Member, WIPO Independent Advisory Oversight Committee (IAOC)

Organizational Context and Mandate\:

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is seeking applications for five positions on its Independent Advisory Oversight Committee (IAOC) to begin on February 1, 2023.  

The IAOC is a subsidiary body of the WIPO General Assembly and of the WIPO Program and Budget Committee.  It serves in an independent expert advisory capacity and assists the WIPO General Assembly and the Program and Budget Committee in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities with respect to the various operations of WIPO.  Meeting regularly every quarter, its responsibilities include providing advice with regard to Financial Reporting, Risk Management and Internal Controls, External Audit, Internal Oversight and Ethics.  The IAOC makes recommendations to the Program and Budget Committee on matters within its terms of reference and reports on its work to WIPO Member States through the Program and Budget Committee and the General Assembly.

The IAOC is composed of seven members, representing, to the extent possible, each of the seven Regional Groups of WIPO Member States.  Once selected, IAOC members shall serve in their personal capacity for a term of three years, renewable once.

Additional information is available on the mandate and work of the IAOC on the WIPO web site at the following address\:  http\://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/oversight/iaoc/. 

Selection Process\:

With a view to representation of each of the seven Regional Groups of WIPO Member States on the IAOC, priority will be given to the selection of one candidate from each of the following five Groups\: 

- The African Group (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

- The Asia and the Pacific Group (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Darussalam, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen).

- The Group of Central Asian, Caucasus and Eastern European Countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan).

- The Group of Latin American and the Caribbean Countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of); and

- China.

The selection will be conducted by a special panel of Member States' representatives and will be based on the assessment of individual skills, taking into account the need for the IAOC to collectively possess certain skills, all of which will not necessarily be required of each individual member.  Appropriate geographical representation and gender balance will also be considered.

Required Qualifications

Education\:

Essential\:

University degree in one or more of the following areas\: finance, accounting, audit, law, information technology, human resources management, business or public administration or another relevant field.

Desirable\:

Relevant professional accreditation and/or similar qualifications would be an asset.

Experience\:

Essential\:

Relevant and recent professional experience at the senior level in one or more of the following areas\: audit, evaluation, finance, accounting, risk management, investigations, legal affairs, information technology, ethics, human resources management and administration.

Desirable\:

Experience in committee work (preferably as a member of an audit/oversight committee). 

Skills\:

Applicants will be assessed with respect to their individual skills in the following areas\: 

- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present written and oral arguments clearly, logically and effectively 

- Proven report drafting ability

- Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to form and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity

- Highly developed analytical skills

The IAOC should collectively possess the following competencies\: 

- Technical or specialist knowledge of issues pertinent to WIPO's business

- Public and private sector experience in managing organizations and businesses of similar size and complexity

- Understanding of the wider relevant environments in which WIPO operates, including its objectives, culture and structure

- Detailed understanding of WIPO’s governance environment and accountability structures

- Oversight or management experience at a senior level in the United Nations system

- International and/or intergovernmental experience

Other criteria to be taken into account in the evaluation of applications will include\:

 - Availability (including virtual consultations), independence, objectivity, impartiality, integrity, strong ethical values, commitment, professionalism.

Language\:

Fluency in English (both written and spoken).

Working knowledge of other WIPO official languages would be an advantage.  

Conditions of Service\:

Service on the IAOC is without remuneration.

Members shall be provided with the travel and subsistence entitlements in line with the WIPO travel policy to attend quarterly meetings in Geneva, and other relevant meetings as provided for in the Terms of Reference of the IAOC (subject to applicable travel restrictions in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic).  Allowances are paid in Swiss francs at the official rate of exchange of the United Nations.

Meetings generally last five days, but will also require additional time for travel and preparation due to the volume of documentation to be reviewed. 

Additional Information\:

Please include in your application a personal statement explaining the reasons for interest in the position and containing indications about your availability and independence, and disclosing any possible conflicts of interest.

Applications from qualified women candidates are encouraged.

Short-listed candidates will be required to attend an interview.  As a form of additional screening, other methods of testing may be administered, including a written test.

Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory background checks, including professional references.

By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of engagement with WIPO at a later date, if that engagement resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link\: http\://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.