Associate Legal Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 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. UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP/ROAP) helps to implement its global programmes in the regions by initiating, coordinating, and catalyzing regional and sub-regional cooperation and action in response to environmental problems and emergencies.

Context

The Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP 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. The Law Division also leads UNEP’s role as Secretariat to the Fifth Montevideo Programme on the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo Programme V). Montevideo Programme V is ten-year intergovernmental programme adopted by the UN Environment Assembly at its fourth meeting in March 2019. Montevideo V Programme will promote environmental rule of law, strengthen the related capacities in countries, and contribute to the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Programme commenced in January 2020 and is a flagship initiative of the Law Division. UNEP’s Asia and the Pacific Office, located in Bangkok, geographically serves 41 countries across the region to promote and implement sustainable development solutions. It works in close partner-ship with key stakeholders including governments, the private sector, civil society, and other UN agencies. The international UNV will support UNEP in its work for successful implementation of Montevideo V Programme, including activities contributing to addressing environmental crime through ‘Unwaste: tackling waste trafficking to support a circular economy’ in partnership with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Montevideo Coordination and Delivery Unit, or her/his designated representative, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Assist activities contributing to the implementation of the Montevideo Environmental Law Programme V including activities contributing to ‘Unwaste: tackling waste trafficking to support a circular economy’ in partnership with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); • Participate in the development and implementation of environmental law projects and activates, etc.; • Review relevant documents and reports; • Liaise with relevant partners and stakeholders to support implementation of project activities; identify and tracks follow-up actions; • Attends project and other meetings with partners, liaises with UNEP colleagues as appropriate to prepare for and follow up from meetings. • Prepares or assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, legislative texts and prepares conclusions, commentaries on those texts, and teaching materials in the field of environmental law and sustainable development, in particular, as these relate to national environmental law and related institutions. • Assist in the preparation of legal briefs and in the review of legal documents, instruments, or other material on environmental law in Asia Pacific; • Assist in the organization and support of events (meetings, workshops and training, roundtables and expert meetings), that are organized face-to-face or electronically, through e.g., liaising with partner entities/organizations and with participants, compiling materials, taking notes and pre-paring reports; • Prepares strategies, and undertakes research, to support technical legal assistance to Member States for the development and implementation of national environmental laws and policies in Asia Pacific; • Perform other relevant tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/Expected Outputs: • As an active UNEP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNEP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including through: o Preparing documents that methodically analyze research information collected and logically lead to the conclusions set out therein; o Delivering assignments that are delivered in accordance with agreed standards of quality and within set deadlines; o Review and technical inputs provided for at least 5 project documents, products and papers. o Regional events and forums facilitated by coordinating with partners, inviting speakers and set-ting up programmes. • The development of capacity through informal and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed