Result of ServicePodium and Chairs of the plenary sessions of the COP and Committee of the Whole (COW) received adequate legal, procedural and other support in the run-up to and during the meeting. Work LocationRemote and meeting venue in Brazil Expected duration4 months (Jan-April 2026) Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is a global intergovernmental treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species and their habitats. Numerous additional intergovernmental instruments on migratory species conservation have been adopted under the broad umbrella of CMS which are supported by the CMS Secretariat. In addition, two regional agreements on migratory species adopted under CMS have their own Secretariats which are co-located with the CMS Secretariat in Bonn - the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Agreement on the Conservation of European Populations of Bats (EUROBATS). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. In the present context, UNEP provides the administrative functions for the CMS, AEWA and EUROBATS Secretariats. This post is home-based but includes travel to the meeting venue. The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is seeking one legal consultant to serve the 15th meeting of the Parties (COP15) to be held in Campo Grande (Brazil) from the 23 -29 March 2026. Under the direct supervision of the Legal Officer and Head of Conference Services and the overall supervision of the CMS Executive Secretary, the consultant will contribute to the preparation and assist in the servicing of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) by: 1. Assisting with the preparations in the run-up to COP15: - Assisting the Legal Officer in developing legal advice on diverse legal and procedural questions, which may include those related to COP15 documents prepared by the secretariat, to include interpretation and application of relevant provisions and procedural matters, e.g. rules of procedure; - Performing legal and procedural research and analysis and contributing to the drafting of documents, briefs, reports and correspondence; - Contributing to the preparation of documents for COP15 ; -Preparing or contributing to scripts for the Chairs of the Plenary and COW; - Supporting other aspects related to the organization of COP15 and other events in the margins of COP15. 2. Providing support at COP15: - Assisting the podium and the chairs during the plenary sessions of the meeting; - Assisting the Legal Officer in developing legal and procedural advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions that may arise during the meeting; and - Supporting the preparation of in-session documents, schedules and meeting reports, and other documents as needed. 3. Providing support after COP15 with the preparation of the meeting report and other post-COP requirements as may arise. Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in law, public administration, social sciences with specialized knowledge in international environmental law or a closely related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of 2 years of work experience in legal analysis and drafting is required; excellent legal analysis and drafting skills; excellent organisational skills; excellent computer skills, including working with MS Office; Ability to work alongside a diverse team of professional and administrative internationally-recruited staff; Ability to work under tight deadlines; Excellent communication skills (written and orally) Previous experience in servicing international meetings is required. Experience in working with Rules of Procedure for UN meetings would be an advantage. Knowledge of the UN, the Convention on Migratory Species, or issues relating to biodiversity conservation would be an advantage. LanguagesEnglish, French and Spanish are the working languages of the CMS Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Fluency in any of the other working languages would be an advantage. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.