National Legal Specialist - IAS

<p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Organizational Setting</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FAO has secured funding from the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) to implement the project UNJP/SRL/009/UNJ <strong>“Prevention and Control of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) for Enhanced Biosecurity in Sri Lanka”.</strong> The project aims to drive transformational change by addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss associated with IAS. Its primary objective is to establish a comprehensive and institutionalized national biosecurity framework that prevents future invasions, mitigates existing impacts, and enhances ecosystem resilience. This will be achieved through updates to policy, legal, operational, and institutional mechanisms for effective IAS management, thereby accelerating Sri Lanka’s implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) with scalable, sustainable solutions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To support this work, FAO Sri Lanka is recruiting a National Legal Specialist – IAS, tasked with providing technical guidance to strengthen Sri Lanka’s national institutional and legal biosecurity frameworks for the prevention and management of IAS. The Specialist will assist the Government of Sri Lanka in establishing a robust, coherent, and operational IAS legal system that prevents new introductions, mitigates existing impacts, and enhances long-term ecosystem resilience. This includes ensuring that national legislation and institutional mandates are updated, harmonized, and aligned with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), international standards, and national priorities.</span></p><p><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Reporting Lines</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Legal Specialist  - IAS  will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the technical supervision of Legal Officer, Development Law Service, Legal Office. The Specialist will work in close coordination with the Project Management Unit (PMU), the Environment and Climate Change Specialist, the Lead Technical Officer, the IAS Monitoring & Reporting Specialist, and IAS Management Specialist.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Technical Focus</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    IAS legal framework review and reform</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Biosecurity system enhancement</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Alignment with international IAS standards</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Integration of cross-cutting considerations (gender, resilience, stakeholders)</span></p><p><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Tasks and responsibilities</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Conduct a comprehensive review of existing national legislation and institutional mandates related to the control IAS, including, inter alia, biodiversity and plant protection laws.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Identify legal gaps, overlaps, and areas requiring updates, harmonization, or new instruments to strengthen the effective control of IAS.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Support the development or updating of legal instruments and institutional frameworks to strengthen the control of IAS, taking into consideration cross-cutting issues, such as gender, community engagement, and ecosystem resilience.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Support the development of standard operating procedures and protocols for IAS prevention, monitoring, and rapid response.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Support the PMU to liaise with government agencies in strengthening institutional coordination and governance for IAS management.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Support the PMU in organizing and facilitating workshops and consultation meetings for stakeholders.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Provide technical support on the implementation of IAS risk assessments and border biosecurity measures.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Support the development of guidance documents, manuals, and templates to support consistent application of IAS legislation.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Promote awareness on legislative compliance and the importance of the control of IAS.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Undertake any other tasks as requested by the FAOR / AFAOR (Programme).</span></p><p><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING</strong></span></p><p><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Minimum Requirements  </strong></span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Environmental Law. Specialization in Biodiversity law, Biosecurity law, or a related field desirable.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Minimum of seven years of experience in reviewing legal frameworks including drafting and reviewing environment-related legislation.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Strong knowledge in national and international legal instruments related to biodiversity/invasive alien species (IAS) and biosecurity systems.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Working knowledge of English and fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil.   </span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    National of Sri Lanka or resident of the country with valid work permit</span></p><p><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>FAO Core Competencies</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Results Focus</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Teamwork</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Communication</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Building Effective Relationships</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Technical/Functional Skills</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Strong expertise in IAS management, biosecurity systems, and relevant national and international legal frameworks.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Proficient in reviewing, analyzing, and harmonizing legislation, and institutional mandates.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to identify gaps and propose actionable legal solutions.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with the ability to work independently and coordinate effectively with government agencies and stakeholders.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Selection Criteria</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Proven expertise in reviewing, drafting or harmonizing IAS-related legislation, and institutional mandates.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Experience in legislative review and drafting</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Experience in strengthening biodiversity governance frameworks and coordinating effectively with government agencies and stakeholders.</span><br><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•    Familiarity with the UN System and /or development sector will be considered an asset. </span><br> </p>

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