Result of Service - Monthly Monitoring Notes – Analysis of global financial architecture developments and implications for Africa. - Policy and Technical Products – Reform proposals, policy briefs, technical notes, presentations, and briefing materials for high-level engagements. - HLWG & Ministerial Summit Documentation – Meeting concept notes, agendas, background papers, talking points, communiqués, and briefing packages. - Technical Review Records – Consolidated reviewer comments and recommendations on reports and knowledge products. - Ministerial Summit Report – Summary of outcomes, follow-up actions, and lessons learned. - Progress and Donor Reporting – Quarterly progress reports and donor reporting inputs. - Workplan – Agreed schedule of deliverables, timelines, and outputs linked to payment milestones.
Work Location Addis Ababa Expected duration 5 Months Duties and Responsibilities Background The Africa High-level Working Group on the Global Financial Architecture (HLWG- GFA) is coordinated by the Economic Commission for Africa, comprises African ministers of finance, planning and economic development, the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Export-Import Bank and the World Bank Group, and includes the participation of staff and executive directors of the International Monetary Fund.
The role of the High-level Working Group has been to monitor and respond to the economic consequences for African countries of continuous shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and cuts in ODA. The High-level Working Group has functioned as a platform for building a consensus among African policymakers on specific requests and proposals for reforming the global financial architecture.
The HLWG-GFA has been convening since early 2022, both in person and online, in consultation with African finance ministries. The Economic Commission for Africa has produced the report The IMF and the Future of the Global Financial Architecture to advocate for IMF reforms to empower low- and middle-income countries.
To continue strengthening the support to the HLWG-GFA and its secretariat, the Commission is seeking the services of a consultant, who will work as a technical expert and coordinator for the HLWG-GFA secretariat to provide both substantive and coordination support.
Duties and responsibilities Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Executive Secretary (Programmes) or her mandated representative, the consultant will undertake the following responsibilities: • Monitor and analyse global economic developments and their implications for African economies, providing timely updates and strategic insights • Monitor the updates of policies related to the reform of the global financial architecture, and analyse their implications to African countries • Draft and develop key reform proposals, policy briefs, technical notes, and presentations for high-level engagements with African policymakers, development partners, and multilateral institutions • Provide technical input to ECA’s engagement in global and regional economic governance platforms, including the G20, G24, COP32, IMF, and World Bank, in relation to the reform proposals of the High-level Working Group • Backstop the High-level Working Group documents, materials, knowledge products • Support the integration of climate-related macroeconomic risks and green financing strategies into ECA’s economic analysis and policy recommendations.
• Meticulously plan, coordinate, and oversee all logistical, substantive, and procedural arrangements for a Ministerial Summit of the High-level Working Group, including: developing a detailed end-to-end run-of-show; drafting and coordinating production of all Summit documents (concept note, agenda, background papers, talking points, communiqué); coordinating high-level participant invitations, confirmations, and briefing packages; coordinating seamlessly on the production of the Summit; and leading post-Summit debriefings to capture lessons learned, while ensuring smooth coordination with internal and external partners for successful participation, outcomes, and the preparation of a formal Summit report.
The meetings and Summit covered by this assignment, and their dates, shall be specified in the workplan agreed at inception • Coordinate the technical review of reports, technical notes and knowledge products produced in the area of innovative climate and nature finance solutions for Africa, including the outputs of the consultancies commissioned under this workplan, including but not limited to carbon pricing, carbon markets, debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, and nature-based credits; checking methodological robustness, data accuracy, logical coherence, alignment with ECA and African Union policy positions and clarity of policy recommendations, and consolidating reviewer comments for decision by ECA, with which acceptance of deliverables rests • Prepare progress reports, summary of achievements, and briefs as requested by internal processes and external donors • Prepare communication materials for the High-level Working Group, including Press Release, social media posts, and others, for advocacy and impacts • Undertake related tasks directly connected to the deliverables set out below Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Finance, Environmental Economics, or a related field is required.
A first-level university degree combined with a minimum of two (2) additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in macroeconomic policy, economic research and analysis, forecasting, and application of economic principles in development programmes is required. A strong understanding of innovative climate and nature finance solutions for Africa or related field is required.
Relevant work experience in developing countries is required. Strong economic analytical skills and demonstrated experience of working on innovative climate and nature finance solutions is required. Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, policy-relevant reports on economic and climate finance issues is required. Experience in organizing and coordinating high-level conferences or ministerial meetings is required.
Substantial and related experience with Bretton Woods Institutions/Development Finance Institutions is desirable. Experience in policy advisory roles for inter-governmental organizations, governments or regional institutions is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French is desirable. 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.
