Division

The Communications and Engagement division serves multiple cross-cutting objectives, including communicating authoritative, relevant and timely information to Parties, non-Party stakeholders and the public regarding the secretariat's process and action on climate change, with emphasis on proactively building support among all stakeholders so as to facilitate climate action and increase ambition.

Team

This position is located in the Action Empowerment Unit, which consists of

• a team that supports the implementation of Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) and youth engagement agendas 
• a team that supports the implementation of gender and climate change work under the Convention and Paris Agreement.

Both teams support the intergovernmental process in relation to their respective work streams.

The Fellow will report to the Programme Officer (P-3), Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) team, under the general guidance of the Team Lead (P-4).

What the Fellow will be doing

Support for the implementation of the Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment (GWP) focusing on two main areas of work:

1. Promoting enhanced youth engagement in climate policy and action. This includes direct support to the ACE Hub, UNFCCC’s Regional Collaboration Centers and the Children and Youth Constituency of UNFCCC (YOUNGO).
2. Supporting the integration of youth and ACE across the UNFCCC workstreams

In particular, the Fellow will perform the following duties:

• Support to the enhancement of youth engagement in climate policy and action:
• Support the integration of youth and ACE across the UNFCCC workstreams:

What we are offering for the Fellow

• Work in a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment
• Enhance understanding of the UN system and the climate change intergovernmental process
• Develop practical knowledge of youth empowerment and climate action.
• Improve quality of curricula to meet career pathway

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Intergovernmental and Collective Progress (ISCP) division enables the governing and subsidiary bodies of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement to function and thus facilitate progress in the climate process. The division ensures the coherence, consistency, and timeliness of the work of the bodies and enables and supports overarching processes, such as the periodic review of the adequacy of the long-term global goal under the Convention and the Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement.

Team

This position is located in the External Relations unit which deals with all protocol-related matters, maintaining channels of communication and relationships with Parties and observer States, to facilitate their participation in meetings of the Convention process.

What the Fellow will be doing

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the External Relations unit and the overall supervision of the Director of ISCP, the Fellow will provide general support to the unit as follows:

1. Support all external relations and protocol-related matters of the organization:

a) Draft general communications, notifications, messages to Parties and observers etc. pertaining to the secretariat and meetings.

b) Assist in planning, organizing, and executing high-level meetings, and diplomatic events in accordance with international protocol.

c) Support the development of engagement strategy for Parties, Diplomatic Representatives, and the German government.

d) Assist in ushering in VIPs and supporting the work of protocol-related events pertaining to visits by high-level government officials, including ministers.

e) Create a detailed timeline for the events, including key milestones, to ensure the timeliness of Protocol activities.

f) Liaise with various departments such as logistics, security, and communications, to allocate necessary resources.

2. Ensure UNFCCC’s protocol framework is updated and aligned with the UN systems:

a) Monitor and analyse United Nations protocol trends, by reviewing relevant documentation and reports.

b) Prepare and disseminate briefings, reports, and correspondence relating to protocol matters.

c) Stay abreast and take a proactive role in reviewing changes in the UN system as a whole, in particular UN security, including new UN protocol developments.

d) Liaise with governments, diplomatic missions, and international organizations.

e) Reviewing procedures for Leaders Summits during sessions of the COP.

3. Develop and maintain effective relations with Parties, observer States and UN offices:

a) Support analysis of the current process, identify synergies and problems; and prepare proposals on strengthening cooperation.

b) Assist in maintaining an informal network of contacts with other UN External Relations/Public Information professionals to share and develop ideas and/or experiences.

c) Prepare briefings for senior leadership and participants, providing information about attendees, the agenda, and the specific protocol measures to be followed.

d) Review and work on existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identify other areas requiring new/updated SOPs.

e) Maintain channels of communication and relationships with Parties and observer States.

What we are offering for Fellow

The fellowship will offer an opportunity to deepen knowledge of the international climate change process and how the UNFCCC secretariat supports this process. In particular, the Fellow will gain an understanding of the pre-session and in-session protocol arrangements and coordination in liaising with Parties and senior-level stakeholders. 

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Legal Affairs division is accountable for providing legal and procedural advice and services to support

1. the intergovernmental negotiation process,
2. the implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and
3. the administration and operations of the secretariat

Team

The incumbent reports to the Director of the Legal Affairs division and works closely with relevant Legal Officer(s).

