Org. Setting and Reporting
The Subregional Office for the Pacific (SOP), based in Suva, Fiji covers Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, as well as the American Samoa, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue and the Northern Mariana Islands.
This position is located in the Subregional Office for the Pacific (SOP). The incumbent is under the direct supervision of the Head of SOP but will also work collaboratively with substantive divisions at ESCAP headquarters, especially the Environment and Development Division, the Social Development Division, and the Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the duties of a Senior Economic Affairs Officer are likely to fall mainly into one of the first three functional areas identified below but all are also likely to embrace a number of programme support responsibilities:
Economic or sustainable development analysis:
• Leads or participates in the formulation, organization and management of mandated programmes of economic social and environmental analysis and the formulation of possible sustainable development strategies, policies and actions for adoption by the membership of ESCAP.
• Leads or participates in the identification of new or emerging development issues of potential concern to the Pacific, particularly those of a regional or sub-regional nature, and designs and develops programmes to address them.
• Undertakes and supervises the undertaking of various written outputs, including background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies and inputs to publications on sustainable development issues.
• Commissions sustainable development studies and analyses that cannot be undertaken internally.
• Conceives, plans and manages expert group meetings, seminars and similar consultations that contribute to the finalization of the work unit’s outputs.
• Finalizes reports on development for issuance by the United Nations. Prepares speeches for senior staff and makes presentations on sustainable development issues for specialist or non-specialist audiences.
Intergovernmental support:
• Provides direct substantive support on development issues to intergovernmental bodies (such as ESCAP Commission and Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development) and the sub-regional activities of each by offering strategic advice, giving technical guidance and assisting in developing a consensus.
• Manages the work unit’s contribution to the preparation and management of meetings of intergovernmental bodies and stakeholder dialogues.
• Represents the organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings on sustainable development issues.
Technical cooperation:
• Develops and maintains relations with senior officials of member governments and ensures a response to requests for advice and/or assistance on sustainable development issues and policies.
• Coordinates with donor and recipient governments and sub-regional organizations on technical assistance programmes and projects.
• Facilitate regional cooperation among Member States on sustainable development programmes or issues.
• Leads or participates on behalf of ESCAP in technical cooperation missions.
Programme support:
• Functions as the programme and operations manager of the organizational unit.
• Oversees the formulation of the medium-term plan, the programme of work and the budget of the unit and participates in the formulation of the organization's overall programme of work and other similar endeavours.
• Attends to various administrative matters concerning the Office
• Performs other related duties as required.
Requirements
Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, sustainable development, development economics and finance, public policy, public administration, natural resources management or related field. A 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 development research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economics or sustainable development principles in development programmes or related area is required. Experience in leading and managing a sizable work unit is required. Experience working on sustainable development in countries with special needs, such as Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Land Locked Developing Countries is desirable.
Languages: English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
How to apply:
To apply, please visit: https://www.unescap.org/jobs