OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall delegated authority of the UNESCO Legal Adviser and Director of the Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs (LA) and the direct supervision of the Chief of the Section of Conventions and Recommendations (LA/CR), the Secretarial Assistant performs a full range of secretarial, administrative and servicing tasks, and provides direct assistance to the Chief of Section LA/CR, in order to ensure quality and consistency of the workflow of the Section and of the online communication of the Office. In particular, the Secretarial Assistant will perform the following duties:

• Organize the logistics of meetings of the Committee on Conventions and Recommendations of the Executive Board (CR) in close coordination with relevant programme sectors, central services and representatives of Member States. Ensure that all required services, including venue, interpretation and documents, are available for the Committee to meet according to schedule, and maintain reference material and background documents for meetings.
• Perform all secretarial and administrative tasks relating to the confidential procedure for the examination of communications received by UNESCO concerning alleged violations of human rights in its fields of competence, as set out in 104 EX/Decision 3.3 of the Executive Board (“the 104 Procedure”). Prepare draft correspondence addressed to the authors of the communications, the governments concerned and, if necessary, the secretariats of other United Nations international organizations that have competence in the protection of human rights.
• Provide secretarial and administrative support in the discharge by the Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs of the depositary functions of the Director-General in relation to multilateral treaties adopted by the Organization or under its auspices. Liaise with relevant central services in the preparation of the depositary letters of the Organization addressed to the treaty departments of ministries of foreign affairs and international organizations concerned.
• Assist in the preparation of the documents and provide secretarial and administrative support for the Legal Committee of the General Conference (LEG), in particular within its function as credentials committee. Receive the representatives of Member States submitting credentials for their participation to each session of the General Conference, and maintain updated filing and reference system thereon.
• Perform a full range of secretarial and administrative tasks, such as reviewing, recording, distributing and processing incoming mail and carrying out quality control functions for outgoing documents. Organize and maintain reference material and background documents, including decisions and resolutions of UNESCO governing bodies, for the participation of the Office in sessions of intergovernmental bodies (i.e., the Headquarters Committee) and internal meetings (i.e., the Contracts Committee).
• Assist in the maintenance and development of the Legal Affairs website of the Organization, including through: the publication and uploading of official documents of the CR and LEG Committees; the drafting of online news; and the creation and updating of webpages concerning the legal activities of the Organization.
• Perform any additional secretarial or administrative tasks that may be required to ensure success of the work of the team.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Completed secondary, technical and/or vocational education.

Work Experience

• At least five (5) years of relevant work experience in paralegal work, conference servicing, general office support or related area, preferably in an international environment.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent organizational and coordination skills.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, including drafting skills.
• Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office 365 applications) and excellent knowledge of web publishing systems (Drupal).
• Capacity to handle information objectively, precisely and confidentially.
• Ability to perform tasks in an autonomous manner.
• Flexibility in adjusting to work schedules and setting priorities, and to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to show tact and discretion in dealing with high-ranking officials and with confidential matters and materials.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (oral and written) of English or French and good knowledge of the other language.

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 43 734 Euro.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 22-JUL-2024

For more information, visit careers.unesco.org