Environmental Law Specialist

The Environmental Law Specialist will provide technical legal advice to the Government of Panama on implementing the Rio Conventions and the Nature Pledge. The role involves supporting the formalization of Panama’s Nature Pledge through legal and institutional instruments, including governance models and regulations, to activate Phase I of the Nature Pledge roadmap.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized technical legal and policy support to the Ministry of Environment of Panama with respect to the Nature Pledge.
• Advise on legal questions relating to the current legal framework and the adoption of the Nature Pledge through the administrative instrument.
• Prepare an assessment of existing implementation committees and governance models for integration into the CONACLABIT.
• Facilitate consultations with national stakeholders, as relevant.
• Provide brief summaries of consultation outcomes, including key comments, areas of consensus and proposed revisions.
• Prepare a final consolidated report, including an executive summary and a roadmap for next steps.
• Prepare a presentation of the key outcomes and roadmap suitable for briefing relevant stakeholders, including UN Country Teams, government representatives and MEA focal points.
• Support ongoing discussions and negotiations processes to advance the synergistic and coherent national implementation of the Rio Conventions in international fora, including the Conference of the Parties (COPs).

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental Law, Administrative Law, Public International Law or Public Policy is required.
• A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in environmental or administrative law, with an emphasis on public policy instruments and institutional design is required.
• Verifiable experience in drafting executive decrees, ministerial resolutions, regulations, or other high-level regulatory instruments in the environmental field is required.
• Experience in designing or strengthening inter-institutional coordination mechanisms, technical committees, or multi-stakeholder governance forums is required.
• Previous experience working with national government entities in Panama and the Rio Conventions is desired.
• Working knowledge of the UN system and specifically the work of UNEP related to MEAs is desired.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in oral and written Spanish is required.

Skills

• Environmental Law
• Administrative Law
• Public International Law
• Public Policy Instruments
• Institutional Design
• Drafting Regulatory Instruments
• Executive Decrees Drafting
• Ministerial Resolutions Drafting
• Regulations Drafting
• Institutional Coordination
• Technical Committees Design
• Multi-stakeholder Governance
• Legal Advice
• UN System Knowledge
• Multilateral Environmental Agreements
• Governance Models
• Legal Instrument Formalization

Languages

English, Spanish