Consultant: Science, Technology and Innovation

Result of Service The purpose of this consultancy is to provide integrated and coordinated technical, procedural, administrative and drafting support to the Science, Technology and Innovation unit in preparing for, servicing and following up on COP17, while advancing selected institutional workstreams that strengthen UNCCD science-policy and operational functions. Work Location Hybrid (Office and Home-based) Expected duration 06 months between July and December 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 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) unit serves the two subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the Parties (COP), namely the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC). The STI unit supports the realization of core functions of the Convention through the provision of scientific and technical advice on DLDD, support to national reporting by Parties, and facilitation of capacity-building for effective implementation of the Convention. The seventeenth session of the COP (COP17), including CST17 and CRIC24, will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026. In the lead-up to COP17, during the session itself, and in the immediate follow-up period, the STI unit requires additional support to help ensure the effective preparation, coordination and delivery of substantive, administrative and procedural work related to CST17 and CRIC24. This includes support for planning and organizing session content and formats, coordinating information flows and documentation, assisting with daily meeting operations and internal coordination, and helping consolidate records and reporting after the session. The STI unit also requires support for a number of institutional follow-up tasks that are essential to strengthening the secretariat’s science-policy and operational functions beyond COP17, including the development of requirements for a secure online nomination portal, the preparation of a quality assurance standard operating procedure for science-based outputs and communications, and support to any post-COP17 process related to the development of a post-2030 strategic framework. These tasks require a consultant able to work across substantive, procedural and operational dimensions, translating institutional needs and Party mandates into practical deliverables, while coordinating effectively with secretariat units, the Global Mechanism and relevant external partners. The work therefore combines conference support, process design, drafting, consultation, quality assurance and institutional follow-up in a proactive time-sensitive intergovernmental context. With the aim of aiding the Science, Technology and Innovation unit, the consultant will provide integrated technical, procedural, administrative and drafting support for the preparation, delivery and follow-up of UNCCD COP17, while developing key institutional tools and guidance related to nominations, quality assurance of science-based outputs, and follow-up arrangements for work on a post-2030 strategic framework. Duties & Responsibilities: Under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Science, Technology and Innovation Unit of the UNCCD and the direct supervision of the Chief Scientist, working collaboratively with all staff and relevant partners, the incumbent will perform the following main tasks: 1. Develop an inception report. Develop a comprehensive inception