Expert to develop the new NAP (2025-2035) for the State of Palestine

Result of Service

The ultimate result of this assignment is to provide substantive support to national competent authorities in the State of Palestine to deliver the new NAP (2025-2035), as per Article 5 of the LBS Protocol.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional levels. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. United Nation’s Environment Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This consultancy assignment is for the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) - Programme for the Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean (MED POL), Athens, Greece. The Land Based Sources (LBS) Protocol to the Barcelona Convention Protocols was adopted in 1980 and amended in 1996. The amended Protocol entered into force in 2006. As stipulated in Article 5, the LBS Protocol requires the Contracting Parties to elaborate and implement, individually or jointly, as appropriate, national and regional action plans and programmes, containing measures and timetables for their implementation. The principal objective of the NAP development is to identify and prioritize a national programme of measures to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) concerning pollution-related ecological objectives under the ecosystem approach (EcAP) in the framework of the LBS Protocol and the Regional Plans adopted in line with Article 15 of the LBS Protocol. To assist the countries in developing NAPs, MED POL developed in 2015 the “Guidelines for updating National Action Plans for the implementation of the LBS Protocol and its Regional Plans in the framework of SAP MED to achieve Good Environmental Status for pollution-related ECAP ecological objectives”; The “Programme of Work and Budget for 2024-2025,” adopted by COP 23 (Portorož, Slovenia, 5-8 December 2023), mandated the MED POL to take national and regional actions including enabling investments, to implement the adopted Regional Plans (Activity 1.2.2). Additionally, UNEP/MAP is supporting the Contracting Parties, including State of Palestine, in the implementation of PoW, particularly the preparation of the National Action Plan (2025-2035). Consequently, there is a need to recruit a national consultant to support the State of Palestine in the development of the new NAP (2025-2035) under Article 5 of the LBS Protocol with following task and responsibilities: The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the MED POL Programme Management Officer and the overall guidance of the UNEP/MAP Deputy Coordinator and is expected to perform the following tasks and liaise with the Ministry of Environment: 1. Prepare and submit a detailed work plan for the assignment; 2. Provide the list of national responsible authorities that need to be involved in the NAP preparation process, as well as the members of the Steering Committee (experts/contact points); 3. Provide inputs to (documents, presentations etc.,) and attend the national steering committee meeting and the thematic experts’ groups meetings related to the development of NAP. 4. Collect the necessary data and populate the “Mapping Table” shared by MEDPOL, with measures identified at the national level, by considering the following, inter alia, a. Measures implemented in previous NAPs (2015-2025); b. SEIS National Work Plan (2017) c. Measures not implemented in previous NAPs (2015-2025); d. New national measures promulgated between 2015 -2025; 5. In line with NAP Guidelines, prepare a benchmarking assessment based on: a. Status of implementation of the NAP (2015-2025) and identify unimplemented measures; b. State of Play of marine and coastal environment using SEIS II Report, and other relevant publications (2015-2025) c. National legally binding measures promulgated between 2015 - 2025 d. The new six Regional Plans adopted under the LBS protocol, the Hazardous Waste Protocol, where applicable; 6. Identify the GAPs by evaluating the implementation of national measures towards adopted Regional Measures using the tables shared by MEDPOL. 7. Assess existing hotspots (NAP 2016) and new hotspots based on the updated criteria shared by MEDPOL. 8. Classify priority measures per Ecological Objective(s) or per sector of activity, where applicable; 9. Prepare/update a proposed detailed implementation plan that is sector-based (where applicable). The plan will include: a. Operational Targets and Quantifiable Objectives; b. Timeline of the implementation associated with every operation target; c. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); 10. Develop a proposed Monitoring Programme and reporting modality. If applicable, the monitoring of the programme should be based on NAP Indicators; 11. Organize capacity building Activities underpinning the implementation of the proposed plans: Explaining the needs in terms of capacity building to achieve the targets/objective set. 12. Develop/update up to 5 fiches for the identified priority measures in the NAP under the guidance of the NSC and thematic expert group/s. 13. Prepare and submit the Draft NAP report (2025-2035) in English considering comments and suggestions received through the consultative process with Ministry of Environment and submit it to MED POL for comments. 14. Prepare and submit the Final NAP update report (2025-2035). 15. Prepare the final consultancy report.

Qualifications/special skills

•Advanced university degree in environmental engineering, environmental sciences, natural sciences, or related discipline is required Minimum of 2 years’ experience in developing environmental policies, action plans, and budgets is required. Specific experience in pollution control and management is required. Previous experience in the application of "UNEP/MAP Guidelines for updating National Action Plans" is desirable.

Languages

•Fluency in oral and written English is required; •Fluency in oral and written Arabic language is required;

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.