Legal Expert

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.  Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. 

Background

UN-Habitat has been active in Iraq since 1996 under the Oil for Food Programme. After 2003, UN-Habitat was largely engaged in early recovery efforts, particularly those supporting internally displaced persons through the provision of shelter and reconstruction solutions.

After more than five years since the official declaration of the ‘end of war against ISIL’ by the Government of Iraq in late 2017, there are still approximately 5.6 million people in Iraq affected by missing or outdated HLP documentation while it is estimated that 2.4 million people face issues due to a lack of HLP documentation or have issues with establishing security of tenure. 

As part of the EU-funded project, “Modernizing Urban Land Knowledge (MULK)”, UN-Habitat seeks to reform and modernize the land governance and management framework of Iraq by supporting the creation of a land record digitization system and in developing the technical specifications and implementation plans for the digitized e-land administration and e-cadastre systems. The project aims to initiate the necessary processes for improving security of tenure and land governance systems through initiating legislative and regulatory reforms, developing the framework for streamlining and making transparent land-related administrative processes, and by promoting access to data that can influence investment and land use decisions. 

The main objective of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Justice, Real Estate Registration Directorate RERD/Cadastre, including CSOs in developing a deep understanding of e-land governance systems and their implications, allowing them to advocate more effectively for policies that prioritize transparency, data security, and the protection of HLP rights and to lay the foundation for the development of a comprehensive e-land registry digital platform under the UN-Habitat project. He/she will support the Project Manager in the capacity-building training and development of technical specifications for digitizing land records with their expertise in land management and governance. 

Reporting Line:

The incumbent will be based in Baghdad, at the UN-Habitat Office, reporting to Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Programme and/or his/her designate. 

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and the of UNOPS. 

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Programme and/or the Project Manager, the Legal Expert will be responsible for the following duties:

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment on the existing land legal framework of Iraq;

• Identify weaknesses and opportunities for improvement in the existing land legal framework of Iraq, including the means of collecting and managing data;

• Liaise with relevant members of the UN-Habitat Iraq Country Programme team to plan, organize, and coordinate multistakeholder policy dialogues/workshops/roundtables to discuss the land legal framework of Iraq with government counterparts, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders;

• Coordinate and facilitate working group meetings with key stakeholders to discuss the reform of the existing land legal framework;

• Develop concrete recommendations for improving the land legal framework of Iraq, presenting the detailed recommendations to various stakeholders including government counterparts; 

• Support government authorities to revise/amend the laws related to land; 

• Support the Project Manager in preparing progress reports, monitoring reports, and other relevant documents related to the project;

Outputs/work assignment 

The incumbent is expected to submit the following deliverables during the course of his/her assignment: 

• Monthly activity reports detailing the activities carried out in day-to-day operations;

• Comprehensive research on the existing land legal framework of Iraq;

• Strengths and weaknesses in the existing land legal framework of Iraq, including the data collection and management system;

• Detailed policy recommendations for the improvement of the existing land legal framework of Iraq;

• Lessons learned on the relevant project activities (such as the policy dialogue and working group roundtables).

Academic Qualification 

• An advanced degree (Masters’) in Law, Social Sciences, Politics, International Relations, Development Studies, or other relevant field of studies is required; a first-level university degree (Bachelors’) with an additional two years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience 

• Experience in coordination and facilitation of policy dialogue, multi-stakeholder forums, workshops, roundtables etc. is required;

• Experience in policy analysis and policy advice is required; 

• Legal experience in the field of land legal reform, land management and/or governance is required;

• Experience working with cadasters, cadastral maps, cadastral GIS data, is required; 

• Experience in project management is an advantage;

• Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others;

• Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills;

• Wiliness to contribute and work as part of the team;

• Flexible and open to learning and new experiences; 

• Respect for diversity and adaptability to diverse cultures, environments and living conditions.

Language 

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of Arabic is a distinct advantage.

1. Contract type: ICA
2. Contract level: I-ICA 3
3. Contract duration: 12 months (1 October 2024 – 30 September 2025)

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.