The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's d...
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional levels. 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. United Nation’s Environment Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This assignment is for the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) - MedProgramme Coordinating Unit (MedPCU), Athens, Greece in the framework of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme): “Enhancing Environmental Security” (GEF ID 9607).
The MedProgramme Sea Programme (MedProgramme) is part of UNEP’s Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and represents the first Global Environment Facility (GEF) programmatic multi-focal area initiative in the Mediterranean Sea, aiming specifically at operationalizing priority actions to reduce major transboundary environmental stresses in its coastal areas, while strengthening, at the same time, climate resilience and water security, and improving the health and livelihoods of coastal populations.
The MedProgramme is implemented in nine (9) beneficiary countries sharing the Mediterranean basin, i.e.: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco and Tunisia. It involves a wide spectrum of developmental and societal sectors, ranging from banking institutions, private sector, governmental and non-governmental bodies, industry, research, media, and various other organizations.
The MedProgramme is articulated around four components reflecting the priorities adopted by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, namely:
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Reduction of land-based pollution in priority coastal hotspots and measuring progress to impacts.
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Enhancing Sustainability and Climate Resilience in the Coastal Zone.
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Protecting Marine Biodiversity.
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Knowledge Management and Programme Coordination.
In line with the GEF Council approval of the MedProgramme and the GEF CEO endorsement of its related Child Projects (GEF IDs: 9684, 9717, 9687, 9685, 9670, 10158, 9686) the MedProgramme is executing a specific Gender Mainstreaming Strategy (GM Strategy) aimed at: i) providing an overarching and harmonized “Gender Mainstreaming Strategy” for the MedProgramme; ii) supporting and building capacity of Child Projects as they implement the Strategy through gender-responsive actions within the specific context of each project; iii) monitoring implementation advancements and consistency, as well as cohesion and complementarity of gender focus across the entire portfolio; and iv) benefitting, over the long term, the UNEP/MAP system, by serving as an entry point and testing ground for mainstreaming gender in the programme of work of UNEP/MAP. Implementation of the GM Strategy was initiated in 2022 based on a transformative approach posing a gender equality vision for the MedProgramme that questions established categories and implements positive action measures towards gender-responsive actions in the Mediterranean region. Gender indicators have been established, and gender mainstreaming was provided to countries and executing partners.