Mission and objectivesUN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) is the UN agency focused on sustainable urban development, working to create socially and environmentally sound cities with adequate shelter for all, especially as the world rapidly urbanizes. It addresses global challenges like housing crises, slums, and climate impacts by developing urban policies, providing technical assistance, promoting best practices, and working with governments and partners in over 90 countries to build resilient, inclusive cities. Its work is guided by the New Urban Agenda, aiming for better quality of life through sustainable urbanization
ContextUrbanization in Sierra Leone โ especially in its capital, Freetown โ has accelerated rapidly, with urban dwellers growing from under one million in 1960 to over 3 million by 2020. This expansion has outpaced infrastructure and governance capacities, leading to widespread informal settlements. About 59 % of the urban population lived in slum-like conditions in 2018, characterized by overcrowding, inadequate housing, poor sanitation, and limited access to clean water and health services. In Freetown, these pressures are compounded by the cityโs challenging topography and climate change, with unregulated construction on steep slopes contributing to severe annual flooding and landslides. The informal nature of livelihoods, where up to 70 % of residents work outside the formal economy, further limits municipal revenue and capacity to invest in essential infrastructure, while weak land use planning and elite-driven policy making exacerbate social exclusion, environmental degradation, and heightened vulnerability to disasters. UN-Habitat has been operational in Sierra Leone for more than a decade, and it has worked in a recent past on the preparation of a Feasibility Study for developing a National Urban Policy and has collaborated with Catholic Relief Services in planning and implementing integrated informal settlements upgrading initiatives in Freetown. Since 2024, UN-Habitat is implementing the Zurich-Freetown City-to-City Cooperation (C2CC), a partnership launched by the Freetown City Council (FCC) and the City of Zurich, Switzerland, with UN-Habitat's support, to regenerate Freetown's Central Business District (CBD) by improving infrastructure, public spaces, transport, and creating a cleaner, safer, more attractive urban environment over five years. The C2CC project, consists of five (5) outputs, namely: (i) improving pedestrian areas; (ii) renewing street lighting; (iii) introducing a regulated parking system; (iv) creating more inviting public spaces; and (v) landscaping and greening. Within the context of the C2CC, a UNV position is open to support the country programme operations.
Task DescriptionThis position is located within the Regional Office for Africa of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and is coordinated by the West Africa Sub-Regional Hub in Dakar, Senegal and the UN-Habitat Country Programme in Freetown. The UN Volunteer will be based in Freetown, working under the overall supervision of the Technical Team Lead (project lead). The Volunteer will collaborate closely with local government institutions, project partners, community representatives, and other institutions engaged in the City-to-City Cooperation (C2CC) project and related UN-Habitat initiatives. Under the direct supervision of the Team Lead, the UN Volunteer will perform the following functions: Urban Design & Technical Support โข Contribute to design development for public space improvements, walkability, street layout, drainage, and signage. โข Support documentation of walkthroughs with stakeholders (e.g., EDSA, GUMA, SierraTel). โข Develop diagrams, sketches, and reports for design proposals. Stakeholder Coordination โข Support organization of technical site visits, consultations, and community meetings. โข Follow up with utilities and partners on coordination issues (e.g., poles, pipes, manholes, rights-of-way). โข Support communication between FCC departments and UN-Habitat. General Administration โข Prepare minutes, briefs, presentations, and monitoring updates for Freetown City Council (FCC), UN-Habitat, and partners. โข Support development of knowledge products, including maps, before/after visuals, and project documentation Other tasks โข Support logistics for fieldwork, training sessions, and project events. โข Contribute to visibility, storytelling, and communications of project progress
Competencies and valuesโข Accountability โข Adaptability and flexibility โข Creativity โข Judgement and decision-making โข Planning and organising โข Professionalism โข Self-management
Living conditions and remarksSierra Leone is a West African nation on the Atlantic coast, known for its rich mineral resources (diamonds, bauxite, gold), diverse geography (beaches, swamps, plateaus, mountains), and tropical climate, with a history linked to freed slaves, its capital being Freetown, and a largely agrarian economy focused on development in education, governance, and infrastructure. Sierra Leone is increasingly recognized as a peaceful nation, ranking 5th in Africa and 57th globally in the 2025 Global Peace Index, showcasing significant improvement post-civil war through strong governance, national dialogue, and stability efforts. The country is known for its incredible friendliness, deep respect for elders, strong community ties, and importance of music, dance, and storytelling. The duty station will be Freetown, the capital city. Housing is readily available and access to basic commodities, safe drinking water, sanitation and medical facilities are available at a price. There are wet markets and supermarkets and access to basic goods and services, and to markets at the place of assignment are readily accessible. Public transport in the form of taxis, buses and kekehs are readily available. There are several international and local banks. Internet services are available although higher than to be expected.