Consultant – Strategies against organized crime in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus [Austria]

 

Result of Service

Expected tangible and measurable output(s)/deliverable(s):

1) National workshops/meetings of the Working Group to draft a national strategy against organized crime in Uzbekistan (August, October-November 2023, and February 2024, TBC) are successfully facilitated;

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2) The draft versions of the national strategy of Uzbekistan are timely produced after the national workshops/meetings, based on close coordination and consultation with UNODC and relevant national authorities;

3) Effective guidance notes and other supporting documents are produced for Uzbekistan and other countries in the region (as requests are received by UNODC) to support them in their national strategy development process;

4) Coordination with relevant institutions/stakeholders is established and maintained throughout the assignment and Uzbekistan and other interested countries are successfully assisted in their strategy development effort.

Work Location

Home-based with possibility of travel

Expected duration

From 1 August 2023 to 1 March 2024

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Background of the assignment:

National and regional strategies and plans of action against transnational organized crime play a key role in the fabric of the global response to organized crime and in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To maximize the efficiency of such strategies and increase their cumulative impact, it is vital to ensure that these documents are comprehensive, inclusive and evidence based.

To this end, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) developed a Strategy Toolkit to support States in the development and implementation of strategies to prevent and combat organized crime. Relying on the provisions of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), the Toolkit provides a comprehensive framework and outlines a set of principles and guidelines for the formulation of strategies that are designed to respond to the full range of threats emanating from organized crime. The Toolkit is aimed at establishing a comprehensive, system wide approach encompassing the local, national, (sub-)regional and international levels, with a view to aligning collective efforts to respond to organized crime. In furtherance of the principle of leaving no one behind, the human rights and gender dimensions of the fight against transnational organized crime are mainstreamed in the Toolkit. The Toolkit is being completed by five regional policy briefs focused on strategic analysis and responses to the organized crime problem in four regions identified as priority: Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeastern Europe, and Central Asia and Southern Caucasus. Additional supplementary briefs to the Toolkit on further regions will be developed throughout 2023.

The current phase of the project entails the targeted dissemination of the Toolkit and the provision of technical assistance to States to strengthen national and (sub-)regional responses to organized crime and develop comprehensive strategies against this phenomenon. Within this framework, the Conference Support Section (CSS) of the Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch (OCB) of UNODC in collaboration with selected UNODC Field Offices is looking for an expert consultant to support the delivery of technical assistance activities to be implemented in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus.



2. Purpose of the assignment:

The purpose of the assignment is to support the implementation of activities in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus, including support to and follow up with national authorities requesting UNODC support in the development of national strategies against organized crime.

The consultant will work in close coordination with the team of the Global Programme working on the organized crime strategy project. S/he will also maintain close coordination with UNODC field staff, particularly those located in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus.



3. Specific tasks to be performed by the consultant:

Under the overall guidance of the OCB/CSS Chief and UNODC Programme Manager, and the direct supervision of UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, the consultant will perform the following specific tasks:

1) Facilitate the discussions at the meetings/workshops for the development of national strategies against organized crime in Uzbekistan. The first of such workshops will be held in Uzbekistan in August 2023 (TBC), followed by two more workshop/national consultation events in 2023 and 2024 accordingly (TBC);

2) Provide expert advice to Uzbekistan, and other countries in the region, as requests are received, during their national strategy development process. This includes producing revised versions of national strategy documents in consultation with UNODC and national authorities, as well as preparing guidance notes and other supporting documents as required;

3) Establish and maintain effective communication with national authorities, in close coordination with UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia, to ensure expert support for Uzbekistan and other countries in the region in the development of strategies against organized crime.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in international law, criminal law, international relations or related field is required. A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the area of crime prevention and criminal justice, including against organized crime is required;

• Experience working on organized crime related issues in Central Asia and/or Southern Caucasus is required;

• Knowledge of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is desirable;

• Experience in drafting strategies at the national or regional level is desirable;

• Experience in monitoring and evaluating policies in the area of crime prevention and criminal justice is desirable;

• Experience working for the United Nations or other international organizations is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position, fluency in Russian (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

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.

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