Environmental Rights Technical Support – South East Asia Education

Details

Mission and objectives

The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy-oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

Context

On 28 July 2022, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a landmark resolution recognizing the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The resolution, which followed recognition of the right by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in October 2021 was an unprecedented decision, adopted with unparalleled support.
Building on partnerships and processes established through previous SIDA-funded projects (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) “The value of empowerment and participation on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (2018-2021), and “Strengthening capacity of regional actors to promote human rights, accountability, democratic space and gender in the Asia-Pacific Region” (2018-2024), ESCAP is leading a project on “Advancing Environmental Rights in Asia and the Pacific”, in collaboration with UNEP and OHCHR.
The objective of this project is to provide the foundation for a framework on environmental rights in Asia and the Pacific, comparable to the “Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters” (Aarhus Convention) in Europe, and the “Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean” (Escazú Agreement).
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Charter commits the ASEAN community to “ensure sustainable development for the benefits of present and future generations and to place the well-being, livelihood and welfare of the peoples at the center of the ASEAN community building process”. Since 2014, the AICHR has been leading work on human rights and the environment, including climate change. The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commision on Human Rights (AICHR) Workshop on Human Rights, the Environment, and Climate Change, was held from 8-10 June 2021 in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for South-East Asia, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
This meeting considered findings from a number of experts, on the feasibility of establishing a regional framework instrument on environmental access rights, including access to information, public participation, access to justice in environmental matters and the protection of environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs). The meeting recommended that progress be made towards an environmental access rights agreement in ASEAN to include the right of access to environmental information, the right to participate and access to remedies in environmental matters. Taken as a bundle of rights, these rights can be broadly defined as environmental rights.
In 2023, AICHR adopted the terms of reference of the recently established ASEAN Environmental Rights Working Group (AER WG). This Working Group will conduct a series of sessions, stakeholder consultations, interface meetings with AICHR and will develop a draft framework on environmental rights to be submitted to AICHR for the consideration and adoption by ASEAN leaders.

Task description

Under the overall supervision of the responsible Environmental Affairs Officer, Environment and Development Division, ESCAP and in coordination with the Environmental Rights Task Force (ESCAP-UNEP-OHCHR), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Support the implementation and delivery of activities related to the SIDA-funded project on “Advancing Environmental Rights in Asia and the Pacific”
• Support outreach to, and communication with stakeholders, including making presentations
• Liaise with relevant partners and stakeholders to support implementation of project activities; identify and tracks follow-up actions
• Attend project and other meetings with partners, liaise with ESCAP colleagues as appropriate to prepare for and follow up from meetings.
• Prepare or assist in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports in the field of environmental rights, in particular, as these relate to national environmental law and related institutions.
• Assist in the review of legal documents, instruments, or other material on environmental rights
• Assist in the organization and support of events (meetings, workshops and training, roundtables and expert meetings), that are organized face-to-face or electronically, through e.g., liaising with partner entities/organizations and with participants, compiling materials, taking notes and preparing reports;
• Prepare strategies, and undertakes research, to support technical assistance to Member States;
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute with articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
Results/Expected Outputs
• As an active project team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to ESCAP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of their functions, including through:
o Preparing documents that methodically analyze research information collected and logically lead to the conclusions set out therein;
o Delivering assignments that are delivered in accordance with agreed standards of quality and within set deadlines;
o Review and technical inputs provided for project documents, products and papers.
o Regional events, meetings, forums, and workshops facilitated by coordinating with partners, inviting speakers and setting up programs.
• The development of capacity through informal and formal on-the-job training, when working with national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs).
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed