Result of Service
Increased capacity-building activities on land restoration issues through universities and online platforms.
Expected duration
70 days Between 01 November 2025 to 30 April 2026
Duties and Responsibilities
Background: Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries in addressing Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (www.unccd.int). The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is the annual international forum for the governments of 19 industrialized countries and the European Union. The G20 Leaders' Declaration, issued on Sunday, 22 November 2020, launched a "Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats". Building on existing initiatives and on a voluntary basis, the G20 countries share the ambition to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the amount of degraded land by 2040. The G20 Global Land Initiative (G20 GLI) focuses on building capacity, engaging the private sector, empowering civil society and showcasing success. Engaging with all stakeholders in land restoration efforts is crucial to promote inclusivity and sustainability as well as the ownership and empowerment of local communities and stakeholders, who can bring unique perspectives, knowledge, resources and solutions to the table and ensure their needs and rights are respected and accounted for in the process. The G20 GLI has developed a series of master’s-level courses for universities, including the course “Trigger Change! Innovations in Sustainable Urban Land Restoration”, launched in May 2025. A series of online Training-of-Trainers workshops will be organized to support uptake of the course. In addition, the G20 GLI is planning a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on land restoration. A consultant is needed to coordinate this work. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Director and the Programme Management Officer, the Consultant is expected to accomplish the following tasks: 1. Develop the “Innovations in Land Restoration MOOC – Leadership Track” film-ready storyboards and establish a detailed production plan, including the recording location. 2. Coordinate with G20 GLI/UNCCD staff to update the course website and communications materials, and ensure that course impact statistics for the two master’s courses are kept updated and reflected in the GLI tracker. 3. Continue to promote the two “Trigger Change!” courses across all possible university networks, including through participation in relevant international conferences and meetings to promote the courses.
Qualifications/special skills
- PhD in Science or Engineering is required. - Minimum 25 years of working experience is requierd. - Experience in developing academic modules on land restoration is required. - Experience in developing Massive Open Online Courses is required. - Previous experience in working in or with international organizations or multi-country projects is desirable.
Languages
Fluency in English language, both oral and written, is required; proficiency in other UN languages is an asset.
Additional Information
Only individuals who can act as independent, individual economical operators are qualified to apply. Individuals who can provide their services only on account of an institution or enterprise are not eligible under this procedure. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations Secretariat and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultant and individual contractor is responsible for determining tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. For remote consultancies, the selected candidate will be required to have a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 10 or newer) or Mac (with the latest MacOS update), as well as a reliable, high-speed internet connection. An Office 365 license will be provided by the UNCCD to enable the candidate to access official emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and other office applications, such as Word and Excel. Further computer requirements: An antivirus application which receives regular updates; Browsers must be a newer version with regular updates enabled; Regular Windows 10 updates should be enabled with Windows laptop or PC. In addition, a mobile phone will be required to enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) through SMS or the Authenticator App.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
