WUF13 Global Advocacy Consultancy

Result of ServiceAs urbanization is growing across the globe, UN-Habitat is strengthening its engagement with its partners to enhance contributions to regional and global debates on urban issues. One of the key components of the preparations for WUF13 is ensuring robust and effective global advocacy to sensitize and mobilize relevant stakeholders participating in and supporting the Forum. This effort aims to raise awareness about WUF13, its theme, high-level tracks, and outcomes. To achieve this, UN-Habitat seeks a Global Advocacy Consultant to support the World Urban Forum advocacy efforts at global, regional, national and sub-national levels. Work LocationNairobi Expected duration12 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground, Organizational Setting, and Reporting Relationships: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, providing adequate shelter for all. The World Urban Forum Coordination Office is located within the External Relations Strategy Knowledge and Innovation Division (ERSKI) of UN-Habitat. One of the Division’s key mandates is to promote strategic alliances to support achieving adequate shelter for all and sustainable urbanization and human settlement development. The World Urban Forum (WUF) is UN-Habitat’s key stakeholder flagship platform. The World Urban Forum (WUF) is a non-legislative technical forum convened by the UN-Habitat biannually since 2002. The forum gathers a wide range of experts from every walk of life. Participants of the forum include but are not limited to national, regional, and local governments, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, professionals, research institutions, academia, the private sector, development finance institutions, foundations, media, United Nations organizations, and other international agencies. The WUF is recognized as the foremost global arena for interaction among policymakers, local government leaders, non-governmental organizations, and expert practitioners in sustainable urban development and human settlements. The WUF has been identified as a key platform to support the implementation of the New Urban Agenda adopted at the Habitat III conference. The WUF provides opportunities for stakeholder organizations to come together to share the latest innovative advances in sustainable urban development and projects showcasing the implementation of the NUA. The next session, WUF13, will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, 17- 22 May 2026. Responsibilities The consultant will conceptualize and implement a global advocacy plan for WUF13. Assignments include the following key areas: Strategic planning and coordination • Design a strategic and high-impact advocacy plan for WUF13, with success indicators, that is well integrated with the overall WUF13 preparatory process, communication strategy, and stakeholder engagement roadmap and integrates implementation timeline and monitoring framework for key advocacy milestones. • Map all relevant tools, platforms, and events that can be leveraged for WUF13 advocacy, including Urban October, Urban Thinkers Campuses, National Urban Campaigns, and multi-level urban forums. • Create an advocacy roadmap building on UN-Habitat’s well-established platforms for advocacy, such as Urban Thinkers Campuses, WUF Info-Sessions, and National Urban Campaigns, to ensure coherent messaging and engagement. • Coordinate with UN-Habitat teams and WUF13 task forces to ensure coherence across advocacy, communications, and stakeholder engagement activities. • Ensure robust linkages between WUF13 advocacy and key aspects related to substantive policy priorities, communication targets, and stakeholder engagement tracks. • Participate in and support the efforts of the WUF Coordination Office and UN-Habitat more broadly in ensuring effective advocacy on WUF 13 Content development • Design and deliver harmonized and well-developed advocacy content and resources, to be used across WUF13 advocacy platforms, engagements and events, identified in the roadmap. • Tailor and adapt standard content packages to specific categories of stakeholders to enhance impact. • Develop thematic content for events such as Urban October, Urban Thinkers Campuses, and Multi-level Urban Forums. 1. Ensure robust linkages between WUF 13 advocacy and key aspects related to the corporate policy priorities, communication targets and stakeholder engagement tracks. 2. Propose innovative solutions to enhance the effectiveness of advocacy strategies and activities through analyzing traditional and digital media and identifying trends and leveraging on digital advocacy tools Operational management • Undertake the deployment of advocacy materials and campaigns across multiple platforms, ensuring operational effectiveness and alignment with WUF13 objectives. 3. Provide written inputs to the design and delivery of WUF 13 global advocacy engagements working closely with internal UN-Habitat and WUF13 communications team, and external partners and stakeholders, under staff supervision where necessary. 4. Coordinate with relevant UN-Habitat colleagues in Head Quarters, regions, and countries, to enhance WUF13 advocacy. • Support Azerbaijan’s embassies and regional partners in rolling out multilingual outreach toolkits and promotional content. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting 5. Track and prepare monthly advocacy reports on success indicators and results from advocacy engagements. • Contribute to lessons learned and knowledge-sharing for future advocacy efforts. • Prepare periodic reports and presentations on advocacy outcomes, best practices, and recommendations. Other tasks as required • Contribute and participate in WUF13 advocacy events and engagements as per relevance and guidance of UN-Habitat. Qualifications/special skillsAn advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in communications, social sciences, monitoring and evaluation, urban planning, or a related field is required. A minimum of two years of responsible experience in advocacy, public affairs, strategic communications, or stakeholder mobilization in international development or urban policy is required. Experience in designing and implementing advocacy plans for high-level international forums or campaigns is required. Experience with international organizations, multilateral processes, or global campaigns is highly desirable. Familiarity with urban sustainability issues and the role of policy advocacy in advancing SDGs is an asset. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.