Environmental Law Specialist

Organizational Context

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority, setting the environmental agenda and promoting sustainable development within the UN system. The Law Division focuses on environmental law, governance, and policy, including Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). This role supports UNEP's mandate to provide technical assistance and capacity building for environmental law frameworks.

Job Purpose

This role provides crucial technical legal and policy guidance to the Government of Panama for the implementation of the Rio Conventions and the national Nature Pledge. The primary purpose is to assist in drafting and formalizing legal and institutional instruments necessary for the Nature Pledge's national implementation. This includes developing an administrative instrument for adoption, a governance model for CONACLABIT, and regulations for the Nature Pledge. The work aims to establish a minimum legal and institutional framework to activate Phase I of the Nature Pledge roadmap, ensuring a unified and coordinated environmental governance system that addresses climate change, biodiversity, and desertification commitments.

Responsibilities

Provide specialized technical legal and policy support to Panama's Ministry of Environment regarding the Nature Pledge. Advise on legal questions related to the current framework and the adoption of the Nature Pledge via an administrative instrument. Assess existing implementation committees and governance models for integration into CONACLABIT. Facilitate consultations with national stakeholders and prepare summaries of outcomes, including key comments, consensus areas, and proposed revisions. Develop a final consolidated report with an executive summary and a roadmap for next steps. Prepare a presentation of key outcomes and the roadmap suitable for briefing relevant stakeholders, including UN Country Teams, government representatives, and MEA focal points, supporting ongoing discussions and negotiations for Rio Conventions implementation.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years of professional experience in environmental or administrative law, focusing on public policy instruments and institutional design, is required. Verifiable experience in drafting high-level regulatory instruments (e.g., decrees, resolutions) in the environmental field is necessary. Experience in designing or strengthening inter-institutional coordination mechanisms or multi-stakeholder governance forums is also required. Prior experience with Panamanian government entities and the Rio Conventions is desired.

Skills

Environmental Law, Administrative Law, Public International Law, Public Policy, drafting legal instruments, institutional design, inter-institutional coordination, multi-stakeholder governance, Rio Conventions, UN system, UNEP, MEAs, English, Spanish.

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