Legal Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• 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 Legal Office of FAO ensures that FAO’s activities are carried out in accordance with its Constitution and the other Basic Texts of the Organization, consistent with its status as an intergovernmental organization of the United Nations system, and that its relations with governments, organizations, and individuals are based on a sound legal basis.

The Development Law Service (LEGN) provides legal advisory and technical services to governments on food, agriculture, and natural resources, including land, water, fisheries and aquaculture, plants, animals, food, forestry, wildlife, environment, climate change and biodiversity, as well as on related agricultural issues, such as institutions, trade, and economic reform. LEGN is responsible for supporting Members in strengthening legal frameworks that promote sustainable and responsible governance of natural resources and related sectors.

Since 2014 FAO has been supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in promoting a land reform process, inspired and guided by the principles of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the context of national food security (VGGT) through legal and policy advice, institutional development, capacity development and support to the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Land.

The passage of the National Land Policy in 2015 and the Customary Land Act as well as the National Land Commission Act (NLCA) in 2022 represent significant land sector reforms towards decentralization, strengthening of women's land rights, and protecting customary land. The Customary Land Rights Act seeks to secure customary land tenure and provides guidance for customary land registration, which is a new process in Sierra Leone. The National Land Commission Act seeks to reform the institutional structures responsible for land administration by merging several land administration functions in one entity. Further, the new land acts call for the decentralization of land administration structures to the district, chiefdom, and village levels. Both acts emphasize the strengthening of women's land rights and women's decision-making power related to land.

Based on the above background, FAO has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Land, Housing and Country Planning (MLHCP) to provide technical assistance for the implementation of the project titled Innovative Solutions for Land Dispute Resolution in Sierra Leone (UTF/SIL/059/SIL), to pilot innovative approaches for land dispute resolution and capacity building of women, youth and other disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in the context of land sector reforms in Sierra Leone, as provided for in the National Land Policy 2015, Customary land Rights Act 2022, National Land Commission Act 2022 and other applicable land and gender laws.

FAO Technical Assistance will focus on three main components\:

• Strengthening women’s land rights through piloting Gender Transformative Approaches.

• Improving the functionality and gender responsiveness of the land dispute resolution system.

• Promoting innovative governance arrangements for stakeholder dialogue and improved land governance.

It is expected that at the end of the Technical Assistance government and non-government stakeholders in Sierra Leone will improve their capacity to support the recognition and protection of land rights of women, youth and other disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, and that formal and informal dispute resolution mechanisms and institutions will be enabled to respond to landowners and users’ needs. The Technical Assistance will finally contribute to more inclusive local land governance, conducive to rural transformation and food security.

The proposed components are designed to complement and support the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project (SLLAP). Funded by the WB and implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, SLLAP seeks to establish an efficient and accessible land administration system. The current Technical Assistance will complement in particular the first (institutional development and legal reform) and third components (recording and registration) of SLLAP, specifically addressing barriers faced by women in accessing land, including through formal registration. It is foreseen that activities will prioritize, but may not be limited to, the four target Districts of SLLAP (Bo, Bombali, Kenema and Port Loko).

Reporting Lines

Under the general supervision of the Chief, Development Law Service of the Legal Office (LEGN), the direct supervision of the Legal Officer of LEGN, in close collaboration with the FAO technical colleagues in the FAO office in Sierra Leone and in HQ.

Technical Focus

The Legal Specialist will provide technical legal expertise to support the effective implementation of project activities aimed at strengthening women’s land rights through Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) across four districts in Sierra Leone. The specialist will assess legal and normative barriers, including the interaction of newly adopted and existing laws with customary systems, with a focus on gender equality and inclusive land governance.

Working collaboratively with the National Legal Specialist, the Legal Specialist will be responsible for delivering high-quality and timely legal analyses, trainings and recommendations. He/she will be responsible for the development of legal and policy proposals, action plans, and capacity-building tools to ensure the efficient and timely achievement of project-related outputs in line with FAO standards and donor (World Bank) requirements.

