Technical backstopping to LDN TSP 2.0 process

Result of ServiceEffective provision of technical backstopping and support to 18 ongoing LDN TSP 2.0 national processes, ensuring high quality of country deliverables, documenting and sharing knowledge on good practices and lessons learned, and the presentation of key results at CRIC23. Work LocationHome based Expected duration15 Aug 2025 to 14 August 2026 Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground: Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The vision embraced by the Convention’s 197 Parties in its 2018-2030 Strategic Framework (UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2022-02/cop21add1_SF_EN.pdf) is for “a future that avoids, minimizes, and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The ambition expressed by countries to achieve this vision is significant: the international community has pledged to restore one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, half of which are land degradation neutrality (LDN) targets. (Goals and Commitments for the Restoration Decade: https://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/goals-and-commitments-for-the-restoration-decade) LDN (https://www.unccd.int/land-and-life/land-degradation-neutrality/overview) offers a framework (Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2018-09/LDN_CF_report_web-english.pdf) for optimizing land use and management decisions, and thus can help accelerate the achievement of multiple co-benefits, including biodiversity conservation and the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Avoiding, reducing and reversing land degradation can transform land from being a source of greenhouse gas emissions to a sink, by increasing carbon stocks in soils and vegetation. Furthermore, LDN plays a key role in strengthening the resilience of rural communities against climate shocks by securing and improving the provision of vital ecosystem services. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has documented, (IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL): https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/ ) with high confidence, that policies promoting LDN – which is integral to SDG Target 15.3 – can also enhance food security, human wellbeing and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Since its launch in 2016 and as of December 2022, the LDN Target Setting Programme (LDN Target Setting Pogramme: https://www.unccd.int/land-and-life/land-degradation-neutrality/projects-programmes/ldn-target-setting ) (LDN TSP) has supported a total of 130 participating countries, with 108 countries having successfully completed this voluntary process and 102 countries having already published its outcomes in the UNCCD website ( UNCCD country profiles: https://www.unccd.int/our-work/country-profiles). However, despite the substantial progress achieved to date, the findings of the Second Edition of the Global Land Outlook (Global Land Outlook 2: https://www.unccd.int/resources/global-land-outlook/glo2) presented in 2022 clearly indicate that the global community needs to do more, faster and better in order to address the global crisis of land degradation in a timely manner. In this context and through various decisions (COP15 Decisions: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2022-10/ICCD_COP%2815%29_23_Add.1-2208672E.pdf), notably decisions 3/COP.15 and 13/COP.15, COP 15 provided concrete guidance on LDN target setting by: (i) Encouraging Parties which have already set targets to consider reviewing and refining them, ensuring that LDN targets are specific, time-bound, policy-coherent, quantitative, spatially explicit, gender-responsive and adequately integrated into planning frameworks (decision 3/COP.15, para 1, decision 12/COP.15 para 1, and decision 13/COP.15 para 1); (ii) Inviting Parties to explore complementarities between LDN targets, Nationally Determined Contributions, and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and related planning, programming, reporting and monitoring in order to achieve the Convention’s objectives (decision 8/COP.15, para 2); and (iii) Requesting the secretariat and the Global Mechanism to support Parties in reviewing and refining their voluntary LDN targets and in delineating their location and extent in order to ensure that they are quantifiable, spatially explicit and time-bound, in line with levels of national ambition (decision 11/COP.15, para 5a, and decision 12/COP.15 para 1); and also support the process of setting and/or refining voluntary LDN targets, streamlining it with other Convention and associated processes, and integrating these targets into (sub)national integrated land-use planning frameworks in those country Parties that may wish to engage in this process (decision 13/COP.15 para 6c); COP 16 further supported this mandate given by country Parties through decision 3/COP.16 (paras 1, 5 & 7d). Strengthening LDN targets and integrated land use planning frameworks will be key to support the enabling environment that countries need to close LDN implementation gaps and deliver a pipeline of programmes and projects that meet land-based restoration targets and achieve a status of healthy and productive land in balance by 2030. This approach will improve joint implementation efforts among the Rio Conventions and make key contributions to multiple SDGs and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. For this purpose, the Secretariat and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD and its partners developed the second phase of the LDN TSP (2.0), which includes a GEF-funded Enabling Activity project to facilitate “Integrating Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into land use planning frameworks to strengthen national UNCCD enabling environments”. In this context, the GM and the secretariat of the UNCCD, in collaboration with relevant partners, officially launched the second phase of the LDN Target Setting Programme (LDN TSP 2.0) on 12 May 2023 (LDN TSP 2.0 Call for requests for support: https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/notifications/call-requests-support-assist-countries-strengthening-ldn-targets ) and selected 18 participating countries (https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/notifications/18-countries-selected-support-strengthen-ldn-targets-and-integrated-land). Through this process, countries are currently refining their voluntary land degradation neutrality targets and ensuring that these targets are specific, time-bound, policy-coherent, quantitative, spatially explicit, gender-responsive and adequately integrated into planning frameworks. As part of the ongoing LDN TSP 2.0 national processes and in collaboration with several partner agencies, the 18 participating countries are producing the following set of deliverables: • Deliverable 1: Work plan with defined timeframe for deliverables and revised composition of LDN national working groups • Deliverable 2: Inception workshop and related report • Deliverable 3: National policy coherence assessment report • Deliverable 4: National LDN target assessment report • Deliverable 5: Revised set of LDN targets and measures • Deliverable 6: Validation workshop and related report • Deliverable 7: Improved delivery plans for land-based implementation • Deliverable 8: Proposal for updated national policies/plans (NDCs, NAPs, NBSAPs) • Deliverable 9: Proposed transformative project/programme with defined collaboration/partnership with technical/financial partners • Deliverable 10: Final LDN TSP 2.0 country report All these deliverables require the provision of technical reviews and inputs to the national teams in a timely manner in order to ensure that they have the best quality possible, they take into consideration identified good practices and lessons learned, and they follow the LDN TSP 2.0 supplementary guidelines and other internal guidance provided by the UNCCD. Throughout the LDN TSP 2.0 process, the UNCCD is documenting various good practices and lessons learned that will support the future scale up of LDN TSP 2.0 activities beyond these 18 countries. For this purpose, and in preparation of CRIC23 (December 2025) and COP17 (August 2026), the UNCCD is also planning a number of plenary sessions and side events, two knowledge exchange online webinars (planned for Q3 and Q4 2025), and the publication of the LDN TSP 2.0 supplementary guidelines (document already drafted and to be updated) and a new briefing note on LDN TSP 2.0 good practices and lessons learned (document to be produced based on key findings arising from the ongoing country activities). Duties and Responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Managing Director of the Global Mechanism and the Coordinator of the LDN Programme, the direct supervision of the Team Lead of the LDN Target Setting Programme, in coordination with relevant national specialists and partners, and in consultation with relevant officers of the UNCCD, the consultant will be responsible for directly supporting the technical review of the LDN TSP 2.0 country deliverables, documenting good practices and lessons learned arising from the ongoing LDN TSP 2.0 national processes and related activities, updating the LDN TSP 2.0 supplementary guidelines, producing a briefing note on LDN TSP 2.0 good practices and lessons learned, and assisting in the organization of relevant knowledge exchange webinars and CRIC23 plenary sessions and side events. Qualifications/special skills- Advanced university degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management, Land and Water Management, Earth Sciences, Geography, Global Change, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, or related disciplines is required. Extensive professional experience on natural resource management, integrated land/water management, climate change mitigation/adaptation and/or biodiversity conservation, including with related policy development and implementation activities is required. Solid knowledge of the UNCCD process and excellent conceptual understanding of land degradation, DLDD, LDN, and its interactions with climate change and biodiversity conservation. Experience in working with UNCCD stakeholders is an asset is desirable. Familiarity with the CBD and UNFCCC processes and related policy development and implementation processes is an asset. Familiarity with GIS and remote sensing applied to natural resources monitoring and assessment at (sub)national level and methodologies for monitoring and assessing land use change, land productivity and soil organic carbon. Demonstrated knowledge supporting the identification and design of projects and/or programmes for UNCCD implementation and facilitating access to financing under relevant funding sources (i.e., GEF, GCF, AF, multilateral development banks, etc.) Demonstrated ability to work independently, handle multiple tasks, work under pressure and deliver assignments on time. Strong analytical and writing skills and Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. LanguagesProfessional knowledge of English language (oral and written) is required. Knowledge of additional UN languages, particularly French or Spanish, would be an asset. Additional InformationOnly individuals who can act as independent, individual economical operators are qualified to apply. Individuals who can provide their services only on account of an institution or enterprise are not eligible under this procedure. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations Secretariat and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultant and individual contractor is responsible for determining tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. For remote consultancies, the selected candidate will be required to have a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 10 or newer) or Mac (with the latest MacOS update), as well as a reliable, high-speed internet connection. An Office 365 license will be provided by the UNCCD to enable the candidate to access official emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and other office applications, such as Word and Excel. Further computer requirements: An antivirus application which receives regular updates; Browsers must be a newer version with regular updates enabled; Regular Windows 10 updates should be enabled with Windows laptop or PC. In addition, a mobile phone will be required to enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) through SMS or the Authenticator App. 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.