Environmental Law and Governance Specialist

Result of Service

The tasks undertaken under this consultancy will ultimately contribute to achieving the following objectives:

• Country readiness assessment reports with actionable recommendations
• Policy package enhancement report, with recommendations Under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer (Industry and Economy Division) and Legal Officer (Law Division), the consultant will: i. Draft a report on gaps and needs of Zambia’s policies, legislative and institutional frameworks related to investment readiness in critical energy transition minerals, based on the indicators developed under the policy package. This report will incorporate findings from:
• A field study/interviews conducted in Q3 2026.
• Desk research conducted by the consultant. ii. Develop recommendations for strengthening Zambia’s policy, legislative and institutional frameworks for investment readiness in CETM, based on the gaps and needs assessment report. iii. Facilitate stakeholder consultations and validation workshops with national and local stakeholders and partners, provisionally scheduled for Q4 2026. These workshops will assess the impact of existing frameworks on good CETM governance for investment readiness; identify adjustments needed to align the framework with international good practices; validate findings and recommendations for reform. The consultant will be responsible for integrating the outcomes of these consultations and workshops into the final recommendations. The consultant will also provide feedback on the agendas, stakeholders’ lists, and meeting reports, and will also be required to prepare and deliver presentations on the work conducted. iv. Draft a report on specific recommendations for enhancement of the policy package based on the country readiness assessment and the national stakeholder consultation feedback as well as the country readiness dashboard. v. Work in close collaboration with UNEP, UNECA and stakeholders involved, provide regular updates on the progress of the activities to UNEP, as required, and carry out any other tasks which may be assigned under the project.

Work Location

Lusaka, Zambia

Expected duration

6 months, Part-time

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

This position is located in UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division while collaborating closely with UNEP’s Law Division. The Industry and Economy Division provides solutions to decision-makers and helps change the business environment by offering platforms for multi- stakeholder dialogue and cooperation, innovative policy options, pilot projects and creative market mechanisms to improve the quality of the environment and the well-being of citizens. It promotes sustainable patterns of consumption and production, makes efficient use of natural resources, ensures safe management of chemicals and contributes to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. This opportunity is located within the Mining Unit at UNEP. The Unit promotes responsible mining and sustainable use of mineral resources, including through resource efficiency and circularity.

The Law Division is the lead Division responsible for advancing UNEP’s work in environmental law, governance, and related policy issues, including those related to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The Division provides technical support to countries to develop, strengthen, and implement environmental law, and to build the capacity of stakeholders and institutions for effective compliance and enforcement.

In 2023, the Secretary-General requested a focus on “Harnessing Critical Energy Transition Minerals for Sustainable Development” to support the transformation of Critical Energy Transition Minerals (“CETM”) supply chains. This led to the establishment of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETM Panel), launched in April 2024 to develop voluntary global principles to enhance transparency, investment, and equitable management of CETM value chains. In September 2024, the Panel released its report, “Resourcing the Energy Transition: Principles to guide critical energy transition minerals toward equity and justice.” On 10 December 2025, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, UNEP, UNCTAD, and UNDP launched the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals (“the Task Force”), which will support strengthened global cooperation on CETM through knowledge products and capacity-building tools.

In this connection, UNEP and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) are implementing the project “Building Environmentally Responsible Investment Readiness in Critical Energy Transition Minerals (CETM)”, aimed at supporting mineral-producing developing countries to strengthen environmental and social safeguards and attract responsible investment. ECA supports member States in resource-based development, industrialization and transformation, and will focus on region- and country-specific activities and capacity buildings of this project.

The project consists of three interlinked outputs:

1. Integrated policy package (regulatory, institutional, and enforcement), including indicators and a readiness dashboard.
2. Country readiness assessments, based on the policy package.
3. Capacity building, to address identified gaps and support implementation. The country readiness assessments will also serve as a pilot application of the CETM policy package, enabling validation, refinement, and contextual adaptation of the indicators and analytical framework. Lessons learned from country applications will inform the finalization and potential scaling of the policy package.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental law, environmental policy, mining policy or sustainable development is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience in environmental law may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

At least five years of experience in environmental law and policy as well as proven experience with environmental regulation and mining activities in Africa, including research and analysis.

Working experience with international organizations, including those in the United Nations system, or with academic institutions in the context of research and analysis, in particular in legal analysis, and expertise in independent research and review, are an advantage.

Languages

Excellent writing and oral English language skills are 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.