Education Associate

UNESCO seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Natural and Social and Human Sciences, Culture and Communication and Information. Political and economic arrangements of governments are not enough to secure the lasting and sincere support of the peoples. Peace must be founded upon dialogue and mutual understanding. Peace must be built upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity. In this spirit, UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance. UNESCO works so that each child and citizen has access to quality education. By promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO strengthens bonds among nations. UNESCO fosters scientific programmes and policies as platforms for development and cooperation. UNESCO stands up for freedom of expression, as a fundamental right and a key condition for democracy and development. Serving as a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO helps countries adopt international standards and manages programmes that foster the free flow of ideas and knowledge sharing. UNESCO's founding vision was born in response to a world war that was marked by racist and anti-Semitic violence. Seventy years on and many liberation struggles later, UNESCO’s mandate is as relevant as ever. Cultural diversity is under attack and new forms of intolerance, rejection of scientific facts and threats to freedom of expression challenge peace and human rights. In response, UNESCO's duty remains to reaffirm the humanist missions of education, science and culture.

In close collaboration with Pacific Ministries and Departments of Education, UNESCO works with the Pacific Community (SPC), the University of the South Pacific (USP), UN agencies, development partners and other key stakeholders to advance the SDG 4-Education 2030 agenda and ensure alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the Pacific 2023-2027. Central to these efforts is the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF) 2018-2030, endorsed by Pacific Education Ministers, which provides a shared roadmap for strengthening education systems with an emphasis on quality, equity, resilience, inclusion, and teacher professionalism.

Guided by these frameworks, UNESCO supports transformative education initiatives across the region. This includes providing technical assistance to Global Partnership for Education (GPE) projects advancing digital transformation, sector planning, education data systems, early childhood and primary education, TVET, teacher development, inclusive learning, and climate-smart education. UNESCO also contributes to UN Joint Programmes on inclusive education, as well as various projects and initiatives promoting STEM education, transversal competencies, social and emotional learning, higher education mobility, and lifelong learning. Together, these initiatives advance system strengthening, gender equality, innovation, climate resilience, and digital readiness—critical enablers of equitable education in the Pacific.

The Education Associate shall support the UNESCO Regional Office in Apia’s Education Sector by providing technical assistance for the effective coordination, monitoring, and reporting of priority initiatives across the 18 Pacific States. The Education Associate will contribute to these efforts by supporting planning, implementation, and documentation processes, ensuring coherence, sustainability, and visibility of UNESCO’s education work in the region.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist for Education, the Education Associate will undertake the following tasks:

1. Assist UNESCO’s participation in Pacific education coordination mechanisms, policy dialogues, and joint UN programming under the UN Country Implementation Plans, ensuring integration of UNESCO’s work into regional and UN system reporting:
a. Facilitate timely delivery of UNESCO Regular Programme and extrabudgetary activities, including the organization of consultations, workshops, and meetings;
b. Coordinate with technical experts and partners; prepare terms of reference; and follow up on action points.
c. Support data collection and analysis to track progress towards national, regional, and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4 ) targets.
2. Maintain and expand strategic engagement with Ministries and Departments of Education, National Commissions for UNESCO, Pacific regional bodies (e.g., SPC, USP), UN agencies, civil society, and development partners to ensure coherence and joint action.
3. Contribute to the development of knowledge products and outreach activities—such as policy briefs, presentations, and reports—to highlight achievements and lessons learned from UNESCO’s education work in the Pacific.
4. Contribute to the development of concept notes and strategy papers for new and ongoing initiatives aligned with UNESCO’s mandate and regional priorities. Provide technical assistance for the monitoring and evaluation of education projects, including the preparation of monitoring and evaluation (M&E ) frameworks to measure impact and disseminate progress on project outcomes.
5. Perform other related duties as required to support the effective implementation, monitoring, and sustainability of UNESCO’s education programmes in the Pacific.