International Legal Specialist - Policy Assessment and Review

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate the FAO work in the Pacific and covers 14 - Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Tokelau (one Associate Member). SAP is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, natural resources management, and rural development priorities, in which gender, climate change adaption, and anticipatory action are important cross-cutting issues. SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion wide institutions and entities.

This assignment falls under Project GCP/PLW/002/GCR “Developing an enabling environment for low emission and climate smart and resilient agriculture in Palau”. The core problem facing Palau’s agricultural sector is its vulnerability to climate change impacts, which are exacerbated by low agricultural productivity, soil degradation, and inefficient water use practices, which threaten the sector’s ability to support food security. Palau heavily relies on imported food, making the nation’s food system particularly vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions and rising costs. Currently, Palau lacks a comprehensive policy and development strategy to transform its agricultural sector toward sustainable, climate-resilient, and low emission practices. The absence of a corresponding legal framework and effective institutional coordination further hampers progress. Limited technical capacity and insufficient access to climate finance are additional barriers, preventing Palau from fully addressing the impacts of climate change on agriculture. or aligning its efforts in a sustainable manner and in line with its Nationally Determined Contribution.

Reporting Lines

The International Legal Specialist will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator (SRC) for the Pacific Islands, the Technical Supervision of the Chief, LEGN and day to day supervision of the LEGN Officer responsible for climate change. She/he will work in close collaboration with the Natural Resources Officer, Technical Advisor, the National Legal Consultant, and the project team.

Technical Focus

The International Legal Specialist will lead the undertaking of a detailed review of relevant sectoral legislation (agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, water, etc.) in the context of the country’s international climate change commitments, and its national climate change and agriculture policy objectives and goals, with a focus on transitioning toward sustainable, climate-resilient and low emission agricultural practices. The review will be in line with GCF guidelines, country priorities and will feed into the development of co-designed innovative climate solutions with associated prefeasibility studies to inform the development of a Concept Note.

Tasks and responsibilities

The International Legal Consultant will perform the following tasks and responsibilities\:
• Act as a lead for the legal assessment and development of recommendations for new/revised legislation.
• Familiarise her/himself with the GCF project proposal and the Palau policy and legislation that are relevant to agriculture, climate change, agricultural development and adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage to climate change;
• Provide appropriate guidance and support to the work of the National Legal Specialist;
• Lead the formulation of conclusions and recommendations in the legal report;
• Review and consolidate the outputs of the National Legal Specialist, in collaboration with the Chief, Development Law Service, including inputs from other consultants/team members as appropriate.
• Finalise the two legal reports and submit them for clearance to the Chief, LEGN.
• Supervise and guide the work of the National Legal Specialist
• Respond to ad-hoc questions and perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master level degree or equivalent in Law from a recognized and reputable institutions. Ph.D. is considered an asset.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in capacity development/legal advice related to development law, environmental law, natural resources law or related fields of agriculture and climate change law. Experience in legislative drafting is an asset.
• Minimum experience of 7 years in providing technical advice on legal assessment, review and recommendation, including on climate change
• Experience in working in Palau, Pacific region or in SIDS will be an advantage
• Working knowledge of either English, French or Spanish.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extensive experience minimum of 7 years in providing legal assessments, including on climate change policy review, legal policy and legislation review and recommendations.
• Experience in working in Palau, Pacific region or in SIDS will be an advantage
• Experience working with a cross-section of stakeholders, including senior government officials in small and vulnerable states (SIDS and LDCs)
• Knowledge of national and international laws and regulations related to climate change, including land use and agriculture law, environmental and natural resources la
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to engage with diverse stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and civil society.
• Ability to develop and implement strategies for adapting to the impacts of climate change.
• Experience working with a cross-section of stakeholders, including senior government officials in small and vulnerable states (SIDS and LDCs)
• Experience in working in Palau or Pacific region will be an advantage
• Strong writing skills and language proficiency in either English, French or Spanish.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

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