Org. Setting and Reporting

The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

The position is located in the Conference Management Unit, Conference and General Services Section (CGSS), in the Division of Administration (DA). The incumbent reports to the Senior Conference Services Assistant.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Senior Conference Services Assistant, and overall supervision of the Chief of Conference Management Unit, the incumbent is required to perform the following functions:

• Produces daily and weekly programme of assigned committees and meetings/conferences prepared by senior staff for distribution.
• Ensures that all required services, including the availability and distribution of documents, and personnel are available in order for committees and meetings/conferences to convene according to the schedule.
• Assists in the preparation of the preliminary list and annotation of agenda items, the list of participants, and daily material concerning the proceeding of committees and meetings/conferences.
• Maintains an accurate record of speakers and/or an attendance record and coordinate with the delegations on their position on the list of speakers.
• Assists in the voting and election process by distributing and collecting ballots and the preparation of tabulation of voting patterns.
• Prepares floor plan of seating arrangements in accordance with meeting requirements and UN protocol.
• Prepares monthly statistics on meetings held at headquarters and offices away from headquarters.
• Prepares for committees and meetings/conferences to be held away from Headquarters, other UN Offices or Regional Commissions, coordinates with substantive offices, and prepares cost estimates. Assists in conducting preparatory meetings with relevant offices and delegations regarding procedural and organizational arrangements for the sessions of assigned ESCAP’s committees and meetings/conferences in all formats – on-site, virtual or hybrid and prepares/updates relevant technical guides incorporating new features and functionalities of conferencing tools that are utilised to organise meetings/conferences in the UNCC.
• Assists in organizing all meetings/conferences at the UNCC in coordination with substantive offices and clients, which may involve preparation of tentative cost estimates and statements of expenditures in line with the UNCC costing structure, in order to provide efficient and effective conference management services on a cost recovery basis.
• Drafts routine correspondence for signature.
• Makes arrangements for and coordinate video and teleconference activities at headquarters.
• Maintains filing and reference system of procedures and reference materials for committees and meetings/conferences.
• Responds to queries from delegations and the Secretariat.
• Replaces, as needed, senior staff responsible for room reservations and the electronic distribution of the daily programme of meetings.
• Provides guidance/training, as needed, to temporary assistants and junior staff. Supports training of relevant offices, delegations and external clients on the use of UNCC facilities, including e-conferencing platforms.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of the Organization’s conference policies, procedures and practices. Ability to research, select, organize and summarize information required for the preparation of meetings. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.

• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

A first-level university degree may be accepted in lieu of two years of required experience.

Job – Specific Qualification

A first-level university degree in administration or related field is desirable.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years (or three years if graduated with a first-level university degree) in conference support or related area is required.

Experience in planning and organizing intergovernmental meetings in a hybrid format is required.

Experience in MS Office and operating virtual meeting platforms (i.e. MS Teams, Zoom, other event management platforms) is required.

Experience in supporting the entities and external clients on a cost recovery basis is desirable.

Experience in the United Nations Common System or international organizations is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Thai language is desirable.

Assessment

Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.

Special Notice

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

Applicants for GS and related positions may apply and be considered for locally recruited positions no matter where they are currently located (including the current serving staff members at other duty stations), provided they are locally available upon appointment. They must be authorized to work in the country regardless of where they live at the time of applying for the job opening.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

This is a temporary position and will be available for 3 months initially. If selected, an internal candidate will be on temporary assignment to the post; an external candidate will initially be offered a temporary appointment. Any extension of appointment is subject to satisfactory performance and continued availability of the post.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.