Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women Indonesia Country Office (CO) hosts the ASEAN liaison office which extends support to ASEAN and its Member States in advancing Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in line with global  and regional normative frameworks. UN Women Indonesia launched a five-year project, Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: Preventing Violence and Promoting Social Cohesion in ASEAN (2021-March 2026). The project funded by the Governments of Canada, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea supports efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its 11 Member States to promote women's participation and leadership in conflict prevention, resolution, and recovery. Region-wide, the project works to promote and implement policy frameworks such as the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace, and Security (ASEAN RPA WPS); capacity-building activities such as training, workshops, dialogues, and consultations; and exchanges of knowledge and good practices. The project also does country-level activities in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Timor-Leste. 

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is ASEAN’s overarching human rights body, mandated to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the peoples of ASEAN, and to support the realization of ASEAN’s purposes and principles as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. AICHR plays a key role in advancing regional dialogue, policy development, and cooperation on human rights, including issues related to peace, security, and conflict prevention.

In 2025, AICHR—supported by UN Women—successfully convened regional workshops examining the intersection between conflict and human rights and identifying pathways and approaches to peace in ASEAN, generating substantive recommendations toward a future regional peace framework. 

Building on these intersectoral and multi‑stakeholder dialogues, AICHR is progressing toward the finalization, adoption, and operationalization of the Pathways to an ASEAN pathways to, and conceptual framework on, peace, expected to advance through expert consultations and regional deliberations in 2026. This consultancy supports the coordination and delivery of an expert consultation linked to the development of the ASEAN conceptual framework on peace, resilience, and WPS.

Importantly, this engagement contributes directly to the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security (RPA WPS) (2022), particularly Strategic Outcome 3, which encourages ASEAN sectoral bodies and Member States to actively contribute to conflict prevention and to address broader peace and security threats with WPS principles at the core, while further consultations in 2026 aim to advance development and potential adoption of the ASEAN pathways to conflict prevention and resolution

The primary objective of this consultancy is to lead the drafting and finalization of the ASEAN pathways to, and conceptual framework on, peace, contributing to the establishment of a human‑rights‑responsive regional conflict prevention approach that integrates resilience, gender equality, and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) perspectives.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The consultant will report jointly to the Representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the UN Women Programme Coordination Specialist for ASEAN Women, Peace and Security. The consultant will:

1. Substantive drafting of the ASEAN pathways to, and conceptual framework on, peace
   • Review and synthesize inputs, recommendations, and discussions emerging from the 2025 regional dialogues and workshops.
   • Integrate expert inputs from 2026 consultations and technical discussions.
   • Draft the ASEAN pathways to, and conceptual framework on, peace articulating the ASEAN pathways to conflict prevention and resolution, including human rights safeguards, resilience approaches, and WPS integration.
2. Consultation and Revision
   • Engage with identified resource persons and experts to gather technical and substantive feedback on the zero draft.
   • Revise and refine the draft based on received feedback, ensuring balanced representation of perspectives.
   • Prepare and refine the revised draft, as appropriate, for discussion during an expert consultation scheduled to be held in April 2026.
3. Support to Expert Consultation
   • Provide substantive inputs to the design of the expert consultation agenda, including identification of key discussion questions and issues.
   • Participate in preparatory discussions and coordination meetings, as required.
   • Participate and provide technical support during the expert consultation (subject to modality), including presenting the zero draft, responding to expert feedback and clarifying substantive aspects of the draft.

Deliverables

The Consultant will produce the following deliverables: 

All deliverables must meet UN Women quality standards, gender‑responsive analysis, and ASEAN policy relevance prior to acceptance.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home‑based consultancy. No travel is foreseen unless exceptionally required and agreed in advance. UN Women will directly cover travel costs as per UN Women’s rules and regulations.

Inputs

UN Women will provide the Consultant with background information and documents, and a list of stakeholders relevant to the assignment.

The Consultant is expected to work using his/ her computer. 

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Technical expertise in human rights, peacebuilding, resilience and WPS
• Strong policy research and drafting skills
• Knowledge of ASEAN institutional processes
• Ability to facilitate multi‑stakeholder consultation
• Results‑oriented delivery within tight timelines

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in human rights, international relations, gender studies, peace and conflict studies, law, or related field.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in human rights, peace, resilience, or WPS in Southeast Asia.
• Demonstrated experience in policy research, analytical drafting, and regional consultation processes.
• Prior engagement with ASEAN or regional intergovernmental mechanisms is required.

Languages:

• Fluency in English required.
• Knowledge of an ASEAN language is an asset.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.