMOs and risk assessment reports, when and where these exist.
2. Application of case studies on effective use of BCH Management Centre and Central Portal;
3. National procedures and operational linkages are established to gather information to be put on BCH in line with NBFs implementation and sustainability and training plan;
4. These procedures are set to ensure that the national data in the BCH is up-to-date, in particular, entries for national contacts; laws and regulations; decisions and declarations; risk assessment reports;
5. More (new) national records are entered on the BCH (national contacts – focal points and contact persons, laws and regulations, decisions and declarations, and risk assessment reports)
6. Increased participating country compliance with the BCH registering obligations;
7. BCH and Biosafety e-learning training modules are made available on national and/or regional BCH portals where appropriate; and non-electronic materials are made available on demand to maintain understanding and acceptance by stakeholders;
8. National, regional and international cooperation enhanced where appropriate with international agencies, especially UN agencies, that have a stake in BCH and biosafety Projects;
9. Cooperation with Regional ‘Centers of Excellence’ that may cater regional capacity building initiatives; and
10. Support on nBCH system management planning beyond the UNEP-GEF BCH-III Project duration.
The consultant will report, consult and coordinate with BCH-III Project Manager and co-facilitators through virtual meetings as necessary.
A master's degree in Information Technology, Biological Sciences, or closely related area of study is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A minimum of 7 years of relevant, direct working experience with biosafety issues and supporting regional capacity building; Abreast of information technology, virtual learning, Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and Convention on Biological Diversity is required.
Experience in working with or for the UN, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and knowledge of UN inter-agency processes and previous experience with a multilateral or international organization is required.
Demonstrated capacity to work in a consultative manner, good networking and good inter-personal skills and team working spirit is desirable.
Ability to organize, analyse and synthesize different types of information in a systematic manner is desirable.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in spoken and written 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.