Restoration Economy Consultant

Result of Service

The purpose of this consultancy is to strengthen private sector engagement in land restoration under the G20 Global Land Initiative through the Business 4 Land platform by identifying best practices, supporting strategic convenings, and facilitating collaboration with restoration and mining sector stakeholders, ultimately contributing to increased private sector commitments, knowledge sharing, and scalable restoration actions that advance the G20 ambition to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040.

Work Location

Home-based.

Expected duration

120 days between April to September 2026.

Duties and Responsibilities

Background note: Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries to address Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD). (www.unccd.int) The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is the annual international forum for the governments of 19 industrialized countries, the European Union and the African Union. The G20 Leaders' Declaration, issued in November 2020, launched a "Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats" (G20 Global Land Initiative or G20 GLI). Building on existing initiatives and on a voluntary basis, the G20 countries share the ambition to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the amount of degraded land by 2040. The G20 GLI, with oversight from UNCCD, will focus on capacity building, engaging the private sector and civil society and showcasing success. To scale impact, G20 GLI seeks a consultant to support the G20 Global Land Initiative’s objective to strengthen private sector engagement as a key driver of land restoration, working closely with restoration companies and aligning with the Business 4 Land platform of the UNCCD. Duties & Responsibilities: Under direct supervision of the Programme Officer – Stakeholder Engagement, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: - Conduct research, stakeholder mappings and online consultations to draft two comprehensive compendiums of best practices: one for the restoration industry and the other for sustainable mining and post-mining landscape restoration. - Support with the organization of a symposium with the emerging restoration industry as well as a high-level forum with the mining sector at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD in Mongolia in August 2026, in coordination with the UNCCD Business 4 Land platform. - Support with drafting and organizing background materials for events and activities, including preparing concept notes, agenda, speaker briefs, run-of-show, power points, meeting minutes/summaries and other materials; as well as coordinating logistical arrangements, e.g., (registrations, procurements, venues, travel documentation, catering, audiovisuals, vendors). - Develop databases of stakeholders and support with outreach and follow up, including maintaining email mailing lists and coordinating meetings. - Support the development and design of presentations and other knowledge products, as well as assisting the communications team with drafting news articles, blog and newsletter posts, promotional materials and other assets. - Assist the project management team in due diligence processes, reports, forms, and related tasks.

Qualifications/special skills

- A Masters-level university degree in international relations, business management, law or related areas is required. - A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in conducting or contributing to research projects in areas such as ecosystem services, environmental sustainability, land management or green economy is required. - Proven track record in analysing data, producing research reports, and presenting findings to diverse audiences is required. - Previous experience in collaborating with the private sector within the context of international organizations or multi-country projects is required. - Demonstrated experience in planning, coordinating, and servicing international conferences and intergovernmental meetings is required. - An understanding of environmental challenges, land restoration and sustainable practices is desirable. - Involvement in due diligence processes, risk assessment, budgeting, and timeline tracking is desirable.

Languages

- Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Only 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. For remote consultancies, the selected candidate will be required to have a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 11 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 11 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 Fee

THE 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.