Result of Service
- The ultimate results of service constitute the following:
- Development of training material on national implementation of
the Nagoya Protocol and on DSI.
- Training on the Nagoya Protocol and DSI delivered to the
national Working Group on NBSAP alignment.
- Elaborated proposal for alignment of national DSI and
ABS-related targets with the KMGBF.
- Awareness raising package for wider stakeholder groups.
Work Location:
Remote
Expected Duration : 9.5 months
Duties and Responsibilities
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading
global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda,
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.
- Under its Western Balkan portfolio, it facilitates the
implementation and execution of numerous projects pertaining to climate
change, biodiversity protection, land degradation and other environmental
related aspects.
- The consultant will be engaged for the purposes of providing
expertise to the project implemented in Serbia and focused on the
preparation of the update of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action
Plan (NBSAP), to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework (KMGBF), executed with support from UNEP’s Early Action Support
programme team in Nairobi, Kenya.
- UNEP’s Early Action Support programme team is currently
supporting the execution of the GEF funded project implemented in the
Republic of Serbia focused on the preparation of the update of Serbia’s
NBSAP.
- The NBSAP and biodiversity frameworks in Serbia are not fully
aligned with the KMGBF.
- Furthermore, lessons learned from the last round of updating
NBSAPs indicate that challenges persist in terms of non-alignment of
national targets with global targets, lack of a financing plan for NBSAP
implementation, inadequate implementation due to delays in updating
NBSAPs, as well as inadequate monitoring.
- Alignment will help catalyze implementation of the KMGBF and
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its protocols.
- There are now only six years remaining for Parties and the
global community to achieve the agreed KMGBF targets.
- Under the supervision of the Head of Department for
Biodiversity in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, EAS Programme
Management Officer and UNEP National Coordinator for the EAS project in
the Republic of Serbia, the International Expert on Digital Sequence
Information (DSI) will be responsible for ensuring that the nationally
redefined NBSAP targets related to DSI and Access and Benefit Sharing
(ABS) from the use of genetic resources are fully in line with the KMBGF
targets.
- Within this context the UNEP and the Republic of Serbia are
implementing this project, with the specific objective to fast-track
readiness and early actions to implement the KMGBF.
- The project provides financial and technical support to
GEF-eligible Parties to the CBD in their work to review and align their
national targets, NBSAPs, policy frameworks, monitoring frameworks and
finance with the KMGBF.
The Consultant Will Carry Out The Following
Activities:
- Prepare and deliver training material to the Working Group on
NBSAP alignment to increase their knowledge and understanding of the
Nagoya Protocol and DSI.
- Developed training material should be localized for the needs
of Serbia, and include all legal, policy, administrative and
capacity-building requirements to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits that arise from the utilization of genetic resources and from
digital sequence information on genetic resources, as well as traditional
knowledge associated with genetic resources. Training material should also
include the process of reporting and entering mandatory information in the
ABS Clearing-House.
- Based on the assessment of current status in Serbia, prepare
proposal for alignment of national DSI and ABS-related targets with the
KMGBF.
- Prepare awareness raising package to be delivered at the final
event.
Qualifications/Special Skills
- An advanced academic degree (Master’s degree) in management,
sustainable development, nature protection, education, environmental
policy, or a similar field is required.
- At least seven years of experience in the field of developing
international legislation related to genetic resources is required
Experience in ratification and implementation of Nagoya Protocol at the
national level is required.
- Experience in negotiations, expert discussions, and other
international processes in the field of DSI is desirable.
- Working experience in or with governmental institutions is
desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the
United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and
written English is required. Knowledge of a Serbian language is an asset
How To Apply