UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement, and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors, and United Nations organizations.
New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.
Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP). It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.
UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations to implement the activities for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is an initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which responds to a broad consensus across nations, cultures, and religions that all societies are interdependent, bound together in their development and security, and in their environmental, economic and financial well-being. The Alliance seeks to forge collective political will and mobilize concerted action at the institutional and civil society levels to overcome the prejudice, misperceptions, and polarization that militate against such a consensus. UNAOC hopes to contribute to a coalescing global movement which, reflecting the will of the vast majority of people, rejects extremism in any society.
The complex, demanding dialogue of civilizations, cultures, and religions is necessary, possible, and fruitful. It is a critical tool against isolation, mistrust, and confrontation, and it is also the most powerful incentive for understanding and tolerance. History has shown that dialogue is not a simple process. If we fail to teach and cultivate it, the situation can give way to a monologue or to mutism, which is conducive to conflict and violent extremism.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was created to serve as a soft-power political tool of the United Nations Secretary-General for conflict prevention and conflict resolution. It is a coalition against extremist forces, a movement to advance mutual respect for cultures, traditions, and religious beliefs, and a platform to bridge divides and overcome prejudice, misconceptions, misperceptions, and polarization. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was intended to promote collective action in society as a means of addressing the threats that emerge from the hostile perceptions that foment violence, overcoming cultural and social barriers, reducing tensions, and improving relations between societies and communities with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, and combatting violent extremism.
During its more than fifteen years of existence, UNAOC has pioneered a range of approaches and activities across its five priority areas, namely, Youth, Education, Media, Migration, and Women as peace mediators. The impact of many of its projects on the ground has been significant and measurable, particularly those implemented with civil society organizations (CSOs) and youth-led organizations. Nonetheless, the context of the current global challenges is more complex than ever before. The multidimensional nature of the scope of today’s conflicts requires a new approach to conflict resolution and conflict prevention.
Around the world, there has been a rising wave of violent extremism conducive to terrorism, growing intolerance, hate speech, xenophobia, and discrimination, posing a threat to international peace and security. These new approaches are reflected in the UNAOC Action Plan 2019-2023. It builds on and develops existing UNAOC programming activities and suggests new focus areas that strengthen the Alliance’s ability to fulfill its mandate in a more effective and measurable way.
The Plan further suggests new approaches for institutional development and political advocacy that should provide a viable framework for the way we respond to the current global challenges. Institutionally, the plan reaffirms the important role played by all stakeholders, including state and non-state actors, in developing and implementing national plans and regional strategies to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue, the mainstay of the Alliance. The framework aims to expand and consolidate the global scope of UNAOC in Africa, Asia, Europe, MENA, and Latin America.
This is a position in UNOPS for supporting the implementation of UNAOC. The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full administrative and financial responsibility.
Guided by the principle that youth are key actors in achieving peace and preventing violent extremism, as stated in the UN Security Council Resolutions 2250, 2419, and 2535, and the United Nations Secretary General’s Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism, UNAOC develops educational programming to enhance the ability of young civil society leaders to foster mutual respect, understanding and long-term positive relationships between peoples of different cultures and religions. One of those initiatives is Young Peacebuilders which is a peace education programme that UNAOC implements in different regions of the world to offer peace competence development to young civil society leaders. Learning objectives include, among others:
- Learn about other cultures and worldviews within and beyond the group to foster intercultural cohesion and collaboration.
- Learn about negative stereotypes and how to critically analyze them to reduce their prevalence.
- Understand different perspectives in identity-based conflict and gain tools to develop solutions at the local, national, and regional levels and transform conflicts peacefully.
- Identify push and pull factors creating conditions conducive to violent extremism.
- Develop competencies to use different forms of media or expressive arts to create alternative narratives, reduce polarization, and promote social inclusion.
- Reflect on how to increase meaningful youth engagement in their region.
- Learn how to successfully design and run a project.
The aim is to support the growth of networks of young peacebuilders who are equipped with the tools to address stereotypes, prejudice, social exclusion, and polarization (both within and between their communities and countries) in order to build more inclusive and peaceful societies in their communities and globally.
Programme components:
Part 1: online phase (2 months). Participants access the course through an online collaborative platform provided by UNAOC. UNAOC and other trainers facilitate the first few modules of the curriculum, giving an opportunity to participants to get to know each other prior to their first in-person meeting. They also start getting exposed to tools and concepts, engage in discussion, and start reflecting on their individual and joint action.
Part 2: face-to-face workshop (1 week). All participants travel to complete an intense in-person training, including field visit. They also work on their own action plans.
Part 3: implementation phase (+- 3 months). Participants stay connected through the online platform, improve their action plans and report on the implementation of their interventions. This part consolidates the network and follow-up mechanisms, ensuring the members of the group continue to support each other after the end of the programme.
Part 4: final symposium (1 day). Participants are invited to participate in a symposium in a still to be determined country in the target region, during which they share their experience, lessons learned, achievements, and recommendations with a broader audience of practitioners, policymakers, media, and the general public. They also engage with this audience on topics related to intercultural dialogue, peace, and security.
Within the framework of the 7th edition, UNOPS is seeking for the project with UNAOC a Knowledge Management Specialist [Learning and Development]. The incumbent will work remotely and tentatively start on December 1, 2023. Evaluation of qualified candidates will include an assessment exercise, followed by a competency-based interview.