National Consultant – Blue Bond Framework Development and Stakeholder Engagement (Kazakhstan)

-Adaptation of the Blue Bond Issuance Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria to Kazakhstan’s regulatory and institutional framework. -Effective stakeholder consultations conducted in local languages, ensuring broad ownership and technical validation. -Support provided to 1–2 pilot Blue Bond issuers in navigating national requirements. -Documentation of practical implementation challenges and lessons learned to inform future scaling.

Remote

6 months

UNEP is the voice of the environment within the United Nations system. UNEP acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the sound use of the environment and sustainable development. Located within the Industry and Economy Division, the Finance and Economic Transformations Branch examine how the economy, trade and finance interact with the environment and contribute to sustainable development at the local, national, regional and global levels. Based in Geneva, the Division leads the Green Economy Initiative to help countries integrate environmental considerations into their economic and trade policies. The Economic and Fiscal Policy Unit (EFPU), under the Finance and Economic Transformations Branch of UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division, supports countries in advancing sustainable finance frameworks and economic policy reforms aligned with climate, nature, and pollution objectives. Under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), UNEP provides technical assistance to governments to strengthen green fiscal policy, sustainable finance instruments, and enabling frameworks for economic transformation. Kazakhstan has developed a Green Taxonomy and ESG bond rules, but the Blue Bond framework must be adapted to the national water context, including freshwater ecosystems, basin-level management, irrigation systems, and transboundary water governance. A national consultant is required to ensure strong institutional alignment and practical applicability within Kazakhstan. The consultant(s) shall undertake the following tasks: •Contextualized inputs integrated into draft and final Blue Bond Guidelines. •Stakeholder consultation meetings organized and documented. •Training materials adapted to local context. • Advisory support provided to pilot issuers. •Summary note capturing implementation lessons learned.

Master’s degree or higher in Finance, Public Policy, Law, Environmental Economics, Water Resources Management, or related field. At least 5 years of professional experience in environmental policy, green economy, sustainable finance, or water governance Proven understanding of national legislation and regulatory frameworks related to: • Water management and irrigation • Climate change and environmental protection • Sustainable finance and capital markets Experience supporting or participating in taxonomy development, ESG projects, or donor-funded environmental programmes in Kazakhstan or Central Asia. Familiarity with the institutional landscape, including: • Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources • Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation • Ministry of Finance • Agency for Regulation and Development of Financial Market • AIFC / AIX • Development Bank of Kazakhstan • Eurasian Development Bank Practical experience in stakeholder coordination, data collection, and policy research

Fluency in Kazakh and Russian required. Strong working knowledge of English required

Not available.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.