Policy Specialist - Climate and Security Risk

• Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction: climate change and drought are acting as a risk multiplier to social instability and conflict in the region, threatening to roll back development gains and entrench poverty. UNDP supports capacities to implement national NDC climate plans, the Paris Climate Agreement and Sendai DRR Framework, in ways that bring dividends to all SDGs. 

• Climate change mitigation and sustainable energy: support is aimed at helping countries scale-up renewable energy solutions and expand energy access for the poor; designing new low-carbon development strategies; and reducing the energy intensity of urbanization and growth in key sectors of industry, buildings and transport.

• Resilient recovery and building back better: UNDP places top priority on responding to climatic disasters like drought and flood events, and supporting resilient forms of recovery so partners can build back better from conflicts and disasters in a way that integrates future risks from climate change and engages sustainable energy solutions.

• Capacities for conflict prevention and management: UNDP supports setting up of regulatory frameworks and institutional mechanisms that help actors pre-empt future conflict, manage ongoing tensions, and reach political agreements. Building leadership capacities that engage civil society and marginalized communities, including women, to mitigate violence and reach shared agendas through participatory approaches forms the core of UNDP's conflict prevention approach.

• Facilitation, dialogue and consensus building: UNDP supports government and key actors in setting up inclusive and participatory mechanisms and structures for shared agenda setting, dialogue and consensus building.

• Development of risk assessment reports for a select number of countries and regions.

• Development of an overarching compilation report on climate related security risks, tentatively to inform the 2019 UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in New York.

• On-going coordination and information sharing on climate security related risks within the UN system.

• On-going awareness raising, including at the COP24/COP 25, the 2019 UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit, the 2019 planetary security conference and other relevant events.

• Support relevant entities/team within UNDP in developing tailored climate sensitive approaches and mainstream climate change in overall prevention work.

• Assist in setting up an inter-agency coordination mechanism that promotes UN policy and programme coherence on climate-security, comprising UNEP, UNDP and DPA. 
• Serve as lead representative of UNDP in the joint UNDP-UNDPA-UNEP project “Strengthening the UN’s capacity to address climate related security risks”, and focal point for UNDP in New York on the climate change and security nexus.
• Provide inter-agency coordination for the compilation of inputs for specific research, regular UN reports (e.g. reports of the Secretary-General), General Assembly and UN Security Council resolutions and reporting, as well as specific risk assessment reports commissioned under the coordination mechanism. The candidate will also provide inputs to the work of relevant UN working groups, such as the Working Group on “Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Peace/Security, Human Rights and Humanitarian Nexus” under the UN System Strategic Approach on Climate Change Action.      
• Develop or foster partnerships with relevant UN agencies, development partners, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society, and academia pertaining to the climate change and security nexus.
• Ensure coordination and synergy between the different offices within UNDP working on issues related to climate change, conflict prevention and security, and provide analysis, monitor and evaluate the integration of climate security risk considerations within UNDP’s policies and programmes.

• Coordinate the inputs for the preparation of a comprehensive structural risk report that will be launched during the summit and guide the Climate Summit agenda on climate related security risks. 
• Provide substantive guidance to the formulation and development of advocacy and research elements of the project “Strengthening the UN’s capacity to address climate related security risks”.
• Coordinate launch and communication processes for upcoming research and risk assessment reports on climate-security. 

• Assisting in design of new initiatives where requested to address/manage climate related security risks in fragile contexts, whether globally, regionally or at the country-level, including discussions underway for new initiatives in e.g. South Sudan, Lac Tchad…
• Provide policy guidance and support globally and at the national level where requested on issues of climate related security risks, including as related to support to or participate in UN envets and policy dialogues. 
• Guide the quality assurance of the country offices level work and regional programme portfolio on resilience building and climate-security and seek complementarities and integration with ongoing projects and across the office portfolios.
• Promote and support the tackling of complex prevention and development issues as relevant to the climate-security nexus, in drought and other disaster-affected countries/regions, by complementing efforts to integrate peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts with resilience building, recovery, long-term development, risk reduction and climate adaptation measures.

• Support to preparations for and participation in regional/global UN events and community of practice events/meetings relating to climate related security risks. 
• Coordinate launch and communication processes for reports and events on climate change and security as relevant.  
• Support UNDP and UN senior management in leading advocacy efforts on climate related security risk management in various fora and events. 
• Ensure the timely production of quality briefing notes, speeches and other documents on climate related security risks required by UNDP and UN senior management, tapping into good practices from the UNDP global portfolio.
• Coordinates and oversees the preparation of reports on project status, budget, presentation to partners and donors, intergovernmental bodies, etc. 
• Participates in technical level coordination meetings as well and coordinates inputs for the project Partnership Committee.   

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

• Ability to get things done.

Climate Change and Disaster Rixsk Reduction (General):

• Knowledge of climate change and disaster risk reduction and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

• Knowledge of climate change & disaster risk reduction concepts and the relationship with peacebuilding and conflict prevention and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

• Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

• Knowledge of climate change adaptation concepts and the application in fragile and conflict affected countries, in relation to conflict prevention, and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

• Ability to identify and organize programmes  and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.

• Ability to manage complex relationships through pathways of knowledge exchange, capacity development, funding relationships and strategic engagement.

• Ability to scan the horizon and identify approaches and initiatives to bring into policy and programme design.

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in natural sciences, engineering or environmental and/or development, political science, disaster and/or conflict prevention-related fields, with some qualification in a discipline relevant to risk management.

• 7 years of professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support in the general area of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and/or sustainable development is required.
• Experience in providing policy, programmatic and advisory support and services to developing countries in disaster risk management and/or conflict risk management and experience working in developing country settings is required.
• Experience in disaster and climate risk management in fragile situation and/or on post-conflict/post-disaster needs assessments is an asset.
• Familiarity with global policy discussion on disaster risk reduction and/or conflict prevention is an asset.
• Excellent computer/information systems knowledge is an asset.
• Familiarity with the United Nations work and role in disaster risk reduction and recovery and conflict prevention, including leading initiatives, resources and tools available for this purpose is an asset. 
• Understanding of UN/UNDP programming modalities especially UNDP’s work on conflict prevention, disaster risk reduction or climate change adaptation, is an asset.
   

• Fluency in English and French, both written and oral. 
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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