Tasks and responsibilities

Generally\:

• Provide high-level legal expertise to support the effective implementation of project activities aimed at strengthening women’s land rights, improving the land dispute resolution system, and promoting inclusive land governance through Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) across four districts in Sierra Leone.

• Conduct legal analysis of statutory and customary frameworks to identify and address barriers to women’s land rights, in line with recent national legislation (CLRA, LCA, GEWEA) and international standards such as the VGGT and human rights instruments., the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT), and the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment.

• Support improvements to the functionality and gender responsiveness of land dispute resolution mechanisms of Sierra Leone by fostering alignment between statutory law and customary frameworks.

• Provide comparative legal guidance and good practices from international experience to inform legal tools, policy recommendations, and capacity-strengthening efforts that promote gender-equitable land tenure systems.

• Contribute to the development of training and awareness materials to build the capacity of key actors in land dispute resolution and equitable land governance.

• Promote legal literacy and awareness among formal and informal institutions, in close coordination with the National Legal Specialist and broader project team to ensure that legal interventions are context-specific, implementable, and aligned with national legislative processes and sociocultural dynamics.

• Ensure that legal activities and outputs are delivered on time, meet high quality standards, and align with FAO and donor (World Bank) reporting requirements.

• Perform other tasks requested to ensure delivery of project deliverables and legal components.

Specifically\:

• Conduct a legal assessment of barriers to women’s land rights in Sierra Leone, examining how new and existing laws (e.g. CLRA, LCA, GEWEA, Legal Aid Act, Local Courts Act) interact with customary law systems.

• Conduct a legal assessment of the nature and extent of land tenure disputes and evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and gender responsiveness of existing dispute resolution mechanisms and legal aid services.

• Support the design and delivery of training programs aimed at strengthening the capacity of dispute resolution actors to interpret and apply the new land laws in a gender-equitable and inclusive manner.

• Advise on and contribute to the formulation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms that are accessible, participatory, and aligned with the principles of equity and legal empowerment.

• Provide technical legal support for the sensitization of key actors — including customary and religious chiefs, CSOs, paralegals, formal institutions, and law enforcement — on the content and application of new land laws.

• Develop a legal training manual and training programs tailored to the needs of formal and customary actors in land governance.

• Contribute to the preparation of guidelines or by-laws for land dispute resolution actors, tailored to the requirements of the new legal framework and sensitive to the local contexts and customary practices.

• Provide legal input for the sensitization of traditional and religious leaders, CSOs, paralegals, and law enforcement actors, helping to raise awareness and facilitate implementation of new land-related laws.

• Provide development law guidance to promote inclusive governance mechanisms and multi-stakeholder platforms for local governance, policy dialogue and conflict resolution.

• Coordinate closely with the National Legal Consultant to ensure coherence, complementarity, and contextual relevance in all legal activities.

• Participate, as appropriate and requested, in the selection process of other specialists.

• Prepare and submit high-quality legal inputs and deliverables in line with project timelines, FAO quality standards, and donor reporting requirements.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in law, preferably with specialization in natural resources, land, and/or gender.

• Minimum of 5 years of international legal experience in land governance, legal reform, and human rights, ideally including previous experience in Sierra Leone or West Africa.

• Working knowledge (level C) of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong analytical, legal research and writing skills.

• Demonstrated knowledge and interest in the technical areas listed above, including land governance and gender.

• Experience assessing national legislative and regulatory frameworks for implementation in line with international instruments and good practices.

• Ability to write clear and concise legally sound analyses, including guidelines and training manuals.

• Demonstrated expertise in applying international instruments such as the VGGT and gender equality frameworks to national legal systems.

• Proven experience conducting legal assessments, producing legal tools or manuals, and advising on institutional or legislative reforms in multi-legal systems (statutory and customary law).

• Strong comparative legal analysis skills and the ability to draw from cross-country experiences to provide relevant recommendations.

• Experience working in coordination with national legal experts and understanding the respective roles of international and national legal consultants.

• Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication skills in English.

• Experience working with FAO, the UN system, or international financial institutions (e.g. World Bank) is an asset.

Selection Criteria

• Working knowledge (level C) of Spanish and/or French is considered an asset.

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.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT