Legal Expert

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Programme and/or the Project Manager, the Legal Expert will be responsible for the following duties:

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment on the existing land legal framework of Iraq;

• Identify weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in the existing land legal framework of Iraq, including the means of collecting and managing data;

• Liaise with relevant members of the UN-Habitat Iraq Country Programme team to plan, organize, and coordinate multistakeholder policy dialogues/workshops/roundtables to discuss the land legal framework of Iraq with government counterparts, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders;

• Coordinate and facilitate working group meetings with key stakeholders to discuss the reform of the existing land legal framework;

• Develop concrete recommendations for improving the land legal framework of Iraq, presenting the detailed recommendations to various stakeholders including government counterparts; 

• Support government authorities to revise/amend the laws related to land; 

• Support the Project Manager in preparing progress reports, monitoring reports, and other relevant documents related to the project;

Outputs/work assignment 

The incumbent is expected to submit the following deliverables during the course of his/her assignment: 

• Monthly activity reports detailing the activities carried out in day-to-day operations;

• Comprehensive research on the existing land legal framework of Iraq;

• Strengths and weaknesses in the existing land legal framework of Iraq, including the data collection and management system;

• Detailed policy recommendations for the improvement of the existing land legal framework of Iraq;

• Lessons learned on the relevant project activities (such as the policy dialogue and working group roundtables).

Academic Qualification 

• An advanced degree (Masters’) in Law, Social Sciences, Politics, International Relations, Development Studies, or other relevant field of studies is required; a first-level university degree (Bachelors’) with an additional two years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience 

• Experience in coordination and facilitation of policy dialogue, multi-stakeholder forums, workshops, roundtables etc. is required;

• Experience in policy analysis and policy advice is required; 

• Legal experience in the field of land legal reform, land management and/or governance is required;

• Experience working with cadasters, cadastral maps, cadastral GIS data, is required; 

• Experience in project management is an advantage;

• Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others;

• Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills;

• Wiliness to contribute and work as part of the team;

• Flexible and open to learning and new experiences; 

• Respect for diversity and adaptability to diverse cultures, environments and living conditions.

Language 

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of Arabic is a distinct advantage.