Project Support, Administration and Research Assistant

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading 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.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO) located in Panama City, Panama, works closely with the 33 countries of the region, and its activities are integrated into the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy, (MTS) (2022-2025) and Programme of Work (2024-2025), approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). The Strategy defines the 3 strategic pillars and actions of UNEP’s work – climate-, biodiversity- and pollution actions.

UNEP’s Caribbean Sub-Regional Office (CSRO) based in Kingston, Jamaica, is the LAC Office’s liaison to governments and stakeholders in the English-speaking Caribbean. UNEP also hosts secretariats of the multilateral environment agreements. One such is the Cartagena Convention and its Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) established by UNEP in 1981 as part of its global Regional Seas Programme. It is an agreed programme of twenty-six (26) member states that border the wider Caribbean Sea and coordinated by the Cartagena Convention Secretariat based in Kingston, Jamaica. Countries are also signatory to the Cartagena Convention’s 3 Protocols – Oils Spills Prevention, Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW), and Land-based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS) – and benefit from specialist technical support provided by 4 Regional Activity Centres located in Curacao, Guadeloupe, Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago. The Secretariat delivers project actions to its wider Caribbean member states.

This assignment is part of UNV’s disability inclusion strategy. UNV seeks to 1) provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to serve as UN Volunteers 2) enable UN partners to expand diversity and inclusion of persons with disabilities in their workforce worldwide 3) build a talent pipeline of qualified professionals with disabilities who can contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at national and global levels, with focus on national capacity.

Reasonable Accommodation

The UN system is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and commits to taking appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to access employment opportunities and benefit equally from employment related opportunities by providing reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation may differ depending on the disability and individual requirements. Reasonable accommodation means “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms “(Article 2, UN CRPD).

Accessibility

Accessibility is defined as the “identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to facilitating access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities”.(Article 9, UN CRPD)

Task description

Under the direct supervision of UNEP, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

(1) Provide local administrative and logistical support for organizing tasks and/or preparing documentation for CSRO activities, including but not limited to e.g. the Zero Waste Project managed by the Regional Project Coordinator;

(2) Assist with the development of materials such as UNEP PowerPoint presentations, briefing notes, and/or summary reports for project meetings, workshops, and training; Support the organization and scheduling of project meetings, webinars and/or workshops.

(3) Contribute to the development of content for virtual &/or in-person workshop materials, and/or create presentations and other innovative communication products.

(4) Research and assist with the development of information on the Small Island States (SIDS) of the Caribbean region, including maintenance and/or updating of the UNEP project database for the Caribbean, and/or compiling information on Caribbean SIDS vulnerabilities, activities and/or integrated responses to the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

(5) Collaborate with the UNEP/CSRO team to analyze research and results into easily usable formats with concise summaries developed for different audiences (social media, graphic designs, etc.).

(6) As required, additional tasks as may be assigned by the hiring manager. As required, additional tasks as may be assigned by the hiring manager.