Result of Service

Baseline mapping and report of stakeholders involved land and forestry management and related corruption prevention control mechanisms and a mapping of the corruption prevention tools that could be extended to the forestry sector. The consultant is expected to periodically deliver oral progress reports on how the tasks foreseen above are being carried out.

Work Location

Homebased

Expected duration

1 Jul-30 Sept 2024

Duties and Responsibilities

UNODC has established a leading global position in delivering support to countries to prevent and combat corruption, including corruption related to the management and protection of environmental resources. It is the guardian of the United National Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and secretariat to the Conference of the States Parties to these Conventions. Corruption undermines efforts to safeguard, protect and sustainably manage forest lands, fosters organized crime, and weakens environmental protection initiatives, law enforcement efforts, legal trade, the rule of law, good governance, security and stability, land management and development initiatives, climate change mitigation efforts, and countless other areas of concern. The vulnerability of forests to corruption stems from their value, the strong opposing forces of public and private interests seeking to realize this value, and the opportunities to profit from exploiting forest management processes. Forest management and regulatory systems are set in place to, among others, control internal and external threats. However, when management and regulatory systems are weak (for example, when they are not transparent) or non-existent, corruption can easily influence decision-making. Moreover, when corrupt actors find ways to circumvent controls, it can trigger a cycle in which institutions are continuously weakened, corruption becomes more entrenched, and valuable natural resources and their benefits are irretrievably lost. To tackle this issue, UNODC developed the project “Combating deforestation and forest degradation in Uganda through the criminal justice system” with the financial support of the European Union. The project has the overall objective to enhance infrastructure, awareness and capacities of relevant stakeholders in combating forest and wildlife crimes and associated offences in Uganda. While practices such as illegal logging can result in the degradation and eventual destruction of forest land, the reality is that using forest land for agriculture, mining, or infrastructure projects is by far the most common and lucrative driver of forest loss. It is important, therefore, that rather than focusing predominantly on the illegal timber trade, the world broadens its conversation on forest loss to include all stakeholders involved in the production, administration, trade, financing and consumption of commodities driving the degradation and destruction of forests. Particular attention should also be paid to understanding the local contexts when determining the drivers of forest loss. In this context, UNODC is seeking a consultant to conduct an assessment of stakeholders involved in land and forest management processes as well as existing corruption prevention tools at an organization level. The assignment has the following primary purposes: • Conduct a baseline mapping of the following: • Identify national public organizations that are directly and indirectly involved in land and forest management processes (land management authorities, forest management authorities, ministries of agriculture, customs, etc.). Identify interest and propose potential public institutions that UNODC may engage in a corruption risk management process. • Identify international cooperation projects ongoing in the forestry sector, with a particular focus on forest carbon projects and the players involved in these projects. • Identify national and international civil society organizations that have been working on the protection of forests in Uganda for at least 2 years, in particular on preventing and countering corruption in the forestry sector. • Identify public corruption control mechanisms and anti-corruption tools (e.g., beneficial ownership register; whistle-blower reporting and protection mechanisms; freedom of information legislation) in place at the national and organizational levels that could be extended to the forestry sector. • Produce a report from the baseline mapping.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, environmental sciences, social sciences, public administration, or closely related field is required. A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree; • At least 7 years of work experience in the field of anti-corruption is required; • Experience on issues related to corruption, transparency, accountability and/or good governance in the forestry or land management sector is required • Experience in research, preferably in the area of corruption crimes that affect the environment is required • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, is required; • Knowledge of the forestry sector in Uganda is desirable; • Experience in working and communicating with senior leaders in government is an desirable;

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE 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.