Associate Project Officer

OVERVIEW
**Post Number**: SHS/PA 045
**Grade**: P-2
**Parent Sector**: Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS)
**Duty Station**: Paris
**Job Family**: Social and Human Sciences
**Type of contract**: Project Appointment
**Duration of contract**: 1 year
**Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time)**: 14-NOV-2024
**UNESCO Core Values**: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other's lives. The Organization comprises 194 Member States and 12 Associate Members and employs over 2,300 staff members from 170+ nationalities at its Headquarters and 54 field offices worldwide.
This position is located in UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS), which strives to accomplish a fundamental humanist mission by enhancing efforts against violence, racism and discrimination, combatting gender stereotypes, deploying the power of sports for social inclusion, promoting intercultural dialogue and supporting youth, women and people with disabilities.
SHS collaborates with Member States to protect and trust scientists through UNESCO's 2017 Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers and enhance the science-policy nexus. SHS also focuses on fostering inclusive societies and ensuring the ethical development of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), in line with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
Sport integrity is at the core of SHS's mandate, as it contributes to sustainable development through social inclusion, educational, socio-cultural and economic benefits, as well as ethical and human values. In this regard, SHS hosts the Secretariat serving the International Convention against Doping in Sport (2005) represents the only global legal instrument engaging public authorities in the protection of sport values, ethics and integrity, counting with 192 States Parties
Effective coordination (internal and external) is paramount to implement the decisions taken by the Conference of Parties (COP) to the International Convention against Doping in Sport and to ensure the timely delivery of the tasks required from the Section. This coordination involves harmonizing the various activities and initiatives within the Section and aligning them with the broader objectives of the Sector. Additionally, seamless collaboration with other UNESCO Sectors and engagement with external stakeholders, both public and private, are essential to leverage multidisciplinary approaches and resources.
The incumbent will work under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, the direct supervision and executive management of the Executive Secretary of the International Convention against Doping in Sport, Chief of the Section for the Elimination of Doping in Sport. In close cooperation with team members, s/he will support, as Associate Liaison Officer, the planning and coordination of activities required for the work of the Section in particular for the implementation of relevant decisions taken by the ninth session of the Conference of Parties (COP9) in view of submitting the expected outcomes to COP10 (October 2025).
In this context the incumbent will perform the following tasks:
**Programmatic Coordination**: Synthesize Section-wide inputs for strategic programme documents and those submitted to UNESCO’s Governing Bodies. Support senior management in developing strategic documents and external communications, aligning with the Medium-Term Strategy and Programme Budget (C/5). Tasks include coordinating and finalizing documents, ensuring quality control, drafting substantive inputs, editing texts, and researching, fact-checking, and analysing data. Prepare information and briefing materials for senior management as required.
**Planning and Coordination**: Contribute to the planning and preparation of concept notes, project documents, and reports for diverse stakeholders (private and public, external and internal). Such planning and coordination encompass the effective liaison with relevant Sectors, Bureaus, and Units within the Social and Human Sciences Sector at Headquarters, Field Offices, other Programme Sectors, and central services, as well as with stakeholders and donors. Support planning of Section activities, including task division and leave coordination, to ensure timely delivery.
**Liaison and Operational Support**: Assist in organizing meetings for all initiatives under the Convention, including preparing documents and background information and taking notes for reporting purposes. Plan and organi