What the Fellow will be doing

• Conducting legal research on a diverse range of assigned issues in international law and other area(s) of specialization using multiple research sources; selecting relevant material, analyzing information and presenting findings for internal review
• Assisting Legal Officers in:
  • the review of legal documents, instruments, or other material; identifying important issues, similarities and inconsistencies, etc.
  • servicing meetings of the subsidiary and governing bodies, including supporting Legal Officers in respect of substantive agenda items under negotiation or consultation. This will also involve the preparation of background materials, summaries of issues and views of delegations, etc.;
• Assisting in the preparation of:
  • drafts of background papers, studies, reports, etc
  • legal opinions/advice on a wide range of international public and private law issues, including the United Nations Charter, General Assembly resolutions and decisions, the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement and decisions of the governing bodies thereof involving, inter alia, issues relating to privileges and immunities, institutional questions, treaty law and practice, procedural issues arising during meetings of the relevant governing and subsidiary bodies, etc.
• Supporting the development of legal capacity-building materials, such as webinars and other e-learning products, presentations for in-person delivery, policy briefs and other publications, as well as updating such materials based on lessons learned and to tailor these to a specific audience(s), where applicable;
• Engaging with stakeholders to identify knowledge gaps and to present proposals on how the Legal Affairs division can support capacity building in such areas
• Liaising with other organizations within the United Nations system as well as other international and non-governmental organizations for the joint development and presentation of events, webinars and other legal capacity-building products.

What we are offering for the Fellow

At the end of the Fellowship, the Fellow will be able to:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of substantive, legal, procedural and institutional issues relating to the climate change process
• Apply enhanced knowledge of intergovernmental processes
• Service meetings in an intergovernmental process
• Carry out legal research and prepare background information for the meetings of the COP, CMP, CMA and subsidiary bodies
• Liaise with Parties, delegates and members of expert bodies and work with partner United Nations Agencies and Programmes

Link to vacancy announcement.

Division

The Means of Implementation division supports the mobilization of financial resources, international cooperation on technology development and transfer, and capacity-building to enable enhanced action on climate change.

Team

This position is located in the Capacity-building sub-division which supports intergovernmental work and negotiations on matters related to capacity-building, the work of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB) and other capacity-building projects.

What the Fellow will be doing

• Support for
  • the inter-governmental negotiations on capacity-building
  • the workplan of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building
  • the capacity-building programme between UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD
• Research on topics relating to needs and priorities of developing countries in implementing the Convention and the Paris Agreement

What we are offering for the Fellow

• an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of
  • the international climate change negotiation process
  • climate-related capacity-building activities and resources
  • how the UNFCCC secretariat supports the capacity-building of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change.
• mentoring on specific substantive aspects of the incumbent’s work by staff currently working on similar responsibilities
• development of research, analytical thinking, and document drafting skills.

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Means of Implementation division supports the mobilization of financial resources, international cooperation on technology development and transfer, and capacity-building to enable enhanced action on climate change.

Team

This position is located in the Technology subdivision, Support and Implementation Unit (SIU), which supports the UN climate change intergovernmental process on matters related to technology development and transfer, the substantive work of the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and its interaction with the Climate Technology Centre and Network, the process for conducting Technology Needs Assessments undertaken by developing countries and communication and outreach activities.

What the Fellow will be doing

Support to

• the inter-governmental process on matters related to technology development and transfer
• the substantive work of the TEC in relevant thematic areas;
• the process for conducting Technology Needs Assessment undertaken by developing countries;
• support to the implementation of communication and outreach activities of the Technology subdivision.

What we are offering for the Fellow

• A deep understanding of the UNFCCC process, particularly on issues related to climate technology development and transfer and the global stocktake process.
• Development of skills related to research, analytical thinking, and document drafting.
• Online and (if possible) onsite training will be available during the fellowship to support the fellowship’s career development.

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Mitigation division supports Parties to facilitate, catalyze and cooperate in the implementation of ambitious climate action in line with global efforts to limit temperature increase. Parties are supported in developing, communicating and effectively implementing ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in a manner that facilitates clarity, transparency, understanding and accounting, including through the use of collaborative approaches, mechanisms, framework engagements and economic instruments that broaden mitigation action and drive sustainable development.

Team

This position is located in the Regulations Development unit, part of the Constituted Bodies and Data Services sub-division. It supports the constituted bodies and their supporting panels through the development of regulatory standards, procedures, guidelines and policies for the market mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

What the Fellow will be doing

• drafting regulatory documents (standards, procedures, guidelines, forms, etc.) for the mechanism established by Article 6, paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement (Article 6.4 mechanism)
• drafting concept notes on regulatory matters
• providing analysis of regulatory requirements, possible options and impacts

What we are offering for the Fellow

• deep knowledge and understanding of regulatory aspects of the Article 6.4 mechanism,
• drafting skills of policy and regulatory documents

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Mitigation division supports Parties to facilitate, catalyze and cooperate in the implementation of ambitious climate action in line with global efforts to limit temperature increase. Parties are supported in developing, communicating and effectively implementing ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in a manner that facilitates clarity, transparency, understanding and accounting, including through the use of collaborative approaches, mechanisms, framework engagements and economic instruments that broaden mitigation action and drive sustainable development.

Team

This position is located in the NDC, LT-LEDS and Sectorial Support Unit of the Implementation Support Sub-division, which provides technical advice and support to Parties on:

• the preparation, communication and accounting of NDCs
• the preparation and submission of long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) and support on sectoral mitigation issues such as emissions from international aviation and maritime transport.

The unit ensures that developments in high-impact sectors are monitored and utilized to inform relevant workstreams. The unit is also responsible for advising, programming of support activities and technical assistance to Parties, pertaining to facilitating the implementation of NDCs, LT-LEDS and sectoral policies / assessment of mitigation actions

What the Fellow will be doing

Support the unit in its analytical work on NDCs and LT-LEDS, including the development of NDC synthesis reports and the LT-LEDS synthesis report as well as in support of the implementation of the global stocktake processes on mitigation issues. For this purpose, you will undertake, including but not limited to, the following tasks:

• Assess and/or review submitted NDCs in terms of domestic mitigation measures and voluntary cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement;
• Assess submitted LT-LEDS in terms of mitigation targets and measures;
• Research, analyse and compile information related to mitigation options that are considered relevant to aligning global emissions with 1.5 °C pathways by IPCC and encouraged by the UNFCCC processes;
• Provide support to the global stocktake processes on mitigation issues, including information collection and preparation, technical assessment and consideration of outputs.

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

Programmes Coordination provides strategic direction and oversight to the work of the Programmes department, comprised of the four programme divisions (Adaptation, Means of Implementation, Mitigation and Transparency). It ensures strategic, substantive and administrative coherence and synergy in the delivery of their work programmes, including in relation to the established intergovernmental processes and constituted bodies, and is also coordinating UNFCCC’s Regional Climate Weeks.

Team

This position is located in in the team supporting the regional climate weeks (RCW). The RCWs are currently organized on a semi-annual basis in four regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East-North Africa regions. They typically bring together thousands of participants, including senior UN officials, ministers, heads of states, negotiators, and representatives from all sectors of society. This post is supporting all operational aspects of the RCWs. The post is located in Bonn and requires in-person participation to the RCWs.

What the Fellow will be doing

1. Support overall planning and coordination of preparation for the regional climate weeks
   
   a) Manage the coordination process between different teams in UNFCCC, partners and the RCW hosts, including preparing planning and coordination meetings, internal and external information sharing, updates for senior management and partners, tracking key outputs against deadlines, and proposing remedial actions as needed.
   
   b) Support identification and evaluation of potential host countries and venues for RCWs, including by evaluating practical, political, health, and other conditions.
   
   c) Draft and support clearance of required legal instruments, such as letters of exchange or memorandum of understanding with the host and partners.
    
2. Provide substantive support to the planning, delivery of, and reporting from, operational parts of the regional climate weeks
   
   a) In close cooperation with relevant teams and colleagues, support delivery of RCW operational components, including verifying immigration and protocol requirements, accommodation, local transport, health and safety arrangements, registration and crowd control, interpretation, recruitment and deployment of volunteers, virtual participation, shipment of equipment, press and media relations, payment of per diem, online information etc.
   
   b) Coordinate, with the host, preparatory activities on-site at the RCW location for one to several weeks ahead of the RCW to ensure that all aspects of RCW are ready by the start of RCW.
   
   c) Oversee logistical and practical aspects of operations during the RCWs, support daily coordination with colleagues, partners and the host, identify problems, propose and implement solutions as agreed with the manager.
   
   d) Coordinate the preparation of session output reports and final reports for the closing session of RCW.
   
   e) Support reporting from the RCWs to parties through a common output & synthesis report and a dedicated RCW feedback session with parties at COP.
    
3. Provide technical and substantive input for strengthening he RCW process
   
   a) Support the updating and finalization of the Standard Operating Procedures for RCWs.
   
   b) Manage the Expression of Interest process with the objective to announce the hosts for next year’s RCWs at COP the preceding year.
   
   c) Support fund raising for RCWs through technical input to fund raising materials and coordination with the Resource Mobilization and Partnership team towards external donors.
   
   d) Provide other support as may be required.

