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Legal Officer, P4

Nairobi

  • Organization: UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme
  • Location: Nairobi
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Legal - Broad
    • Legal - International Law
  • Closing Date: Closed

Special Notice

Appointment against this position is for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 January 2017, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Vietnam.

The United Nations is Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. 

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. On-line applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided.

If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link.

Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UN Environment's Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UN Environment in the field of environmental law, governance and related policy issues, including those related to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). To fulfill its mandate, the Division’s work focuses on: leading the international community in the progressive development of environmental law; supporting States in the development and implementation of legal, institutional and policy measures that address emerging and important environmental challenges; facilitating cooperation and coordination among MEAs and between UNEP and those agreements; working with MEA Secretariats to support Parties to the respective MEAs in implementing their treaty obligations; and facilitating policy dialogue among States on issues relating to international environmental law and governance. This position is located in the Law Division of the UN Environment Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Under the supervision of the Head, National Environmental Law Unit, the incumbent is responsible for:

Responsibilities

1. Develop legal frameworks and regulatory mechanisms relating to key environmental priorities, including on UN Environment's climate change sub-programme:
•Collaborate with relevant multilateral agencies responsible for the development of environmental law, including those on climate change and energy, to ensure compliance.
• Develop in collaboration with other UN Environment Divisions and other partners’ normative tools and methodologies.

2. Programme development:
•Identify, assess and monitor relevant priorities, trends, developments and policies relating to environmental law and governance, including those relating to climate change.
•Provide advice to the Division in the form of legal and policy options, briefs and reports on emerging issues.

3. Liaise with UN Environment's stakeholders and the countries to support global and regional inter-governmental environmental processes, including those on climate change:
•Enhance expertise of national stakeholders in environmental law and governance, including on climate change and energy, and on compliance through capacity building, networking and training; 
•Monitor on-going and emerging international processes, identifying potential areas for UN Environment's strategic interventions and catalyze UN Environment-wide response and actions.

4. Facilitate a series of high-level meetings/fora on the nexus between science and environmental policy, including climate science and climate policy with emphasis on latest findings and negotiations: 
•Guide national negotiators in effective participation in international negotiation processes on environmental issues, including climate change and energy; 
•Analyze emerging issues related to negotiations on environmental matters, including on climate change and energy and prepare position and policy papers on UN Environment's approach to specific or emerging issues in the field.

5. Represent UN Environment in policy-making and substantive inter-agency meetings:
•Provide guidance and coordinate the scientific, technical and administrative actions; 
•Generate and disseminate reliable information on environmental law and approaches, including on climate change and energy; 
•Exchange professional experience with the scientific community, societies and organizations;
•Identify and develop new portfolio of climate change and energy law concepts and project proposals; 
•Provide substantive guidance to Governments to help integrate environmental law, including climate and energy law project proposals at the national and international level; 
•Advise Governments on emerging issues to enable them to identify their needs and requirements.

Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies

•Professionalism: Knowledge of environmental law and governance, both substantive and procedural. Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature; proficiency in legal writing and expression and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinions, and a variety of legal instruments and related documents. Discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive, complex legal issues. Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement. Ability to work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects. Knowledge of contemporary international relations and of the UN system, organization and interrelationships. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

•Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

•Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

•Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors on-going developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

An advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in environmental law or related area. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in environmental law and governance, including legal analysis, research and writing. Experience in technical assistance in the development and strengthening of national environmental law and strengthening capacity to implement, comply with and enforce environmental laws and multilateral environmental agreements is highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of other United Nations official language is an asset.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

 

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: no amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.

This vacancy is now closed.
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