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.

UN Women’s Advisory Committee on Oversight (ACO) was established to assist UN Women’s Executive Director in fulfilling his/her responsibilities regarding oversight, financial management and reporting, internal audit and investigation, external audit, risk management, the evaluation and ethics functions, and systems of internal controls, accountability, and governance.

The Committee is independent and external to UN Women and is composed of 5 members, reflecting a regional mix and gender balance.  Members are appointed for a 3-year term, renewable once. Members are provided an honorarium, together with travel and daily subsistence allowances (per diem) for attending in-person ACO meetings, which are held three times a year. The Committee may also conduct virtual meetings when needed. Once appointed to serve, ACO members are not considered a staff member of UN Women.

UN Women is calling for expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced individuals to serve in this Advisory Committee.

Duties and Responsibilities

Please use this link to access the Terms of Reference for the ACO: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Accountability/UN-Women-Advisory-Committee-on-Oversight-Terms-of-reference-en.pdf

Competencies:

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework:

All applicants are requested to submit the following:

• Completed online application.
• Cover letter which explains why you are a strong candidate for the inclusion in the roster. Please paste the letter into the “Resume and Motivation” section of the electronic application.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Contracting Arrangements:

Successful candidates will be included in UN Women’s Advisory Committee on Oversight roster for a period of 3 years. Entry into the roster system does not necessarily mean that a contract with UN Women is guaranteed. This will depend on forthcoming needs.

When a request for services arises, UN Women shall directly contract the consultant from the roster without the need for further selection processes. Subject to agreement from the designated candidate, a consultancy contract will be issued.

Statements:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

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 any 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.)