JOB DESCRIPTION
NORCAP is the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment mechanism. NORCAP strengthens international and local partners’ capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises by deploying highly qualified women and men from its world-leading standby rosters. The deployed experts work with UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, development actors and national stakeholders to save lives, build resilient communities, ensure peaceful transitions from conflict and promote sustainable governance.
At NORCAP, we work to better protect and empower people affected by crises and climate change. With expertise in the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors, we collaborate with local, national and international partners to find solutions to meet the needs of people at risk. NORCAP is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Only applicants from the AU member states will be considered.
BACKGROUND
Africa has demonstrated its commitment towards sustainable development through the adoption of Agenda 2063 whose 6th goal is ”Blue/Ocean Economy for accelerated economic growth”. This vision has been translated into the Blue Economy Strategy whose objective is to guide the development of an inclusive and sustainable blue economy that becomes a significant contributor to continental transformation and growth, through advancing knowledge of marine and aquatic biotechnology, environmental sustainability, the growth of Africa-wide shipping industry, the development of sea, river and lake transport, the management of fishing activities on these aquatic spaces, and the exploitation and beneficiation of deep-sea mineral and other resources.
Furthermore, the African Union has also enacted a broader strategy and vision for the sector known as the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS) 2050 whose overall objective is to address maritime challenges for sustainable development and competitiveness. It aims to foster more wealth creation from Africa’s oceans, seas and inland waterways by developing a thriving maritime economy and realizing the full potential of sea-based activities in an environmentally sustainable manner. The African Charter on Safety, Security and Development (Lomé Charter) is also another continental instrument, which aims at preventing and curbing national and transnational crime, especially terrorism, piracy and armed robbery against ships, as well as all forms of trafficking at sea and enhancing environmental protection.
In order to facilitate the implementation of these frameworks, the African Union established a Blue Economy Division under the Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy. The division draws its mandate from the above-mentioned frameworks and it is therefore to facilitate expedited implementation of these frameworks for the benefit of African communities, and the world at large, as some of the aquatic-related actions have global significance.
To be able to roll out the implementation of the blue economy strategy and related frameworks will require the elaboration of programmes based on priority areas set in the relevant policy documents, tracking implementation through a monitoring and reporting framework, enhancing capacity building for member states and regional economic communities, mobilising financial and technical resources to facilitate implementation of the programmes, establishing and strengthening collaboration with other institutions and initiatives operating in the blue economy landscape. There is also an urgent need for mainstreaming the blue economy in development planning, programming and budgetary processes. Without mainstreaming the blue economy into the development strategies of nations, no country can fully achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Regional and National legal and policy responses are required to deal with the challenges faced by the blue environment which include pollution, limited knowledge of the aquatic resources in our environment, over-exploitation of some of the species, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), weak negotiation capacity, fragmented national structures on blue economy which result in coordination challenges, and rising demand for blue foods.
It is against this background that the African Union Commission through the Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy (SEBE) seeks to engage a Senior Blue Economy Advisor to support AU Member States on the implementation of the blue economy strategy and related programmes.
OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION
This position will provide technical advisory assistance to the Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy of the African Union Commission in coordinating the implementation of the African Blue Economy and the AIM 2050 Strategies. The Advisor will also develop programmes and initiatives aimed at supporting AU Member States and RECs the domestication of the strategies, and to access means of implementation as well as monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the strategies.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Blue Economy Advisor will be expected to:
DELIVERABLES
The Senior Blue Economy Advisor will be responsible for the following deliverables:
REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS
The Senior Blue Economy Advisor will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Blue Economy or his/her delegate/ the Principal in Blue Economy. The Advisor will also be expected to work horizontally with other Advisors and Senior Policy Officers within the Blue Economy and the Directorate of SEBE at large.
DUTY STATION
This assignment requires that the Senior Blue Economy Advisor be based at the African Union Headquarters, in the Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Education: A Master’s degree in Biology, Oceanography, Fisheries, and Environmental Science.
Essential Work experience: Minimum of 7 years demonstrated experience working in Africa on issues of fisheries, marine biology, shipping, coastal zone management, and offshore mining.
Desired work experience:
LANGUAGES
COMPETENCIES
TENURE OF APPOINTMENT
The appointment shall be for an Initial period of one (1) year, the first three (3) months of which shall be on probation. It shall be renewable subject to performance and availability of funds.
REMUNERATION
The salary attached to the position is at P3 Step 5 inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff.
WHAT WE OFFER