The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the world’s environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the environment.

Responsibilities:

• Advises and engages with UN internal justice system bodies including the tribunals,participates in negotiations and settlement of claims, to include establishing strategy and approach; deciding on the recommendations on the merit of claims and in connection with the reviewability of administrative decisions.
• Reviews complaints relating to prohibition of discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority as well as retaliation investigations to determine if prohibited conduct or retaliation occurred as alleged; advises on and drafts complex agreements and other legal documents; develops new modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
• Performs extensive legal research and analysis and prepares determinations, briefs, and correspondence, in particular to remediate situations where prohibited conducts or retaliation has occurred and effectuate the consultation/resolution process; provides legal advice to the unit/division.
• As needed, services conferences, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, and, in particular as it relates to reviews prohibited conduct and retaliation determinations; participates in the preparation of background materials, and summaries of issues and reviews.
• Provides legal advice on the implementation of the Joint Inspection Unit recommendations on the investigation function in the UN system and in the UN Environment Progamme as it relates to resources and capacity (human and financial), procedures (intake mechanism, decision-making, case management and follow-up), internal control and prevention, and system-wide cooperation and coordination.
• Advises on innovative solutions to reduce instances of formal complaints.
• Legal and ethics advice:
  • Provides timely and confidential legal advice and guidance on diverse and substantive questions of considerable complexity, including monitoring trends and conducting analysis into root causes of legal dilemmas for staff.
  • Conducts extensive complex, organizational, managerial and legal research and analysis.
  • Provides legal advice on the interpretation and application of staff regulations and rules in relation to investigations, including the review of administrative decisions.
  • Consults and liaises with the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM), Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), among others with regard to investigation, as necessary.
• Corporate legal advice:
  • Undertakes basic or extensive review of legal documents, instruments, or other material; identifies important issues, similarities, and inconsistencies, etc.
  • Prepares or assists in the preparation of agreements with governments, non-governmental organization and other public and private entities.
  • Prepares or assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, legislative texts and commentaries on those texts.
  • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education

• Advanced university degree in international law, with emphasis on public international law is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in international law, preferably administrative, employment and criminal law or related area is required. Experience in legal analysis, research and writing is required. Experience in litigation and judicial structures and procedures is desirable. A minimum of three (3) years of experience as an advocate/litigator before a court or tribunal is required. Experience within the UN common system, or similar international organizations is desirable. A minimum of two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.