Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Through the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in Bangkok and multi-country, country offices and Non-Residence Agencies (MCO/COs/NRAs) programme presence, UN Women builds on a long history of support to governments and women’s movements. UN Women’s programs in Asia and the Pacific focus on governance, women, peace and security, ending violence against women, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction, women’s economic empowerment, and HIV/AIDS. For more information about UN Women in Asia and the Pacific, please visit the official website.

The portfolio of UN Women’s work on Governance, Peace and Security (GPS) in Asia-Pacific is based on “The Regional Framework Towards Peaceful, Inclusive Societies: Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Inclusive Governance in the Asia Pacific Region (The GPS Regional Framework)” (2023-2027). The framework stands on two pillars of programming: 1) Women, Peace and Security; and 2) Inclusive Governance. It focuses on implementing the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda to the specific context of the Asia-Pacific region, such as the development and implementation of WPS national action plans; conflict prevention and building peace and resilience; prevention of violent extremism; women’s participation and leadership in emerging or non-traditional security issues such as climate change, cybersecurity and peacebuilding in the digital space. The Governance work covers women’s access to justice; gender responsive budgeting and planning; women’s leadership, including women’s political participation.

As UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific remains committed to strengthening the regional knowledge base on the gendered impact and interlinkages between disasters, climate change, and insecurity, the Women, Peace and Security and Climate Change International Consultant will report to the Regional Policy Advisor on Governance, Peace, and Security and support the advancement of climate change as a non-traditional issue under the WPS agenda. The Consultant will be home-based, with possible field missions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Objectives of the Assignment
Consultants play a critical role in advancing the implementation of the GPS Regional Framework and constitute a significant part of UN Women ROAP’s operational capacity. To enhance the efficiency of the contracting process and facilitate rapid engagement in emergency or urgent situations, UN Women is launching a competitive process to establish a pool of qualified consultants and experts. This pool will support the development of knowledge products and provide technical assistance to governments, CSOs, and other stakeholders on issues related to Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and climate change.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision and guidance of the Regional Policy Advisor Governance Peace and Security, UN Women ROAP, members selected for the consultancy assignment will work with ROAP and MCO/COs/Programme Presence Offices in the region in the following areas:

• Provide strategic and operational advice to governments, CSOs and other stakeholders on the issue of WPS and Climate Change.
• Provide technical support in developing, implementing, and monitoring WPS NAPs specifically on the topic of WPS and Climate Change.
• Design and deliver capacity building training on WPS and Climate Change.
• Support to improving legislative framework, processes and procedures on WPS and Climate Change
• Develop toolkits, guidelines, and publications on WPS and Climate Change
• Support awareness raising campaigns and advocacy efforts on WPS and Climate Change
• Collect and analyse relevant documentation and consolidate knowledge, experience, good practices and lessons learned.
• Provide technical inputs to knowledge products and reports.
• Carry out research and prepare a comprehensive needs assessment report.

The International Consultant will produce the following tasks.

All the tasks, including annexes, notes, and reports, should be submitted in writing in English. Upon receipt and prior to paying the first instalment, UN Women will review and approve the tasks and related reports and documents. The review period is one week after receipt.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
The assignment is home-based and includes possible field missions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Consultant´s Contract Duration and Remuneration
The assignment is from 5 November 2024 to 4 November 2026, two (2) years, with a possibility of extension. A maximum of 200 days of assignment will be added to the consultant´s contract. UN Women does not warrant a maximum of 200 days. The service will be purchased during the term of the Agreement. The consultant will be engaged under a retainer contract, which facilitates direct engagement of the consultant depending on need and availability within the contract period for a pre-agreed fee.

Consultant’s Profile
Profiles of consultants included in the retainer system of experts will be published on the internal UN Women system and accessible for UN Women ROAP and MCO/COs/Programme Presence offices.

Contracting Arrangements
Entry into the retainer system of experts does not guarantee a contract with UN Women. Should a request for services arise, UN Women shall directly contact consultants with the most appropriate experience from the roster. Specific Terms of Reference outlining outputs for each assignment shall be provided, and a Consultant Contract will be issued. Terms and conditions of a particular assignment may be negotiable. Membership in the retainer system of experts is valid for three (3) years.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Functional Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills;
• Ability to work independently and proactively solve problem;
• Capacity to plan, prioritise and deliver tasks on time;
• Capacity to engage with national and international staff, provide clear feedback and maintain effective rapport with different kinds of people;
• Actively work towards continuing learning and sharing with others to support local capacity development;
• Ability to research, analyse and present complex information.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree in Gender Studies, International Law, Social Science, Political Science or other related fields.
• A first-level university degree, in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum seven years’ progressively responsible experience at the national or international level on advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda with at least two years of experience working on the issue of WPS and Climate Change (be it in capacity building, analysis, development of knowledge product or other);
• Experience in peace and security or a related field in the Asia-Pacific region would be considered an asset;
• Previous professional experience with the United Nations or similar organisations in this or a related field would be considered an asset;
• Experience developing analysis and report documents on gender-related issues would be considered an asset;
• Experience in conducting training is an asset;
• Experience in working with public officials at central and local levels is an asset;
• Experience in working with civil society and academia is an asset.

Languages:

• Proficiency in English is required;
• Knowledge of other UN working languages is an asset;
• Knowledge of other languages of the region is an asset.

How to Apply

Interest candidates are encouraged to submit an electronic application to [email protected] with -cc to [email protected], no later than 31 October 2024.

• Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

“Examples of previous work related to WPS and Climate Change” will be requested from shortlisted candidates only.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need.

If you need reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.