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Result of Service - Monthly Monitoring Notes – Analysis of global financial architecture developments and implications for Africa. - Policy and Technical Products – Reform proposals, policy briefs, technical notes, presentations, and briefing materials for high-level engagements. - HLWG & Ministerial Summit Documentation – Meeting concept notes, agendas, background papers, talking points, communiqués, and briefing packages. - Technical Review Records – Consolidated reviewer comments and recommendations on reports and knowledge products. - Ministerial Summit Report – Summary of outcomes, follow-up actions, and lessons learned. - Progress and Donor Reporting – Quarterly progress reports and donor reporting inputs. - Workplan – Agreed schedule of deliverables, timelines, and outputs linked to payment milestones. Work Location Addis Ababa Expected duration 5 Months Duties and Responsibilities Background The Africa High-level Working Group on the Global Financial Architecture (HLWG- GFA) is coordinated by the Economic Commission for Africa, comprises African ministers of finance, planning and economic development, the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Export-Import Bank and the World Bank Group, and includes the participation of staff and executive directors of the International Monetary Fund. The role of the High-level Working Group has been to monitor and respond to the economic consequences for African countries of continuous shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and cuts in ODA. The High-level Working Group has functioned as a platform for building a consensus among African policymakers on specific requests and proposals for reforming the global financial architecture. The HLWG-GFA has been convening since early 2022, both in person and online, in consultation with African finance ministries. The Economic Commission for Africa has produced the report The IMF and the Future of the Global Financial Architecture to advocate for IMF reforms to empower low- and middle-income countries. To continue strengthening the support to the HLWG-GFA and its secretariat, the Commission is seeking the services of a consultant, who will work as a technical expert and coordinator for the HLWG-GFA secretariat to provide both substantive and coordination support. Duties and responsibilities Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Executive Secretary (Programmes) or her mandated representative, the consultant will undertake the following responsibilities: • Monitor and analyse global economic developments and their implications for African economies, providing timely updates and strategic insights • Monitor the updates of policies related to the reform of the global financial architecture, and analyse their implications to African countries • Draft and develop key reform proposals, policy briefs, technical notes, and presentations for high-level engagements with African policymakers, development partners, and multilateral institutions • Provide technical input to ECA’s engagement in global and regional economic governance platforms, including the G20, G24, COP32, IMF, and World Bank, in relation to the reform proposals of the High-level Working Group • Backstop the High-level Working Group documents, materials, knowledge products • Support the integration of climate-related macroeconomic risks and green financing strategies into ECA’s economic analysis and policy recommendations. • Meticulously plan, coordinate, and oversee all logistical, substantive, and procedural arrangements for a Ministerial Summit of the High-level Working Group, including: developing a detailed end-to-end run-of-show; drafting and coordinating production of all Summit documents (concept note, agenda, background papers, talking points, communiqué); coordinating high-level participant invitations, confirmations, and briefing packages; coordinating seamlessly on the production of the Summit; and leading post-Summit debriefings to capture lessons learned, while ensuring smooth coordination with internal and external partners for successful participation, outcomes, and the preparation of a formal Summit report. The meetings and Summit covered by this assignment, and their dates, shall be specified in the workplan agreed at inception • Coordinate the technical review of reports, technical notes and knowledge products produced in the area of innovative climate and nature finance solutions for Africa, including the outputs of the consultancies commissioned under this workplan, including but not limited to carbon pricing, carbon markets, debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, and nature-based credits; checking methodological robustness, data accuracy, logical coherence, alignment with ECA and African Union policy positions and clarity of policy recommendations, and consolidating reviewer comments for decision by ECA, with which acceptance of deliverables rests • Prepare progress reports, summary of achievements, and briefs as requested by internal processes and external donors • Prepare communication materials for the High-level Working Group, including Press Release, social media posts, and others, for advocacy and impacts • Undertake related tasks directly connected to the deliverables set out below Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Finance, Environmental Economics, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree combined with a minimum of two (2) additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in macroeconomic policy, economic research and analysis, forecasting, and application of economic principles in development programmes is required. A strong understanding of innovative climate and nature finance solutions for Africa or related field is required. Relevant work experience in developing countries is required. Strong economic analytical skills and demonstrated experience of working on innovative climate and nature finance solutions is required. Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, policy-relevant reports on economic and climate finance issues is required. Experience in organizing and coordinating high-level conferences or ministerial meetings is required. Substantial and related experience with Bretton Woods Institutions/Development Finance Institutions is desirable. Experience in policy advisory roles for inter-governmental organizations, governments or regional institutions is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French is desirable. 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.