Background:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women advances the United Nations systemโs efforts to ensure that womenโs rights and other normative commitments on gender equality and womenโs empowerment are translated into action worldwide. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member Statesโ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Building on the strong and enduring partnership between ASEAN and UN Women, the ASEANโUN Women Joint Programme 2021โ2025 has been implemented to further strengthen collaboration between the two institutions. This programme has also directly contributed to the Framework of Cooperation between ASEAN and the United Nations, specifically the ASEANโUN Plan of Action 2021โ2025. The year 2025 will be critical for reviewing progress and developing a new ASEANโUN Women Joint Work Programme that aligns with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the new ASEAN Strategic Plans, expected to be adopted during Malaysiaโs chair of ASEAN this year.
Furthermore, 2025 marks the final year of implementation for the regional project Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: Preventing Violence and Promoting Social Cohesion in ASEAN (Advancing WPS in ASEAN), the regional flagship initiative endorsed by ASEAN to advance and strengthen the WPS agenda. Capturing key lessons learned and emerging good practices will be vital for contributing to gender equality and sustainable peace and development in the region. The WPS agenda is expected to remain a priority within the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the upcoming ASEAN Strategic Plans for the Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural Community Pillars.
Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Country Representative and Liaison to ASEAN, and the direct supervision of the Project Coordination Specialist for ASEAN WPS, the Strategic Partnership Adviser will be responsible for ensuring the continuity of strategic engagement and collaboration between ASEAN and UN Womenโbuilding on jointly identified priority areas of work; supporting the development of the new ASEANโUN Cooperation Framework and Plan of Action 2026โ2030; and contributing to other key areas as needed.
The Strategic Partnership Adviser will perform the following tasks:
A. Strategic Advisory
Provide overall strategic advice on UN Womenโs strategic contribution to the development and implementation of the ASEANโUN Plan of Action 2026โ2030. Provide overall strategic advice and coordination support for the development of the UN WomenโASEAN Plan of Action 2026โ2030. Provide strategic advice on engagement with the ASEAN Chair to implement key priority actions under the ASEANโUN Plan of Action and related priorities of ASEAN and UN Women.B. Coordination and Representation
Coordinating reporting on the implementation of the current ASEANโUN Plan of Action 2021โ2025. Represent UN Women at the meetings of sectoral bodies and related ASEAN meetings (including ACW, ACWC, etc.). Deliverables and scope of the assignmentUN Women will not be committed to purchasing any minimum quantity of the Services, and purchases will be made only if there is an actual requirement upon the issuance of a Purchase Order based on this retainer contract.ย UN Women shall not be liable for any cost in the event that no purchases are made under this retainer contract.
The expected number of workdays for each deliverable will be discussed between the consultant and UN Women on a case-by-case basis. Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of a deliverable or as agreed between the consultant and UN Women.ย Expected Deliverables
The following indicative deliverables are expected from the successful candidate.
# Indicative deliverables 1 Strategic briefing notes and background papers 2 Summary report and presentation on ASEANโUN Plan of Action 2021โ2025 implementation 3 Meeting participation summaries and follow-up action points 4 Inputs and technical review of knowledge products, talking points, policy and normative frameworks to support UN Women and ASEAN 5 Draft regular updates on ASEAN and regional developments to senior management 6 Concept notes, ToRs and talking points 7 Task-specific reports or memos summarizing activities and outputsUpon receipt of the deliverables and prior to the payment, the deliverables and related reports and documents will be reviewed and approved by UN Women. The period of review is one week after receipt.ย Inputsย
UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials relevant to the assignment The Consultant is expected to work using his/ her computer.ย UN Women will directly cover travel costs as per UN Womenโs rules and regulations Performance evaluation:ย Consultantโs performance will be evaluated as per the tasks requested based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the services and tasks delivered.Competencies :
Core Values:
Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues; Accountability; Creative Problem Solving; Effective Communication; Inclusive Collaboration; Stakeholder Engagement; Leading by Example.Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with donors and partners. Ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. Strong analytical, networking and interpersonal skills. Excellent report writing and communication skills. Strong cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.Education
A Masterโs degree in Political Science, Social Science, Gender Studies, or International Relations is required, with a specialization in Southeast Asia being an advantage.Experience:
At least 10 years of experience in policy and development in Southeast Asia. In-depth understanding of the governance, socio-cultural, and political contexts of Southeast Asia, with a particular advantage for knowledge and experience of ASEAN regional inter-governmental processes. International experience working with the UN system.ย Experience providing policy advice and technical assistance on governance, women, peace, and security to government and regional stakeholders, preferably in the ASEAN region. Demonstrated experience facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships among ASEAN government representatives. Experience influencing ASEAN regional and government agenda setting and priorities relatedย Previous experience working with high-level government officials in ASEAN, both nationally and internationally, in advocacy and policy dialogue is a strong asset. Field experience in Southeast Asia is essential.Language and other competencies:
Excellent written and oral communication in Englishย Results-based programme development and managementย Communication, advocacy skills and stakeholder engagement Analytical and strategic thinkingยStatements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.
If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.
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