This Vacancy Announcement is being published by the Water & Energy Cluster, ...
This Vacancy Announcement is being published by the Water & Energy Cluster, UNOPS on behalf of the GEF STAP
The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel, hosted by UNEP (STAP), is seeking a Chemicals and Waste Panel Member with outstanding academic and technical credentials; a passion for tackling global environmental and sustainable development challenges; expertise in chemicals and waste management; and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary, integrated manner to bridge scientific, technological, economic, social, and policy issues.
STAP (https://www.stapgef.org) is a corporate body of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). It provides independent scientific and technical advice to the GEF on its policies, strategies, programs, and projects. The Panel comprises a Chairperson, and six Panel Members for climate mitigation, climate adaptation, biodiversity, land degradation, international waters, and chemicals and waste respectively. Panel Members are expected to be able to work effectively across the GEF’s focal areas, and not just in their area of special expertise.
The roles and responsibilities of the Chairperson, Panel Members and STAP Secretariat are set out in STAP’s Terms of Reference (March 2012). Each Panel Member is responsible for the STAP advice provided for their assigned focal areas and cross-cutting issues, under the direction of the Chairperson. Panel Members will deliver their advice showing evidence that they are calling upon the best available expertise. Panel Members will engage, as appropriate, qualified experts drawn from scientific and technical networks, and will lead and facilitate task forces, working groups and meetings, in order to enable the provision of the best available advice to the GEF.
This consultancy is managed by the STAP Secretariat hosted by UNEP’s Science Division. The consultant will report to the Secretary of STAP administratively, and work under the leadership of the STAP Chair on all substantive issues. The specific duties and responsibilities of this position is outlined in the functional responsibilities
Time Commitment
Panel Members are expected to provide a minimum contribution of 65 days per year, up to a maximum of 90 days, if required, under exceptional circumstances, and by mutual agreement. The Panel usually meets in person twice a year, with monthly teleconferences. In addition, Panel Members usually undertake two or three trips a year, for example, workshops or meetings related to work programme deliverables, MEA expert body meetings. In addition, Panel members may also be invited to join GEF discussions. Most STAP business is transacted by email and teleconference.
STAP Secretariat
The Panel is supported by a small, dedicated Secretariat. The STAP Secretariat provides substantive and operational assistance in the delivery of Panel Members’ responsibilities. The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel is hosted by UNEP, on behalf of the GEF network. UNEP is an equal opportunity employer.
Background information: UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 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. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This consultancy is managed by the STAP Secretariat hosted by UNEP’s Science Division. The Science Division is responsible for analyzing the state of the global environment, providing early warning information, and assessing global and regional environmental trends to catalyze and promote international cooperation and action on the environment.
Background information: GEF
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) (https://www.thegef.org) was established 30 years ago on the eve of the Rio Earth Summit to tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. They have a unique mandate as a financing mechanism for a number of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs): the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the Minamata Convention on Mercury; and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The GEF also supports global and regional agreements on international waters, and transboundary water management. The GEF’s mission is to safeguard the global environment by supporting developing countries meet their commitments under these agreements. The GEF’s sectoral responsibilities are often mutually supportive, which enables the synergies between them to be harnessed in a more holistic, systems approach.