Programme Support For Mainstreaming And Business Outreach

Result of Service

The Unit’s tasks related to its work programmes, in particular on mainstreaming and business engagement, in preparation for and resulting from the work of Subsidiary Bodies, the Annual Meeting of the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity, as well as preparations for the Business and Biodiversity Forum to be held in parallel to COP16, are delivered in a timely fashion and effective manner.

Work Location

Montreal

Expected duration

Six months

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational setting

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. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for 'sustainable development'. The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature in Rio in 1992. The Convention has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is located in Montreal and administered by United Nations Environment Programme. Its main tasks are to arrange for and service meetings of the Conference of the Parties, including preparation of pertinent documentation, operation of the central node of the clearing-house mechanism, liaison and coordination with other international bodies and processes and, in close collaboration with these partners, the provision of technical support for the effective implementation of the Convention.

As provider of expertise and technical support to its Parties, the SCBD is requested to support mainstreaming and to follow up on work to support preparatory meetings, as well as further support to mainstreaming-related GBF targets 14, 15, 16 and 18. This position will work under the supervision of the programme management officer responsible for business engagement and outreach, under the overall supervision of the head, BETI Unit.

Duties and responsibilities

The individual contractor will work under the supervision of the programme management officer responsible for business engagement and outreach, under the overall supervision of the head, BETI Unit. He/she will perform the following duties:

- Support the organization of the inter-sessional process on the long-term strategic approach to biodiversity mainstreaming as requested in decision 15/17 and subsequent, including review and analysis of submissions, organization of an online forum, and preparation of reports for consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation. This will include inviting and confirming attendance of participants, preparing briefing notes and reports and list of action points for meetings, keeping updated listserves of networks, and maintaining digital files of documents and correspondence, generating and updating the agenda for meetings, providing briefings building on available documents, and maintaining correspondence and exchanges with key partners.

- Organize monthly meetings of the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity (GPBB), including the organization of teleconferences, invitations and support to agenda development and execution of events, presentations and speaker facilitation; production of successive drafts and publication of the GPBB newsletter, including the issuance of invitations for contributions, compilation of outcomes and editing support, publication and distribution of the newsletter and maintenance of records of issues and listserves;

- Support the planning and preparations for the annual meeting of the Global Partnership and associated forum including the organization of teleconferences, the issuance of invitations for contributions, support to agenda development, compilation, editing and publication of outcomes and maintenance of records of participants;

- Provide support to the work of engagement with stakeholders through the Action Agenda for Nature and People;

- Provide support to updating website content as well as preparing communication assets, newsletters and different publications and materials as required;

- Support with social media needs (developing assets, sharing materials, liaising with comms);

- Provide technical and logistical support to the planning, organizing, and servicing of other pertinent processes under the responsibility of the BETI Unit, in particular the work programme on resource mobilization.

Qualifications/special skills

High school diploma is required. A graduate degree in environment, economics or related areas is desirable.

Working experience

Three (3) years of working experience in secretarial and programme assistance support are required.

Experience in organizations linked to the environment, international organizations, the UN and/or the CBD is desirable.

Experience on biodiversity mainstreaming, economics or business links is desirable.

Skills in planning, organizing, and servicing meetings, including at international level skills in drafting document for various purposes and audiences (reports, minutes, content production, outreach communication materials such as newsletters) are required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is desirable.

The individual contractor may be requested to travel to various meetings related to discharge of the terms of reference.

Applicants must be Canadian residents or citizens or have permission to work in Canada.

The individual contractor is required to be in person in the office.