International Consultant: UN Coordination and Normative support

Background/Context

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. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women is mandated to lead, coordinate and promote accountability for the implementation of gender equality commitments across the UN System.   UN Women Regional Office (RO) for Asia and the Pacific has offices in twenty-four countries in the Asia Pacific Region, though our mandate covers a total of 32 countries. With the Regional Office (RO) in Bangkok, there is one multi-country office (Fiji), 12 country offices (COs) (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam), three non-physical presences (NPPs) (Cambodia, Philippines and Sri Lanka), a Centre of Excellence (Republic of Korea) and five in the Pacific covered by the Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) (i.e. Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu). 

The UN system is coordinated through the Regional Collaborative Platform (RCP) under which UN Women co-leads an Issue-based Coalition (IBC) on Promoting Human Rights and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) - with UNFPA and OHCHR.  Within the Asia-Pacific, UN Women ensures for the integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment norms and standards in UNSDCF roll-out countries as part of the Asia-Pacific UN Development System (UNDS)- including through the Country Support Group Mechanism. Additionally, UN Women supports our offices in their engagement in advancing GEWE in the Common Country Analysis (CCA)/UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) development processes- and throughout the UNSDCF cycle, including through the application of the UN Country Team System-wide Action Plan (UNCT SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard and UNCT Gender Equality Marker (GEM).  A key priority going forward will be the operationalization of the Gender Equality Acceleration Plan which was launched by the UN Secretary General in 2024. UN Women will be collaborating across the UN system, and with our offices, to advance the roll-out of the same. 

In accordance with UN Women’s mandate and the UN General Assembly Resolutions on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the UN (QCPR), the RO works in the following ways to strengthen the coherence and impact of the UN’s efforts:

• Provision of technical advisory services to UN Women’s M/COs/NRAs in operationalizing our UN coordination mandate within UNCTs: UN Women prioritizes the provision of UN coordination support to advance GEWE to UN Women’s M/COs/NPPs, with particular emphasis on CCA/UNSDCF roll-out countries in the region. The RO also provides analysis and sharing of good practices on UN coordination on GEWE, between M/COs/NPPs in the region – including on the use of UN system-wide accountability tools. This includes providing technical support and facilitating capacity development requests and initiatives, linked to the development of CCAs/UNSDCFs, and also the UNCT SWAP Gender Equality scorecard exercises and UNCT GEM, and quality assuring the deliverables. 

• Support on strengthening UN Member State accountabilities: As part of our UN Coordination efforts, UN Women provides advisory and technical support to the UN, and to UN Women Multi/Country offices/non-physical presences on state party accountabilities (including their monitoring and reporting obligations and processes), and on the role of the UN and integration of outcomes from Human Rights Treaty Bodies and mechanisms (CEDAW, Universal Periodic Reviews (UPRs), special procedures etc.), and intergovernmental processes (Beijing Platform for Action reviews, Commission on the Status of Women, Voluntary National reviews, and other inter-agency normative processes and events, as needed), into UN strategic planning frameworks.

• Through participation in the IBC and other RCP processes for i) broadening the UN’s knowledge base on gender analysis and gender-responsive planning; (ii) strengthening inter-agency collaboration and joint programming; iii) support to UN Women M/COs/NPPs, UNCTs (including but not limited to their Gender Theme Groups (GTGs) and/or their equivalents, and iv) overseeing and supporting the UN’s joint operational support for GEWE at regional levels, especially  Human Rights Treaty Bodies and mechanisms, and also intergovernmental processes (Beijing Platform for Action reviews, Commission on the Status of Women, regional Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forums, and other inter-agency normative processes and events, as needed).  

• Document good practices and lessons learnt on the application of UN system-wide accountability frameworks and other UN system tools, with focus on the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and joint programming in substantive areas of UN Women’s work. These good practices are disseminated through the UN Women Asia-Pacific UNCT SWAP virtual toolkit, through tailored trainings and other modalities. 

• Provide technical and coordination support on strategic planning process at the regional level: (i) contribute to the development and review of country-level Strategic Notes (SNs) and the development and review of regional and country-level Work Plans (WPs) as required.

The consultant will be reporting to Regional UN Coordination Specialist, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and will be supported by Programme Associate who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Regional UN Coordination Specialist, the consultant will be responsible for the following: 

• Provision of technical, advisory services and support to UN Women’s M/COs/NPPs in operationalizing their UN coordination mandate within UNCTs.
• Provision of technical, advisory services and support to UN Women’s M/COs/NPPs in strengthening UN Member State accountabilities to their normative commitments to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, through leveraging our UN coordination mandate within UNCTs.
• Strengthening regional and country level UN coordination mechanisms for advancing GEWE, including through support and participation to the Asia-Pacific IBC on Promoting Human Rights and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and the Country Support Group. 
• Document good practices and lessons learnt on the application of UN System-wide frameworks, tools and processes within the region, to support knowledge sharing and peer learning, and dissemination of the same, through the UN Women Asia-Pacific UNCT SWAP virtual toolkit and other modalities.
• Provide technical and coordination support on UN system-wide strategic and work planning processes- both in-country and at the regional level.
• Any other requests, as guided by the supervisor.

Monthly progress reports are to be submitted, describing work completed and listing any deliverables finalized during that month (deliverables as outlined above: guidance, presentations, talking points, tools, reports, and any other concrete outputs). 

Payments will be made upon approval of the progress reports by the Regional UN Coordination Specialist.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is an office-based consultancy, based in Bangkok, Thailand. 

As part of this assignment, there may be travel related to the scope of work, which will be paid for separately in accordance with UN Women’s travel policy. consultant is expected to travel. 

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: 

• Excellent command of written and oral English
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an advantage
• Strong analytical and communication skills
• Ability to work within a diverse team, and to carry out assigned tasks independently
• Strong planning and organizing skills with ability to identify priority activities and assignments and to use time efficiently
• Ability to take decisions and manage political/cultural sensitivity

Education and Certification:

Education:

1. Master's degree (or equivalent) in international development, public administration, public policy, or other relevant social science field is required.
2. 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:

3. A minimum of five years of work experience in development, preferably with a focus on GEWE at the international level.

4. Demonstrable progressive experience in coordination, especially UN inter-agency coordination to advance GEWE within Asia and the Pacific region, is strongly desirable;

5. Demonstrable progressive experience working in support of normative intergovernmental processes.

6. Excellent drafting and analytical skills and ability to produce and present concise concept notes, guidance, presentations, talking points, and reports (among others).

Languages:

7. Language proficiency in English required.

V. Payment

The consultant is expected to work 20 days a month based in Thailand, and a monthly rate will be paid upon satisfactory completion of tasks and deliverables that will be summarized in a monthly report.

UN Women will cover travel and related visa and terminal fees for Thailand duty station.  The cost of accommodation will be responsible by the selected consultant.

Should the consultant be required to travel outside the duty station, UN Women will prepare the travel arrangement for the consultant separately.

• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• List of 3 professional references that can be contacted.

*Applicants who have been shortlisted will be asked for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, copy of biodata page of national passport and copy of the highest education certificate.

**Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Please combine the P11 with cover letter and upload in one file. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. Please ensure that the percentage for part-time job is identified clearly in the P-11 form. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

VII. 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.)