Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the International Trade Law Division (ITLD), Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), which serves as a substantive Secretariat to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and is based in Vienna. The incumbent reports to the Director of the Division and the Principal Legal Officer heading the Legislative unit.

For more information, please visit the website https://uncitral.un.org/ .

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Legal Officer is heading the Coordination and Technical Assistance unit of the Division which provides substantive secretariat services to UNCITRAL for the implementation of its coordination function, its technical assistance programme and conduct of its external affairs. The incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Assist in the implementation of the decisions of UNCITRAL and the General Assembly by:
– managing the work programme of the Coordination and Technical Assistance Unit with respect to coordination of the work of international organizations active in the field of international trade law; supervising the staff of the Division supporting the work programme of the Unit; supervising and participating in the preparation of documentation for the technical assistance programme;
– assisting in the establishment of general guidelines attaining the objectives of the Division and reviewing the work to ensure conformity with these general guidelines;
– supervising technical legislative assistance, in particular to developing countries, to facilitate their adoption and use of modern and harmonized texts prepared by the Commission, which includes: review of existing legislation, fact-finding missions to assist governments, legislative organs and other authorities in developing countries to review existing legislation and assess their need for law reform in the commercial field; direct assistance in drafting necessary national legislation and assessing their need for law reform in the commercial field; direct assistance in drafting necessary national legislation based on UNCITRAL texts; and direct participation in the preparation of teaching materials and training activities to facilitate the use of modern commercial legislation by judiciaries and legal practitioners;
– overseeing the preparation and the dissemination of case law on UNCITRAL texts (CLOUT) and digests of case law on the main instruments prepared by UNCITRAL.
• Under supervision of the Principal Legal Officer heading the Legislative unit, act as secretary of subsidiary organs of the Commission as and when required.
• Coordinate the support of the Coordination and Technical Assistance unit to the legislative programme of the Commission and, in that regard make proposals for the purpose of sharing staff and other resources to implement the technical assistance programme.
• Assist with the supervision of the administration of the Division’s activities including matters of personnel, results-based budgeting, staff travel and programme planning and reporting as assigned.
• Engage in fund-raising activities.
• Contribute to the formulation of policies for submission to the Commission (UNCITRAL).
• Represent the Division as appropriate at meetings of intergovernmental bodies within and outside the United Nations; consult with Permanent Missions, Government entities, other international organizations, the private sector and other interested parties on matters within the area of responsibility.
• Lead team members efforts to collect and analyse data and provide insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensure that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.
• Perform other work-related duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Has expert knowledge of international trade law. Has knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Is able to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Has diplomatic skills to lecture to expert audiences and ability to manage international meetings. Is able to apply United Nations rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Has ability to analyse and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensures the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

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.

MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree in law (Master’s degree or equivalent), with specialization in commercial, comparative or private international law is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields like commercial, comparative or private international law in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in commercial law, comparative law, international trade law or a related field, including several years at the international level is required.

Work experience in providing policy-making and other substantive support to government or intergovernmental bodies is desirable.

Experience in dealing with United Nations policies, procedures and operations is desirable.

Experience in data analytics or related area 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 another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move(s) or geographical requirements as set out in ST/AI/2016/1 to be eligible to apply for this job opening. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral or geographical move(s) in their Candidate Profile (CP) and Motivation Statement.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

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.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of of 30 April 2023, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

Vienna is classified as a H category and family duty station.

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.