UN Women - Senior Expert Consultant on Women, Peace and Security National Action Plans, ACRO, (Home based assignment)

I. Organizational context 

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace, and security. Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides solid and coherent leadership supporting Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. 

UN-Women focuses on integrated approaches to address the root causes of inequality from a perspective of the transformation of the systems that perpetuate gender inequalities and discrimination and with a peacebuilding approach.

The Strategic Plan 2026–2029 aims to advance gender equality, the empowerment of all women and girls, and the full realization of their human rights. It is anchored in international human rights obligations and global commitments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, United Nations Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), as well as other relevant intergovernmental agreements, including resolutions of the General Assembly and agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). It also contributes directly to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Pact for the Future, placing gender equality and SDG 5 at the center and in articulation with the other goals.

II. Background

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security marks 25 years since its adoption. It constitutes a major milestone in reaffirming the need for the substantive, equal, safe, and effective participation of women in peace processes, including conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and the building of sustainable peace, and in promoting gender equality at the international level. This Resolution expands and strengthens the principles established in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action and, together with subsequent resolutions and other global and regional commitments—such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Regional Gender Agenda—forms the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.

One of its fundamental achievements is the recognition of the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls, as well as the critical role women play in conflict prevention and resolution and in peacebuilding. This has contributed to the development of a peace agenda that advances women’s rights and gender equality. Twenty-five years after the adoption of Resolution 1325, the United Nations Secretary-General, in his most recent report[1], highlights the urgent need to advance concrete measures to accelerate commitments to ensure the effective participation of women and the protection of women and girls in conflict-affected settings, within an increasingly complex global context. In this regard, National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security constitute a fundamental tool.

On 28 October 2004, the President of the Security Council issued the Statement S/PRST/2004/40[2], which promoted the national-level implementation of Resolution 1325 (2000), particularly through the development of National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (WPS NAPs), as the key mechanism to translate the principles of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) into concrete action at the national and local levels.

WPS National Action Plans (WPS NAPs) represent an institutional roadmap for governments, establishing measurable objectives, specific actions, timelines, and budgets to integrate a gender perspective across all areas of peace and security and at all levels, by adapting the global normative framework of the United Nations Women, Peace and Security Agenda to each country’s specific context. The relevance of WPS NAPs lies in their ability to transform an international commitment into a national one, providing a clear framework for action and accountability. This enables whole-of-government coordination, engagement with civil society, and the mobilization of resources to achieve tangible impacts.

In 2025, this commemoration takes on particular significance as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and, in the region, with the convening of the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean[3]. At this Conference, the member States of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) adopted the Tlatelolco Commitment[4] in August, establishing a Decade of Action (2025–2035) in Latin America and the Caribbean to accelerate the achievement of substantive gender equality and the care society through transformations across the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental spheres. 

To date, 115 countries globally have adopted Women, Peace and Security National Action Plans, including 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean[5], reflecting growing recognition of WPS NAPs as a key instrument for advancing the agenda at the national level. In this context, providing crucial technical assistance to governments for the design, implementation, monitoring, and financing of their WPS NAPs—while facilitating the exchange of good practices and lessons learned among countries remains essential. At the same time, strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations and women human rights defenders ensures that their voices are meaningfully incorporated into public policies. This dual engagement—with both States and civil society—is vital to closing the gap between political commitment and effective action and to accelerating the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the region.

The consultant will operate within a complex political and operational context shaped by ongoing national and regional processes related to the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, including the development, implementation, and review of WPS National Action Plans. The assignment requires close coordination with government counterparts (such as foreign ministries, national gender machineries, and security sector institutions, among others), other United Nations agencies, and civil society actors, including women peacebuilders and human rights defenders.

The consultant will work under the guidance and supervision of the Regional Advisor for Women, Peace, Security, and Humanitarian Action (WPSHA) at the UN Women Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, in coordination with the Program Coordinator for WPSHA and UN Women country offices. The consultant is expected to exercise independence and technical autonomy in conducting research, preparing analytical reports, and providing evidence-based recommendations within the agreed scope of work. However, all engagement and communication with government and civil society stakeholders must be coordinated through the Regional Advisor, Program Coordinator, and relevant UN Women country offices.

III. Consultancy objective

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide strategic, technical, and analytical support to UN Women and its counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen the development, implementation, and follow-up of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) National Action Plans (NAPs), and related initiatives, according to emerging needs and priorities in the region.

