Org. Setting and Reporting
The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy-oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.
This position is located in the Human Resources Management Section, Division of Administration. The Chief of Human Resources reports directly to the Director of Administration and provides strategic human resources guidance to senior managers and Department leadership. The Section encompasses organizational development, staffing, staff administration, HR policy, administration of justice, staff well-being and medical services.
Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Director of the Statistics Division, and in close collaboration with the Economic and Environment Statistics Section, the incumbent is required to perform the following functions:
• In response to requests from Member States, and in consultation and coordination with relevant ESCAP subprograms, United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) and other statistics development partners, including UNSD, UNEP, and FAO, provide technical advisory services to Member States in the following areas:
- Monitoring of progress towards the achievement of internationally agreed sustainable development goals as they pertain to the environment, including access to and efficient use of natural resources and economic opportunities presented by green economic development;
- Strategic and institutional development of the national statistical system;
- Implementation of internationally recognized statistical concepts, classifications, and frameworks in the collection, compilation and dissemination of official environment and integrated statistics, including improved use of big data and other non-traditional sources of data;
- Adoption of international good practices in the development and use of official environment and integrated statistics;
- Improvement of basic environment statistics in countries with special needs;
- Development of new statistical measurement and data for assessing emerging development issues in the field of environment and integrated statistics.
• In support of the strategic goals and priorities of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics, contribute to the development and implementation of regional statistics development programmes, with special regards to the design, implementation, and evaluation of relevant statistical advisory services and other technical assistance activities such as participatory global assessments or peer reviews of national statistical systems.
• Ensure synergies with the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP), as well as other relevant national, subregional, regional and international institutions and organizations, in providing statistical training and other relevant technical assistance to Member States.
• Identify country needs and support the establishment and maintenance of regional expert networks on environment and integrated statistics to facilitate South-South cooperation and knowledge-sharing among Member States.
• Prepare documentation for and contribute expertise to regional consultations with countries and international meetings and conferences involving environment and integrated statistics issues.
• Support the overall efforts of ESCAP in strengthening the capacity of Member States for designing and implementing policies, strategies and programmes to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.
• Perform other functions as and if required.
Requirements
Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in statistics, environmental or related sciences with emphasis on applied quantitative skills. Ph.D degree in any of the above fields is desirable. A relevant first-level university degree in the above fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience: A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in a national statistical office or in other parts of a national statistical system collecting, disseminating and/or analyzing official, preferably official environment statistics, is required. Experience in the compilation of data according to the Framework for Development of Environment Statistics (FDES) or System of Environmental-Economic Accounts (SEEA) is required. Experience with technical cooperation for statistical capacity development among national statistical systems is required. Experience working in the Asia-Pacific region is highly desirable. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining professional networks is desirable. Experience working in the UN Development System at the national level is an advantage. Work experience in the statistics office of an international organization is an advantage.
Languages: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Application Deadline: 28 February 2020
How to apply:
Apply here: www.unescap.org/jobs