Consultant- Junior Legal and Policy Advisor

Result of ServicePolicy and legal reviews that guided reform recommendations. A Working Group with clear ToRs established. Stakeholder consultations that informed ICMF recommendations. Work LocationHome based Expected duration6 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesOrganizational Setting, Purpose, and Objective: The 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. The Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) delivers advisory services and capacity-building support to countries to achieve environmental and sustainable development objectives. This consultancy assignment supports the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP ROWA) in the implementation of the GEF-funded project titled “Promotion of Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Land Degradation Neutrality in Highly Degraded Landscapes of Iraq”. The project aims to strengthen institutional and community capacities to achieve biodiversity conservation and land degradation neutrality in the Middle Euphrates landscape through integrated landscape management approaches. Key focus areas include enhancing institutional capacity to mainstream conservation and land degradation neutrality into sectoral policies; establishing two new protected areas to safeguard species of global importance in close coordination with local stakeholders; developing and operationalizing protected area management plans; implementing sustainable land management techniques to restore agro-ecosystem services; and raising public awareness on the drivers, risks and solutions related to land degradation. The overall objective of this consultancy is to provide technical support for the establishment of the Integrated Conservation Management Framework (ICMF) Joint Multistakeholder Working Group by delivering a policy gap assessment, comprehensive stakeholder analysis, and validated recommendations for the operationalization of the workplan of the Promotion of Integrated Biodiversity Conservation and Land Degradation Neutrality in Highly Degraded Landscapes of Iraq project. The outputs and deliverables of performance are specified under section 3 below. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the direct supervision of the designated Programme Management Officer at UNEP ROWA, and in close coordination with the relevant unit in the Ministry of Environment and the project team on the ground, the selected consultant will carry-out, inter alia, the following duties and responsibilities: 1.Policy and Legal Review - Identifying points of Integration of Biodiversity Conservation and Land Degradation Neutrality into National Policies and Plans: • Review and analyze existing national and subnational policies, legislations and procedures linked to biodiversity conservation, protected areas and land degradation neutrality. • Identify policy and institutional gaps, overlaps and inconsistencies across sectors, referencing international practices and agreements. • Examine and document how the role of women, youth and local communities in conservation are addressed in current policy and legal frameworks, benchmarking against international standards (e.g. CBD Gender Plan of Action, SDG 5, SDG 15). • Draft preliminary policy and legal reform recommendations, with reference to Iraq’s international commitments under CBD, UNCCD, UNFCCCC and other MEAs, for validation through consultations. Deliverables: D1: Policy and Legal Framework Analysis Report- summarizing existing national and subnational policies, laws and procedures related to biodiversity conservation and land degradation neutrality, identifying key legal and institutional gaps, referencing relevant international commitments of Iraq such as the CBD, the UNCCD, the UNFCCC and the SDGs 13, 15, 16. D2: Preliminary Policy and Legal Recommendations Whitepaper – building on D1, D2 will outline institutionally feasible reform priorities to advance biodiversity conservation and land degradation neutrality in Iraq. It will also support the development of an Integrated Conservation Management Framework (ICMF) and ensure alignment with Iraq’s international commitments under the CBD, UNCCD, UNFCCC and the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Further this deliverable will highlight measures for the inclusion of diverse groups in implementation. Note: Key findings of both reports will be presented to national stakeholders in Iraq for validation. 2.Establishment of Joint Multi-Stakeholder Working Group: • Liaise with national consultants to conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise that directly identifies key actors who will contribute to the development and implementation of the ICMF. • Review and refine stakeholder lists, ensuring inclusion of ministries, academia, civil society, private sector actors and technical partners ensuring the inclusion of all relevant sectors and of diverse groups and perspectives i.e. women, youth and local communities. • Coordinate with national consultants to ensure that the stakeholder mapping process has been comprehensive and aligned with project objectives. • Draft the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Joint Multistakeholder ICMF Working Group, drawing on international examples of coordination mechanisms in biodiversity and sustainable land management. • Provide policy and institutional guidance to ensure the ToR defines clear roles, reporting lines, and collaboration structures between ministries and partners. • Serve as the primary liaison between UNEP ROWA and the national consultants to consolidate comments and finalize the ToR. Deliverables: D3: Stakeholder Analysis Report- including a structured list of identified stakeholders relevant to, inter alia, biodiversity conservation and land degradation neutrality, proposed members for the ICMF Working Group, their roles, capacities and interests and recommendations for balanced and inclusive participation. D4: Terms of Reference for the Joint Multistakeholder ICMF Working Group- including an outline of the group’s membership, roles, responsibilities, operational structure, frequency of meetings and expected outputs as it relates to the implementation of the ICMF. 3.Synthesis of Consultations and Recommendations for ICMF: • Conduct desk-based research on international governance models and compliance mechanisms that support integrated conservation management. • Review and consolidate draft recommendations, background papers and technical materials prepared by national experts and the Joint Multistakeholder Working Group to support the establishment of the ICMF • Provide legal and policy guidance to ensure that all draft materials are consistent with Iraq’s obligations under CBD, UNFCCC, UNCCD and are aligned with the relevant international frameworks on biodiversity and Land Degradation Neutrality. • Draft integrated legal and policy notes with recommendations to refine the ICMF structure and ensure its alignment with Iraq’s broader governance structures as well as relevant international governances’ frameworks. • Coordinate with the National Coordinator, UNEP, GEF, and in-country consultants to share findings and track progress of the ICMF development. • Coordinate the preparation of presentations, background materials, and discussion briefs for national consultations and technical workshops led by in country teams. • Collect and synthesize stakeholder feedback received through consultations to ensure that the final ICMF draft reflects the purpose of the project and Iraq’s international commitments. Deliverables: D5: ICMF Synthesis Report- including a consolidated summary of outcomes of national consultations, feedback, validated inputs for the ICMF and plan for next steps. D6: Working recommendations for ICMF Development - A comprehensive set of working recommendations based on the synthesis report, desk-based research, outputs from stakeholder consultations and international best practices. These recommendations will guide the continued refinement and development of the ICMF and action roadmap for the project. Qualifications/special skillsA bachelor’s in law, Environmental Law, Natural Resource Law, Public Policy, Political Science, or another policy-relevant field is required. A minimum of 2 years of work experience related to stakeholder engagement, proposal writing, policy writing analysis and legal research (Required) Strong understanding of environmental law, policy frameworks, and governance structures (Required). Excellent communication, facilitation, including the ability to engage effectively with senior-level officers (Required) Demonstrated ability to assist in the design/organization of workshops and consultations to achieve actionable outputs (Desirable) Experience in integrating gender and inclusion considerations into processes (Desirable LanguagesFluency in written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of Arabic is desirable. 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.