Result of Service1. Three high quality, professionally written 10-pages each (in final layout) technical/policy reports on drought resilience that are comprehensively researched, fully referenced, and which take into account consultations with key experts and stakeholders including : Evidence-based with case studies and good practices to facilitate the discussion of drought in political fora a and enhance its desired outcomes for Policy recommendations and practical applications Policy papers that make full reference and summarize concrete outcomes of the Global Drought Resilience conference which took place in October 2024 with a focus on workstreams regarding global drought risk governance options and the way forward for implementing national drought policies and identifying established shortcomings and bottlenecks for the successful transformation of policies into action. Infographics, figures, tables, maps, photos, and other graphic elements. Extensive references to both the peer-reviewed and grey literature. 2. Update existing UNCCD material and finalize a 45-pages policy-technical brief on drought issues in Central and Eastern Europe and Northern Mediterranean regions, including new case studies of countries from the Regions. Work LocationHomebased Expected durationMay to November 2025 Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking the environment and development to sustainable land management. The vision of the UNCCD and its 197 Parties is to realize “a future that avoids, minimizes, and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels – and to achieve a land degradation-neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The objective of the Convention is to support countries and communities with the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, leading to improved living conditions. The escalating frequency and severity of droughts, exacerbated by climate change, emphasize the urgent need for enhanced drought resilience. Droughts also pose significant threats to ecosystems and livelihoods, causing more deaths than any other weather-related disaster and resulting in substantial economic losses. The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in Riyadh from December 2 to 13, 2024 underscored the mounting global challenges of drought, leading to substantial financial commitments and the recognition for the need of strengthening capacities and developing innovative tools and technologies to tackle this pressing global challenge. UNCCD Parties also adopted specific decisions on building drought resilience of affected Parties, requesting the Global Mechanism (GM) and the secretariat of the UNCCD to support Parties in creating an enabling environment at the national level to (i) facilitate the implementation of national drought plans or other policies and frameworks related to drought; (ii) forge specific partnerships to mobilize technical and financial support for projects and programmes on drought; and (iii) collaborate with relevant programmes and to support Parties in leveraging finance through relevant mechanisms (Decision 3/COP.16). Duties and Responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Global Policy, Advocacy and Regional Cooperation (GPARC), and the direct supervision of the assigned officer (s), the senior consultant will develop the four technical/policy reports and in doing so, the consultant will have the following duties and responsibilities: Develop an inception Report which will include the work plan of the consultancy, the methodology proposed for the writing of the reports which will be discussed and agreed with the supervisors. Provide substantive technical and procedural leadership to the development of the reports by bringing together relevant and recent data sources and flagship publications on Drought resilience including key drought indicators such as maps and spatially explicit data. Establish contact with different relevant core entities and networks to conceptualize the steps, processes and working modalities for the development of the technical/policy reports. Reach out to relevant institutional arrangements and entities that can be allies and partners on a continuous basis to enhance the quality of the reports with relevant expertise and relevant references. Add value to the overall work of the Secretariat on Drought management with knowledge and experience. Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced university degree in natural resources management, rural development, geography, meteorology, environmental policy, hydrology, development economics or any other related field relevant for the consultancy is required. A minimum of 10 years work experience on the above and related disciplines including in depth knowledge of integrated drought management, drought and water scarcity policy, programmes, and practices is required. Solid knowledge of the UNCCD, related UN and intergovernmental processes, and environment-related policy issues would be a great asset is required. A very good understanding of policy and technical aspects of drought risk management including early warning and monitoring systems and vulnerability and impact assessments is desirable. Substantial record of research and publications, including non-scientific communications is desirable. Extensive project and/or policy experience in developing and/or transition countries is desirable. Ability to meet agreed deadlines and attention to detail is desirable. LanguagesFor the services required, high proficiency in spoken and written English language is required; Excellent writing skills required. Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage. Additional InformationOnly 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. Candidates will require 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 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.