Regular Pathways Flagship Initiative (Just Transition)

Position Title : Regular Pathways Flagship Initiative (Just Transition)  Duty Station : Homebased Type of Appointment : Consultancy Contract, 2-3 months Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible Closing Date    : 7 April 2025      

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 

The IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in Bangkok, Thailand is covering 40 countries across the Asia and Pacific region. The key responsibility of the ROAP is to formulate regional strategies and plans of action and to provide programmatic and administrative support to the countries within the region. 

Context:

The shift to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies is accelerating in many countries around the world, leading to dramatic changes in economic sectors and producing a wide range of socio-economic outcomes for workers and communities more broadly. Amongst the anticipated structural impacts are changes to existing sectors and industries, with the creation of new occupations requiring new skills, and the evolution of other roles. Others still may become obsolete.

These economic shifts are likely to have significant implications in Asia and the Pacific, presenting both challenges and opportunities. For example, five of the ten largest emitters in the world (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea) are in the region. These countries account for about 45 percent of global Greenhouse Gas emissions. On average, approximately 37 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of countries across the region is derived from sectors likely to be impacted by the low-carbon transition. But this varies from country to country, with one of the highest levels of exposure estimated at 72 per cent of GDP in India, for example. Small Island Developing States in the Pacific meanwhile, have very different needs and priorities in the just transition given their smaller size and lack of major extractive industries.

Within these evolving dynamics, the linkages to migrants and migration are likely to be substantial and multiple. First, workers, including migrant workers, are likely to be significantly impacted by changes that are expected to occur in high emitting sectors. Some analyses for example note that the industries which are impacted by decarbonization the most – such as the agriculture sector – is also among those with the highest concentration of migrant workers. This could present several challenges, including implications for ongoing access to livelihoods, visa status, and the need for reskilling or upskilling. 

Second, there may also be several important protection-related issues that must be considered, both in terms of how migrant workers are impacted by climate and environmental factors in the workplace, as well as their working conditions in new and emerging sectors in the green economy. Without adequately addressing decent work deficits in supply chains where migrant workers form a significant part of the workforce, there is therefore a risk of unintentionally replicating exploitative labour practices seen in traditional sectors, along migration corridors. This in turn would undermine the extent to which the transition can meaningfully be considered ‘just’. A recent IOM study for example, highlighted significant issues related to migrant workers in informal employment in the biofuel sector in some countries, including exploitative and abusive conditions such as excessive hours, pay below the local minimum wage, and lack of written employment contracts. 

Third, migrants and diaspora are likely to be critical actors in helping to make the just transition successful in the first place. Finding the skills needed to support a just transition will require skilling young people entering the workforce, and reskilling existing workers, especially those exiting declining sectors and industries. In some sectors there will be skills gaps that the current workforce cannot fill, and labour mobility within and between countries will have a part to play in enabling and facilitating the low-carbon transition. The human, social, cultural and economic contributions of diaspora could also be important, providing countries of origin with new means to support a just transition at home. Those returning from overseas could similarly provide important investments in climate action as part of reintegration at the community and household levels, in line with local urban or rural development plans.

Despite these potential linkages, efforts to integrate a human mobility perspective into just transition initiatives remain nascent. Within the UNFCCC processes for example, workstreams related to the just transition have so far paid only minimal attention to the linkages with human mobility, and in recent dialogues between IOM and UNFCCC Member States, governments called for more detailed analysis and research to support their deliberations in this critical, yet emerging area. Just transition and labour migration are also often treated as largely separate policy agendas at both the regional level (in multilateral for a such as ASEAN, the Colombo Process, Abu Dhabi Dialogue, Pacific Islands Forum, and PACER Plus) and bilateral levels (in the context of bilateral labour migration agreements in East Asia for instance). However, these frameworks provide opportunities to integrate both agendas, notably through corporate sustainability due diligence and returnees' reintegration into the green economy. Efforts to better understand and study these connections are therefore needed. This consultancy is intended to help bridge some of these gaps.

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Thematic Specialist – Climate Action Division and in close collaboration with other IOM experts and thematic specialists at global, regional and country levels, the consultant will support the Climate Action Division Regional Thematic Unit (CAD RTU) in undertaking research and developing papers on the linkages between human mobility and the just transition in Asia and the Pacific.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be responsible for producing the following two outputs, in close coordination with the CAD Thematic Specialist: 

Key Responsibilities:

This policy paper should be based on a thorough review of just transition literature relating to Asia and the Pacific, and should consider how, and to what extent human mobility issues are addressed in that literature and overall academic and political discourse in the region.

The policy paper should also provide analysis on the relevance of human mobility to the priority areas outlined in the United Arab Emirates Just Transition Work Programme (see paragraph 2. a)-g) of Decision 3/CMA.5 Report of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement on its fifth session) , and outline any promising practices (including IOM initiatives) related to those priority areas, namely: 

(a) Just transition pathways to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement outlined in Article 2, paragraph 1, in the context of Article 2, paragraph 2;

(b) Just and equitable transition, which encompasses pathways that include energy, socioeconomic, workforce and other dimensions, all of which must be based on nationally defined development priorities and include social protection so as to mitigate potential impacts associated with the transition;

(c) Opportunities, challenges and barriers relating to sustainable development and poverty eradication as part of transitions globally to low emissions and climate resilience, taking into account nationally defined development priorities;

(d) Approaches to enhancing adaptation and climate resilience at the national and international level;

(e) Just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities, including through social dialogue, social protection and the recognition of labour rights;

(f) Inclusive and participatory approaches to just transitions that leave no one behind;

(g) International cooperation as an enabler of just transition pathways towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Finally, the policy paper should include a set of recommendations for further research or policy development on human mobility and the just transition, with particular reference to its linkages with the priority areas of the United Arab Emirates Just Transition Work Programme as outlined above.Sr.DeliverableDelivery DatePayment (%)1.Draft outline of policy paperOne week from commencement of consultancy10%2.Draft issue brief and recommendations for internal review and inputsFour weeks from approval of draft outline40%3.Final issue brief and recommendationsFour weeks from receipt of inputs on draft issue brief50%

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database

Experience

Skills 

Languages

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via IOM e-Recruitment system within the above said deadline at 11:59 p.m. (BKK Time) referring to this advertisement. Please attach the following documents in your application: