Coordination Specialist for African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Reporting directly to the Deputy Director, Regional Office for Africa, and Head of the AMCEN Secretariat, the consultant will be entrusted with the following key responsibilities:

Strategic Advice:

• Provide adept communication, coordination, and policy guidance to the AMCEN Bureau, AMCEN Presidency, and member states.
• Offer support in the organization of ordinary and special sessions, bureau meetings, and other ad hoc consultative gatherings, along with meticulous preparation of meeting minutes and comprehensive reports.

Research and Documentation:

• Undertake rigorous research, preparing background documents, briefing notes, and speeches for all AMCEN-related meetings.
• Support the development of work programs, draft strategies, and decisions for consideration and approval by AMCEN.

Programmatic Support:

• Develop project proposals and documents following approved recommendations by AMCEN Conference and Bureau, in collaboration with UNEP substantive units.
• Facilitate the execution of work programs and decisions of AMCEN, collaborating closely with the Bureau, governments, UNEP substantive units, and other partners.
• Coordinate the presentation of AMCEN meeting outcomes and program work within the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water, and Environment of the African Union Commission.

Liaison and global processes coordination:

• Spearhead joint programs with regional organizations such as the African Union Commission (AUC), AUDA-NEPAD, ECA, AfDB, RECs, and other ministerial fora, fostering collaboration and synergies.
• Execute liaison functions with other ministerial conferences, supporting the AMCEN Secretariat in its engagement with ministerial conferences on health and the environment, forum of ministers of finance and the environment, conference ministers on water, etc.
• Support coordination of African Groups of Negotiators in global negotiation processes on climate change, plastic pollution, chemicals, and biodiversity.
• Ensure seamless coordination between AGN on climate change, AMCEN, and the Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change.
• Assist the RD and DRD in UNEP's Africa Office engagement with African countries in the United Nations Environment Assembly processes.
• Support the organization of the African Forum of Environment Protection Agencies meetings in collaboration with NEPAD and other partners.

Communication and outreach:

• Ensure effective communication to promote AMCEN and its objectives.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree in environmental policy/science, development or related field is required.
• A relevant first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of five years of professional working experience of which three should be at the international level, including knowledge of the UN system is required.
• Relevant experience in UN engagement and interaction with Member states in developing regions of the world in particular Africa is desirable.
• Experience in environmental management and sustainable development with knowledge of policy setting in the Africa region is desirable.
• Experience and ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships and develop partnerships with different stakeholders is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English and French required. Knowledge of another UN language is an added advantage.

Deadline : Dec 26, 2023