Programme Assistant in Bonn bei United Nations

Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), one of the three “Rio Conventions” is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The UNCCD provides the foundation for its 197 Parties to work together to combat desertification, land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought; maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and improve the living conditions for people. The Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Unit of the UNCCD links scientific knowledge and technological innovation with implementation, planning and policy development, with the aim to ensure that findings and opportunities produced by science are effectively channeled to benefit field activities to implement the UNCCD. The Capacity Building and Innovation sub-unit of the STI focuses on tools and mechanisms for the fulfilment of its mandate to facilitate the implementation of the Convention. Capacity building is one of the key doorways promoting interaction with UNCCD stakeholders and the public at large within the framework of the UNCCD process, as outlined in Article 19 of the Convention, and in the many relevant decisions adopted at various sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP). Parties at COP 13 adopted a standalone decision on capacity building requesting the Secretariat to, inter alia, continue targeted capacity building to support the implementation of the Convention, including land degradation neutrality (LDN) by Parties. Subsequently, at COP 14 and 15, respectively, Parties adopted Decisions 2/COP.14, and 2/COP.15 with the aim of further enhancing the effectiveness of capacity building within the UNCCD process. Acknowledging that implementation of the UNCCD is taking place in an ever-changing world, innovation is increasingly becoming a key element for capacity building, development, knowledge-sharing and awareness-raising. Therefore, the central role that innovation plays in Sustainable Land Management (SLM) needs to be promoted and scaled-up. To ensure continuity of activities and to meet future demands within the secretariat’s capacity building and innovation sub-programme, the secretariat seeks to fill the position of Programme Assistant for its work. Additionally, the support staff will undertake daily tasks necessary to carry out its current work programme.