Switzerland: Climate Change (CC), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Anticipatory Action (AA) Specialist, Humanitarian Response Division (HRD), P4

Feb 3, 2024 | United Nations Population Fund
View Original

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture its strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Its strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize its goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, it needs principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; it needs staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

The Position:

The Climate Change (CC), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Anticipatory Action (AA) Specialist (CC DRR and AA Specialist) post is located post in the Inter-Agency Cooperation Unit, of the Humanitarian Response Division (HRD), based in Geneva.  S/He supports the Fund’s initiatives in global advocacy and partnership, representing UNFPA in interagency humanitarian mechanisms and advancing institutional coordination efforts. 

The position reports to the Head of the Inter-Agency Cooperation Unit.

Job Purpose:

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action Placed women’s rights, empowerment and health at the centre of development efforts. It also affirmed the rights to sexual and reproductive health and the rights to live free of sexual and other forms of gender-based violence apply to all people at all times, including populations affected by or recovering from emergencies. Multiple international agreements and conventions, special sessions of the General Assembly and Security Council Resolutions reaffirm these rights and reaffirm the central role of women in peace-building efforts and post-conflict reconstruction. Implementing UNFPA mandate in emergency settings helps to ensure these rights are met, and decreases the risk of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, HIV infection, unwanted pregnancy, sexual violence and exploitation and other forms of reproductive health-related conditions.

Climate change, natural disasters, conflicts and public health and protection emergencies are posing multiple escalating threats along with other emerging threats to the achievement of UNFPA’s three transformative results and vision of human centered sustainable development outlined in the ICPD Programme of Action. The increasing impact of Climate Change further exacerbate sudden and slow-onset natural hazards as well as violent, armed conflicts which can act as a multiplier of existing health and protection vulnerabilities, and pose key risk factors in increased prevalence and severity of gender-based violence and harmful practices.

These  disasters result in increased forced displacement, impeded access to safe water and sanitation, food insecurity, decreased access to livelihoods and impacts on access to health care, protection and basic social services such as education. Low resilience and low adaptive capacity to address challenges and impact of climate change and other emerging threats might jeopardize progress to achieve UNFPA’s transformative results.

Given the need to better programming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change, also taking into account the Agenda 2030 and SDGs, and the Sendai Framework, implementation of the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Plans, the World Humanitarian Summit’s Grand Bargain and the New Way of Working commitments, emphasizing leadership, coordination among partners across the nexus, the Specialist will support the Funds initiatives in global advocacy, engagement and partnership in DRR Global Platforms, the Sendai Framework implementation, CADRI partnership, IASC bodies working on DRR and Climate Change, Anticipatory Action and other fora on Climate Change, AA and DRR. The Specialist will also play an important role to advance and operationalize UNFPA’s value prepositions on Climate Change and related outputs in the UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2022-25 in close collaboration with other business units within the Fund. The Specialist will also work closely with internal and external partners to enhance collaboration and partnerships and collaborates with other business units and work streams in HRD. 

The Role

  • Lead UNFPA’s engagement in interagency fora related to Climate Change (CC), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and Anticipatory Action (AA) and preparedness to advance UNFPA’s positioning and leverage with clear value propositions, in collaboration with the relevant business units;
  • Lead UNFPA’s sessions for Global DRR Platforms and support to the Sendai Framework implementation  with a focus on both Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Climate Change Mitigation (CCM); 
  • Lead HRD engagement in the IASC Climate Crisis Sub-Group as well as other IASC bodies, and on the yearly UNFCCC COP preparations, UNFPA participation and post-COP coordination;
  • Seek new partnerships with other multilateral and bilateral agencies providing support to CC, DRR, and AA, 
  • Lead and implement UNFPA’s key priorities per UNFPA’s Strategic Plan on Climate Change and DRR within IASC result groups and task teams and other fora for DRR and climate change, advocating for the inter alia integration of SRH, GBV and gender and youth concerns;
  • Support Resource Mobilization efforts and lead the drafting of funding proposals to multilateral and bilateral donors in relation to DRR, Climate Change and Anticipatory Action;
  • Support the development of interagency partnership strategies on preparedness, Anticipatory Action, DRR and Climate Change;
  • Facilitate implementation of the humanitarian – development nexus approach and resilience building in advancing the UNFPA’s engagement in CC, DRR, AA and preparedness ;
  • Lead the development and roll out of corporate guidance on CC, DRR, AA and preparedness in partnership with UNFPA Business Units, in particular UNFPA’s Anticipatory Action mechanism, the organization’s Minimum Preparedness Actions (MPAs) and Advanced Preparedness Actions (APAs), and documents global best practices and lessons learnt on UNFPA engagement in these areas;
  • Support the implementation of advocacy strategies to improve awareness of SRHR, gender, youth and GBV concerns in CC, DRR, AA and preparedness among donors and media;
  • Represent UNFPA in Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI) partnership, the Anticipation Hub and other DRR, AA and climate change partnerships;
  • Provide technical support for high-level documentation for internal and external use, including inputs on CC, DRR, AA and preparedness to annual reports and Executive Board documentations;
  • Provide technical support for strategic engagement and partnership on Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA);

Any other duties:

  • Performs any other duties as may be directed by the Head, Inter-Agency Cooperation Unit, the Director and/or Deputy Director, including emergency deployment.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education: Advanced university degree in relevant areas such as environment, climate change, combined with experience in disaster risk reduction, preparedness and emergency responses; specialized areas of study in DRR, Climate Change and preparedness is an asset.

Knowledge and Experience: 

  • 7 years’ relevant experience working in humanitarian environments and emergency response and providing advisory and technical support in the area of Climate Change, crisis response, preparedness, disaster risk reduction, resilience building, anticipatory action, early warning system, UN coordination and in supporting UN inter-agency processes;
  • Relevant work experience focused on developing countries in development and humanitarian cooperation in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation and mitigation, environment and post-disaster needs assessment;
  • Good understanding of multi-sectoral climate change impacts, climate risk assessments, and adaptation solutions required;
  • Familiarity with the concept and practice of risk-informed programming, disaster risk management, climate change action and post-disaster needs assessment;
  • Expertise in capacity building, developing tools, guidance and providing training;
  • Familiar with sexual and reproductive health and rights, (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV), women and girls empowerment, gender and youth in the context of disaster risk and climate change adaptation and mitigation, and natural resources management;
  • Familiarity with IASC and other humanitarian coordination mechanisms, guiding principles and standards as well as the UN Humanitarian Reform process;
  • Knowledge of the ICPD and other global conferences, the 2030 agenda and Climate Change Conference;
  • Extensive experience in country and sub-national level inter-agency coordination preferred;
  • Hands-on experience in the operational aspects of the HPC at country level is a distinctive asset;
  • Strong analytical, writing and communication skills;
  • Solid interpersonal and communication skills.

Languages: Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable. 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

  • Exemplifying integrity, 
  • Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
  • Embracing cultural diversity, 
  • Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

  • Achieving results,
  • Being accountable,
  • Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
  • Thinking analytically and strategically,
  • Working in teams/managing ourselves and its relationships,
  • Communicating for impact

Functional Competencies:

  • Innovation;
  • Coordination;
  • Partnerships;
  • Communication;
  • Humanitarian Response, Resilience and Recovery;
  • Communicating Information and Ideas;
  • Knowledge Management;
  • UN System & Organizational Awareness; 
  • Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda;
  • Delivering results-based programme;
  • Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization.

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. It is committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.