Project Support Officer, Climate Change/Adaptation

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading environmental authority in the United Nations system. UNEP uses its expertise to strengthen environmental standards and practices while helping implement environmental obligations at the country, regional and global levels. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Context

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading 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 UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO) located in Panama City, Panama, works closely with the 33 countries of the region, and its activities are integrated into the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy, MTS (2022-2025) and Programme of Work (2024-2025), approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The MTS defines the 3 strategic pillars and actions of UNEP’s work – climate-, biodiversity- and pollution actions. UNEP’s Caribbean Sub-Regional Office (CSRO) based in Kingston, Jamaica, is the LAC Office’s liaison to governments and stakeholders in the English-speaking Caribbean. This assignment is part of UNV’s disability inclusion strategy. UNV seeks to 1) provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to serve as UN Volunteers 2) enable UN partners to expand diversity and inclusion of persons with disabilities in their workforce worldwide 3) build a talent pipeline of qualified professionals with disabilities who can contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at national and global levels, with focus on national capacity. Reasonable Accommodation The UN system is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and commits to taking appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to access employment opportunities and benefit equally from employment related opportunities by providing reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation may differ depending on the disability and individual requirements. Reasonable accommodation means “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms “(Article 2, UN CRPD). Accessibility is defined as the “identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to facilitating access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities”.(Article 9, UN CRPD)

Task description

Under the direct supervision UNEP, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

(1) Provide local administrative and logistical support for organizing tasks and preparing documentation managed by the Regional Project Coordinator; Assist with the development of materials such as PowerPoint presentations, briefing notes, and summary reports for project meetings, workshops, and training; Support the organization of project meetings and workshops.

(2) Research and assist with the development of information on the Small Island States (SIDS) of the Caribbean region creating a database of information on Caribbean SIDS vulnerabilities and integrated responses to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

(3) Collaborate with UNEP team to synthesize research and results into easily usable formats with concise summaries developed for different audiences (social media, graphic designs, etc.).

(4) Contribute to the development of content for virtual &/or in-person workshop materials, and/or create presentations and other innovative communication products to communicate, inform and/or educate regional audiences.

(5) As required, additional tasks as may be assigned by the hiring manager.

NB This position is reserved for persons with a disability.