National Level - Peaceful Elections Specialist

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development, working for 60 years in 170 countries and territories to help people build better lives while protecting the planet. For 60 years, it has supported countries to make progress on the issues and institutions that matter most to their people, aiming to achieve Prosperity for All, Effective Governance, a Healthy Planet and Resilience to Crisis. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a Pacific nation of incredible cultural and environmental diversity. It is known for its coral reef, dense rainforest, mountain peaks in the Highlands region and active volcanoes, as well a vast tapestry of indigenous cultures that is often cited as the home of over 800 languages. In 2025, the country celebrated its 50th anniversary since independence, amidst celebration as well as reflection on its future trajectory. UNDP in PNG is a longstanding partner to sustainable human development in the Pacific island nation, with efforts to build the country’s capacity to promote inclusive, pro-poor growth, effective governance, and sustainable and resilient development. The 2024-2028 Country Programme includes four key pillars of support to the Government of PNG, civil society and the people of PNG – (1) Gender Equality, (2) Governance, Peace and Social Cohesion, (3) Climate and Environment, and (4) Sustainable Economic Transformation. To achieve Pillars 1 and 2, the Governance, Peace and Gender Portfolio of the Country Office leads a range of national and area-based projects including work on women’s political participation, parliamentary development and peaceful elections, anti-corruption, transparency and accountability, tackling gender-based and sorcery-accusation-related violence, conflict resolution through political negotiations, insider mediation and community peace and resilience in conflict-affected regions such as the Highlands and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The Portfolio also works as an incubator of cross-cutting governance and rights issues including emerging work on business and human rights, environmental justice, climate-induced conflict drivers, and civil society strengthening. In so doing, the Governance Portfolio programme team works to support the achievement of the ambitions established in PNG’s Vision 2050 and other established peace and development goals.

Context

National elections have been held in Papua New Guinea at regular intervals since independence in 1975. The quality of those elections, however, has declined over recent years. The level of electoral violence, particularly in the Highlands region, are a growing concern for both the national government and its international development partners. The persistent malapportionment of electoral constituencies has created glaring infringements of the right to equal representation. Gaps in adequate and timely financing for the elections have been filled, sometimes at the last minute, by Papua New Guinea’s international development partners, while the remaining gaps and delays have simply compromised the quality and credibility of the elections, thereby compromising the legitimacy of the elected governments. The United Nations has played a limited direct role in previous elections in the country, mainly in the areas of coordination of international observers and supporting the preparation of cadres of women candidates, though it has played an increasingly important role in promoting a peaceful environment for recent elections, primarily with funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund. According to the United Nations’ Electoral Needs Assessment Mission (NAM), which visited the country in April 2023, and project design consultations undertaken in 2025, there appears to be broad cross-party acceptance of UN electoral assistance and the need for the upcoming elections to be transparent and inclusive. In anticipation of the upcoming Parliamentary elections in 2027 in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and in response to a request from the Government of Papua New Guinea in 2022, the United Nations in PNG is initiating a new electoral support joint initiative, “Support to Peaceful Elections in PNG (SPE), convened by UNDP and implemented in partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN Women. Alongside assistance to the PNG Elections Commission (at the national level) by the Australian Electoral Commission, the New Zealand Electoral Commission, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the new UN initiative seeks to address critical gaps, especially in relation to the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) at provincial level (alongside provincial electoral advisory bodies) and to other key institutions for mitigating violence and resolving disputes in the electoral sphere such as the Integrity of Political Parties & Candidates Commission (IPPCC), the security forces, the Courts, and the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG).

Task Description

The development of SPE PNG (2026-2027) follows the report of the UN Electoral Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) conducted in April 2023 following the request for technical assistance from the Government of Papua New Guinea. The project has been developed taking into con-sideration the recommendations outlined by the NAM to ensure the UN can continue to support the electoral process in Papua New Guinea. In line with the NAM recommendations, the new project is centered around three main strategic areas: · Outcome 1 – Peace: Reduced tensions and disputes regarding the electoral process through the establishment or strengthening of mechanisms contributing to conflict prevention and mitigation. · Outcome 2 – Inclusion: Improved participation, representation and empowerment of women, youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, isolated populations, and other historically marginalized groups through activities intended to foster participation and ownership of the electoral processes and increase operational know-how to ensure the safety and sustainability of inclusive participation. · Outcome 3 – Capacity: Strengthening the capacity and preparedness of the PNGEC – particularly at the provincial level - the security forces, the IPPCC, and other key stakeholders to effectively administer the electoral processes in a credible manner through procurement support and technical assistance, with the latter focused on areas that will help decrease the need for future assistance. Under the direct supervision of Chief Technical Adviser, Support to Peaceful Elections Project, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: o Provide technical support including monitoring of elections preparations and emerging situations for regular briefings to the United Nations and UNDP Senior Management o Support organization and delivery of trainings and capacity development initiatives with electoral stakeholders o Provide coordination support with Participating United Nations Organizations of the Support to Peaceful Elections joint project including organizing regular joint project team meetings o Provide coordination support with Development Partners, including through PNGEC-led Donor Coordination activities o Support partnership management with key electoral stakeholders (such as the PNG Electoral Commission, the Registry of Political Parties, etc.) o Provide support to the secretariat of the project Steering Committee and reference group o Support to project indicator monitoring o Drafting donor reports and regular communications materials

Competencies and values

☐ Accountability ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility ☐ Building Trust ☐ Client Orientation ☐ Commitment and Motivation ☐ Commitment to Continuous Learning ☐ Communication ☐ Creativity ☐ Empowering Others ☐ Ethics and Values ☒ Integrity ☐ Judgement and Decision-making ☐ Knowledge Sharing ☐ Leadership ☒ Managing Performance ☐ Planning and Organizing ☒ Professionalism ☒ Respect for Diversity ☐ Self-Management ☐ Technological Awareness ☐ Vision ☒ Working in Teams

Living conditions and remarks

Port Moresby is the capital city of Papua New Guinea, and where most United Nations Staff are based, including the office of the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP main offices. Crime rates are high in major cities in PNG, while criminal groups and tribal/clan conflicts proliferate in remote areas of PNG including in the Highlands. Gender-based violence is a significant concern for the country. Conflict can erupt suddenly during protests, political rallies, or large public gatherings and there is low capacity for maintaining law and order. PNG is also in a geologically active region and is prone to natural hazards including but not limited to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, and landslides. UN staff are therefore expected to maintain an appropriate level of awareness and preparedness and to adhere to approved security measures and protocols and ensure proper preparation and planning for field missions. UN personnel are provided guidance on recommended areas for residential property rentals, and buildings are to be cleared by the Un Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) prior to moving in. Personnel are prohibited from using public transport, including local buses and taxis and pedestrian movement for internationals outside secure compounds is not recommended. Transport to and from the office is therefore available via UN bus services for international and national staff, and a private service has been cleared by the UN Department for Safety and Security for personal use.