Coordination and Sustainable Development Officer

Mission and objectives

The DCO Regional Office for Africa (DCO-Africa) was established in July 2019 in Addis Ababa to mainly provide strategic support to 53 Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in Africa in the integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the African Union vision – Agenda 2063. DCO-Africa provides day-to-day support to 53 resident coordinators and their offices in Africa. Its overall function is focused on overseeing and supporting coherent and effective delivery of operational activities for sustainable development by UN resident coordinators and UNCTs in Africa through integrated policy, programming, and operational.

The functions of the Regional Office include providing strategic support to Resident Coordinators and United Nations country teams to ensure quality and timely support to Member States in Africa in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, SDGs and Agenda 2063; Providing strategic support to Resident Coordinators and United Nations country teams in the integrated implementation of the humanitarian, health and socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting countries to recover better and effectively implement the 2030 Agenda in the Decade of Action on SDGs; facilitating and overseeing support to RCs and UNCTs on UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework quality assurance, coordinated policy and operational support to UNCTs, among others.

Context

The Coordination and Sustainable Development Officer will be based in the Regional Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The assignment provides a unique opportunity to engage with system-wide coordination and development policy processes across Africa, while also supporting the Regional Office’s engagement in key regional and global events such as the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, DSG-RC Retreats, and thematic UNCT discussions. The UNV will contribute to advancing regional partnerships, strengthening analytical and knowledge products and system-wide coordination, and integrating strategic and normative frameworks into UN development planning and implementation.

The position aligns with the priorities of the Government of Korea, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, peace and security and strategic partnerships. The UNV will be part of a dynamic team, supporting efforts that promote SDG acceleration and enhance the impact of UN development coordination in Africa.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Regional Development Coordination Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

* Coordinate and document engagement with regional institutions, including the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD, to support alignment between UN Cooperation Frameworks (CFs) and regional priorities such as Agenda 2063.

* Support the coordination and follow-up of UN engagement in the implementation of regional strategies, including the Great Lakes Strategy and the Horn of Africa Strategy, in collaboration with relevant UN entities and regional platforms.

* Provide background research, concept notes, and logistical support for regional and sub-regional dialogues on strategic themes, such as the Six SDG Transitions, UN 2.0, the Pact for the Future, and the integration of Agenda 2063 into Cooperation Frameworks.

* Assist in regional trend analysis of Cooperation Framework implementation, including review of CF budget allocations versus actual expenditure, identification of resource gaps, and synthesis of findings into knowledge briefs and visual dashboards.

* Coordinate the integration of the Youth 2030 Strategy into Cooperation Frameworks by documenting good practices, facilitating peer learning among UNCTs, and contributing to the development of communication and knowledge products on youth engagement.

* Support the organization and documentation of capacity-building sessions for Resident Coordinator Offices (RCOs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) on normative frameworks, including gender equality, human rights, and disability inclusion.

* Perform other related duties as assigned, in support of DCO-Africa’s regional coordination mandate.