Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific (SAP) covers Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FAO SAP is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional agriculture, food, nutrition and rural development priorities. FAO SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.
FAO-SAP is organizing the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Forum in Nadi, Fiji, from 27 to 30 August 2024. The Form is a key activity of the FAO SIDS Solutions platform, created in 2021 to enhance information and solution exchange that can facilitate development by incubating, promoting and scaling-up home grown and imported solutions to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in SIDS.
The objective of the 2024 Pacific SIDS Solutions Forum, which will be co-hosted by the Government of Fiji is to strengthen, promote and optimize enablers that can catalyze better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life ensuring that no one in the Pacific is left behind. The Forum will be headlined by the Prime Minister of Fiji and the FAO Director-General, with more than 300 participants from in and outside of the Pacific. Notable among the invited participants are Pacific Ministers and senior officials from Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Environment/Climate Change, Health, Education, ICT and Finance; civil society organizations and development partners.
This is a short-term opportunity, but it will be filled on a biennial basis. The plan for this call is therefore to retain qualified candidates who will be called upon to fill the post.
Reporting Lines
The International Specialist for Event Planning will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator, and direct supervision of the Food and Nutrition Officer for the Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands.
Technical Focus
Working with FAO interdisciplinary team, the international Specialist for Event Planning will coordinate the organization and implementation of the 2024 Pacific SIDS Solutions Forum. The Specialist will lead the development of the Forum’s programme/agenda, identify and liaise with speakers, organize various planning meetings to be chaired by FAO, serve as the rapporteur during the meetings, plan and manage the Forum logistics, and support communications outreach.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Design, prepare, coordinate and execute successful high level leading edge biennial SIDS Solutions Forums with the participation of Prime Ministers/Heads of States, global heads of UN agencies, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), private sector groups, academia, youth, women, etc.
• Lead the selection of biennial forums’ themes, hosts, speakers, agendas, etc… to advance the overall objective of the SIDS Solutions Forum.
• Organize the logistics, marketing and communications for the Forum including the mechanism.
• Put in place the right conditions to allow youth and women to play active leadership roles in the design, preparation and execution of the Forum.
• Support the creation of the Forums’ Secretariat that will provide strategic sounding to the planning, execution and implementation of the Forums’ recommendations.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• University degree in a field related to planning, business/public administration, communications, public relations, economics, political science, development studies or other field related to food security, nutrition, agriculture, climate change, Health, etc
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in planning high level events/conferences/forums. Knowledge of the cultural, economic and geopolitical context of the Pacific
• Working knowledge of English (for PSA), and another official UN Language such as French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabi (for Consultants).
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
This vacancy is archived.