Advisory Committee on Climate/SDGs Debt Swap

Result of ServiceThe incumbent will be responsible for the strategic guidance for the operationalization of the Initiative through participation in four meetings, and revision and provision of comments on related documents shared by ESCWA. Work LocationRemotely Expected duration2 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground The Climate/SDGs Debt Swap – Donor Nexus Initiative was launched by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in 2020, aimed at enabling Arab member countries to unlock critical resources for investment in projects aligned with national priorities and long-term development plans. The initiative helps Governments to design climate/SDGs debt swap programmes, which ensure addressing national priorities while contributing to achieving global climate objectives. The initiative provides a “win-win” opportunity to foster development cooperation between debtor, creditor and donor toward achieving progress on climate action and the SDGs. Debtor countries benefit from the liquidity from external debt repayment channeled towards investments into climate resilient projects; and creditor countries can advance towards meeting their commitments under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Jordan, Tunisia and Mauritania are pilot countries of this initiative. The launch of the Initiative was timely and pursuant to the outcomes of the 2020 United Nations High-level Meeting on Financing for Development, which sets out a menu of options for consideration by Heads of State and Government that includes the use of debt swaps to assist countries that are facing high debt burdens. Debt swaps are mentioned in the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (Sevilla commitment) that took place on June 30 – July 3, 2025, which emphasizes the need to maximize the impact of debt swaps, including for climate and SDGs, by simplifying their design, reducing transaction costs and strengthening country ownership and transparency. ESCWA established a network of reputable experts in the cross-cutting area of debt swap and climate finance, serving as an ad hoc “Advisory Committee” to support the operationalization of the Initiative. In particular, the Advisory Committee members have guided the process of operationalizing the Initiative in pilot countries, such as Jordan and Tunisia, since its formation in March 2021. Mauritania is the latest country to join the Initiative. ESCWA functions as Secretariat. The Project Coordinator of the Climate/SDGs Debt Swap – Donor Nexus Initiative, or delegated official by ESCWA’s Senior Management, will facilitate the meetings of the Advisory Committee in close coordination with ESCWA’s Senior Management. The meetings of the Committee may be done in virtual setting or in physical setting as deemed necessary and decided upon consultation with the Chair of the Advisory Committee and ESCWA’s Senior Management. Meeting notes will be prepared by ESCWA Staff and shared with the Advisory Committee. Duties and Responsibilities The main functions of the Advisory Committee will include participation in four meetings in 2025-2026. The meetings aim to support the operationalization of the ESCWA Initiative through their contributions as listed below, but not necessarily limited to these: • Provide strategic guidance on rules and feasibility of debt swap in specific contexts, including rules of engagement with creditor(s) and Paris Club Secretariat; • Facilitate discussion with creditor(s)/donor(s) for negotiating the debt swap proposal for specific country contexts, and travel if required for in-person meeting (see point below on travel arrangements); • Provide guidance on identifying risks, addressing potential challenges and sensitivities; • Provide strategic guidance on networking and advocacy related to the Debt Swap Initiative, including with G20/IMF-WB/UN Secretariat, to advance this Initiative; • Review and provide comments on debt swap proposals for specific country context and provide comments on associated studies that contribute to operationalizing the debt swap Initiative; • Review and provide substantive feedback on the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy for the Climate/SDGs Debt Swap programmes. Qualifications/special skillsA Master’s degree in economics, social science, environment or related field is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 10 years of proven experience in contributing to implementing bilateral debt swaps, debt for nature swaps, both in the region and outside it, is required. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English language is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.