Specific Objectives:

Expected Results:

IV. Scope

The successful performance of the consultant will directly contribute to the development of high-quality projects, programmes, analyses, and reports that advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean. The consultant is expected to carry out all responsibilities and activities necessary to achieve the objectives of the consultancy. In particular, the consultant will be responsible for the following functions, activities, and tasks:

V.  Contract execution arrangements

The \"Retainer\" hiring modality implies that the consultant will be hired for a daily fee. A maximum cumulative value will be established, which will be maintained as the upper limit and should not be interpreted or understood as a financial commitment or guarantee of business volume on UN Women. It is not exclusive, which means that the parties are open to entering another contract/s with another person or entity.

The specifications for each product requested, the number of working days and deadlines will be negotiated and agreed upon with UN Women and the consultant on a case-by-case basis. Before starting any work, the consultant should confirm his/her availability in writing to carry out the tasks assigned by each request and/or order.

Financial commitments will be established each time services are requested under the framework contract, through the management of a purchase order agreed between the parties specifying the scope, products, and expected results and approved purchase order, as an indication of the start of the provision of services.

Payment will be disbursed upon satisfactory delivery of the products, previously approved by UN Women, and against delivery of a signed Certificate of Payment (COP).

The Consultant contract includes all costs (all-inclusive); the Organization will not assume any costs or benefits in addition to the fee for services.  Therefore, it is the consultant's responsibility to have health insurance for the period of the contract.  Medical coverage must be international in cases where the contract requires international missions or assignments. If selected for this position, proof of medical coverage will be required within the first two months of the contract.

VI. Performance monitoring and evaluation

The consultancy will be managed by UN Women Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean. The Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Regional Advisor will supervise this consultancy, in coordination with the Program Coordinator for Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action. The Consultant is not a UN staff member and will carry out the activities related to his/her consultancy virtually, from his/her own workspace as agreed in the work plan.

The consultant will be reporting to WPSHA Regional Advisor, and will be supported by Program Coordinator for WPSHA, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Three months after the beginning of the consultancy, an evaluation of the selected person's performance and the products produced will be carried out. In case of not being favorable, the contract will be terminated by mutual agreement within 30 days. 

For the consultancy's optimal development, the supervisor will provide the consultant with the existing documents and information that UN Women has related to the consultancy's topics. It is the consultant's responsibility to obtain primary and secondary data from other sources, if necessary. 

The consultant will maintain permanent coordination with their supervisor to effectively execute and develop the products requested by this consultancy. They will also provide information as requested within the framework of the terms of reference.

The Consultant is expected to travel within LAC as requested and coordinated with the Supervisor. Travel frequency will be limited to a maximum of one to two trips per month to any LAC country. Each trip—including dates, duration, and itinerary—must be mutually agreed upon between the Consultant and the Supervisor prior to confirmation.

VII. Performance indicators 

[1] S/2025/556. Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, September 2025.

[2] United Nations Security Council, Statement by the President of the Security Council, S/PRST/2004/40 (28 October 2004). https://www.un.org/womenwatch/ods/S-PRST-2004-40-S.pdf

[3] Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). (2025). XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean . https://conferenciamujer.cepal.org/16/es

[4] Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). (2025, August). Compromiso de Tlatelolco: Una década de acción para el logro de la igualdad sustantiva de género y la sociedad del cuidado.https://conferenciamujer.cepal.org/16/es/documentos/compromiso-tlatelolco

[5] Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

VIII. Requirements

Core values:

• Professional integrity

• Professionalism

• Cultural sensitivity and diversity of values

• Respect for diversity

Core competencies:

• Awareness and sensitivity regarding gender issues.

• Creative problem solving

• Effective and inclusive communication

• Inclusive collaboration

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Functional Competencies:

•  Experience or knowledge in incorporating the gender and intersectionality perspective 

• Excellent communication and/or writing skills 

• Correct elaboration of knowledge products 

• Proven ability to work as part of a team 

• Capacity for innovative thinking 

IX. Selection procedure and application requirements:

The selection process will be carried out through a desk review, which consists of a formal verification to verify that the applications comply with the documentary evidence to be examined and the minimum requirements established for the consultancy, followed by the technical evaluation of the received applications, which will be qualified based on the technical requirements established in the following qualification table: Evaluation criteria   

Required Languages:  

Short-listed candidates may be called for a competency-based interview on the level of knowledge of the subject area and on the specific topic of this consultancy. The relative value of the interview (if it is determined necessary after the desk review) will be 50% of the total score (i.e., 50% for the requirements compliance table and 50% for the interview). 

XI. Documents to be submitted for the application

IMPORTANT NOTES 

The selected consultants must have medical coverage and present proof of their coverage within two months of signing their contract. 

If the consultant needs to travel, medical coverage, required vaccines according to the destination, and travel insurance must be confirmed. 

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.