What we are offering for the Fellow

• The fellowship will offer an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the international climate change process and of how the UNFCCC secretariat supports this process. In particular, the Fellow will gain understanding of and familiarity with UNFCCC’s support to regional level climate action and cooperation across the entire climate agenda.

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Transparency Division supports the intergovernmental process related to the MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) system under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, and the ETF (enhanced transparency framework) under the Paris Agreement, including by providing technical assistance to developing countries and training to experts engaged in the reporting, review and analysis processes. It supports work on relevant methodological issues, including those in relation to greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, REDD-plus, agriculture and Koronivia, land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), IPCC guidelines and common metrics. It also maintains a transparency data hub, which includes data and information management and analysis.

Team

This position is located in the AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use) Unit of the MRV/ETF Reporting & Review Sub-division, the purpose of which is to support all Parties in the implementation of reporting and review under the current MRV system, including:

• international assessment and review (IAR)
• international consultation and analysis (ICA)
• GHG inventories and REDD+ activities
• coordination of work on agriculture, including Koronivia and LULUCF
• overall coordination of negotiations on MRV, ETF, GHG inventories, REDD+, agriculture and LULUCF aspects.

Additionally, the sub-division will facilitate the implementation of the ETF, including biennial transparency reports and tracking progress on NDC achievement and GHG inventories under the Paris Agreement.

What the Fellow will be doing

The Fellow will report to the Unit team lead, P-4 and your main role will be the coordination of the technical assessments of REDD+ Forest Reference Levels and/or Forest Reference Emission Levels, and technical analyses of REDD+ results, including the preparation of background documents and support to the assessment teams in their work. 

• Support analytical and methodological work relating to the AFOLU sector
• Coordinate technical analyses of submissions on REDD+ activities
• Provide technical support in the development of analytical tools used in the technical analyses processes
• Provide substantive technical contributions to the discussions of the AFOLU sector within the overall existing MRV framework for Parties as well as in the transition to the ETF under the Paris Agreement
• Support outreach activities of the unit and drafting communication materials

What we are offering for the Fellow

• Deeper understanding of the international climate change processes
• On-the-job training on climate change agriculture, forestry and land use related matters; including reporting and review of national submissions
• In-depth learning about the United Nations and intergovernmental work, in particular the consideration of land use and climate change in multilateral environmental agreements
• Networking with relevant experts and organizations working on agriculture, forestry and land-use.

Link to vacancy announcement

Division

The Transparency Division supports the intergovernmental process related to the MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) system under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, and the ETF (enhanced transparency framework) under the Paris Agreement, including by providing technical assistance to developing countries and training to experts engaged in the reporting, review and analysis processes. It supports work on relevant methodological issues, including those in relation to greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, REDD-plus, agriculture and Koronivia, land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), IPCC guidelines and common metrics. It also maintains a transparency data hub, which includes data and information management and analysis.

Team

This position is located in in the CGE/ETF support Unit of the MRV/ETF Support Subdivision, the overall purpose of which is to support provision of technical support and assistance to developing countries on MRV and ETF issues. It provides overall coordination of the development and delivery of training programmes, coordination of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) workplan and activities and the coordination of negotiations on CGE related aspects, including developing countries MRV/ETF related issues and training aspects. It also supports the preparation and reporting of NDCs, NAMAs, LT-LEDs and response measures in the context of the ETF.

What the Fellow is doing

Reporting directly to the Unit team lead, you will be accountable for supporting the unit in achieving its goals,

• technical support in capacity-building of developing country Parties, including in the area of MRV under the Convention and/or the ETF under the Paris Agreement;
• developing technical materials on reporting information in national communications and the biennial transparency reports to be submitted under the ETF of the Paris Agreement;
• support
  • training workshops conducted by the unit including contributing to the preparation of various written outputs, such as background papers, analytical notes, reports of the meetings and workshops;
  • regional and in-country events, including training workshops and webinars organized on the application of reporting guidelines for biennial update reports, national communications and biennial transparency reports, ICTU guidance and the MPGs for the ETF, including tracking progress of implementation and achievement of NDCs;
• outreach activities of the unit, including drafting news articles and social media content (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, CGE/ETF webpages), maintaining social media platforms of the Unit, and analyzing relevant statistics;

What we are offering for the Fellow

• The fellow will acquire good knowledge and experience in the UNFCCC intergovernmental process, including:
  • multilateral climate negotiations;
  • measurement, reporting and verification arrangements under the Convention for developing country Parties
  • the ETF
  • the institutional arrangements to support the implementation of the ETF and
  • other broader issues under the Parties Agreement.

Link to vacancy announcement