Result of Service

The ultimate result of the consultancy is the delivery of international analytical inputs that strengthen the quality, coherence, and international credibility of Mongolia's mining governance reform process to support environmental sustainability and competitiveness. This includes a comparative benchmarking report assessing peer jurisdictions' approaches to environmental governance in mining and mineral processing, structured quality assurance of the national consultant's legal outputs against international standards, and analytical design options for practical green mining eligibility and screening criteria aligned with international taxonomy and sustainable finance frameworks. In addition, the consultancy will produce an implementation sequencing note outlining practical, phased reform pathways that balance competitiveness, fiscal realism, decarbonisation objectives, and environmental safeguards, establishing a technical foundation for potential subsequent phases of cooperation.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

8-Months Part-time

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The overall objective of UNEP's Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision-makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) supports countries in aligning economic and financial policies with sustainability objectives to foster inclusive growth, generate employment, reduce poverty and inequality, and strengthen environmental sustainability. PAGE brings together the expertise of five UN agencies—UNEP, ILO, UNDP, UNIDO, and UNITAR—to deliver integrated policy, analytical, and capacity-building support. Mongolia's mining and heavy industry sectors remain central to national growth, fiscal stability, and export performance, while facing increasing international expectations related to carbon intensity, traceability, environmental governance, rehabilitation standards, and financial transparency. The Government is advancing important legislative reforms, including broader legal and regulatory reforms affecting mining, mineral processing, industrial modernisation, and associated environmental governance frameworks, while seeking practical approaches to strengthen competitiveness, improve environmental performance, and enhance long-term industrial resilience. These reform processes involve multiple national counterparts and international partners, and require coordinated analytical support, comparative benchmarking against international standards, and quality assurance to ensure that policy recommendations and advisory inputs are delivered coherently and in alignment with national priorities and PAGE objectives. Key legislative processes underway include the development of the primary Law on Heavy Industry and amendments to the Minerals Law. In response, UNEP under PAGE has proposed a phased technical cooperation framework to support the legal and institutional foundations for an environmentally responsible and more competitive mining and heavy industry sector. The cooperation focuses on legislative reform support, environmental governance, and the development of practical options for green mining eligibility and screening standards, while strengthening the technical foundation for financing mechanisms and implementation tools related to green industrial transition. A consultant shall be engaged to provide international comparative benchmarking, strategic policy design, and structured quality assurance to support legislative reform processes related to mining governance, environmental governance, and green industrial transition in Mongolia, under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE). This assignment provides preparatory diagnostics, comparative benchmarking, legal quality assurance, and analytical support for the design of practical green mining screening approaches. In this context, the international consultant will deliver expertise that complements the national consultant's Mongolia-specific legal work, covering: preparatory desk research and international landscape mapping; lead authorship of the comparative benchmarking report; structured quality assurance of the national consultant's gap analysis and recommendations against international standards; and analytical design options for green mining eligibility and screening criteria from an international taxonomy and standards perspective. Specific tasks and responsibilities per outputs Output 1:

Prepare a methodology for the delivery of below outputs as well as a detailed workplan outlining the coordination arrangement with UNEP and the MMHI, and a clear division of responsibilities with the national consultant to ensure timely delivery and complementarity of outputs. Output 2:
Lead preparatory desk research to identify and summarise relevant international frameworks, existing materials and analytical gaps related to CETM governance, green industrial transition and sustainable finance readiness in Mongolia.
Identify 3–5 peer jurisdictions, in coordination with UNEP, to form the basis for the comparative benchmarking exercise. Output 3:
Lead comparative benchmarking of 3-5 peer jurisdictions, assessing institutional, and policy frameworks affecting mining and mineral processing, with particular attention to environmental and social safeguards, including rehabilitation obligations, water management, biodiversity protection, closure planning, and compliance mechanisms relevant to CETM governance.
Analyse Mongolia's alignment gaps against relevant international good practices in the sector and related institutional frameworks, approached from an environmental governance and investment readiness perspective consistent with UNEP's mandate. Provide inputs to the national consultant’s Output 4- recommendations and structured drafting inputs. Output 4
Provide a structured quality assurance review of the national consultant’s legal gap analysis and recommendations package, ensuring consistency with international standards, the CETM governance benchmark approach and practical applicability in the Mongolian context. Output 5
Prepare analytical design options for practical green mining eligibility and screening criteria from an international taxonomy, sustainable finance, and competitiveness perspective, informed by the national consultant's legal feasibility note.
Develop indicative criteria for green classification of mining and processing activities, and incorporate a qualitative assessment of key legal, institutional, and implementation constraints affecting the green transition, approached from an environmental governance and investment readiness perspective consistent with UNEP's mandate. Output 6
Prepare an implementation sequencing note outlining practical, phased reform pathways that balance competitiveness, fiscal realism, decarbonisation objectives, and environmental safeguards.
Identify key cross-sectoral linkages between industry, energy supply, infrastructure, and logistics as they relate to decarbonisation pathways, flag these as priority areas for dedicated analysis in a potential subsequent phase of cooperation, and outline the methodological and institutional preconditions establishing a technical foundation for future cooperation. Output 7
Present findings and recommendations to UNEP, MMHI, and relevant stakeholders through technical briefings and a consultative workshop.
Revise draft outputs based on the feedback received in the consultative workshop
Exchange draft outputs with the national consultant at agreed stages, in particular receiving the national consultant's legal landscape mapping and gap analysis before finalising the comparative benchmarking report, and receiving the legal feasibility input note before finalising the green mining screening design options note.
Where the analysis identifies dimensions that fall outside UNEP's mandate, such as production cost structures, commodity market dynamics, or technical industrial engineering standards, flag the need for complementary support from institutions with appropriate competencies. The PAGE Programme Management Officer will facilitate coordination between the international consultant and the national consultant to ensure complementarity and sequencing of outputs. The international consultant is expected to receive the national consultant's legal landscape mapping and gap analysis before finalising the comparative benchmarking report, and the legal feasibility input note before finalising the green mining screening design options note. The consultant is expected to support government-led reform processes through advisory and analytical inputs focused on environmental governance, legal coherence, and green transition readiness, while final legislative decisions and technical industrial standards remain with the Government of Mongolia.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in a mining-related discipline (e.g. Geology, Mining or Metallurgical Engineering, Mineral Economics) and/or advanced university degree in economics, environmental law, natural resources management policies, or a closely related field.

A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in producing high-quality strategic analytical outputs for governments, international organisations, and development partners is required.
Experience working in multi-stakeholder and cross-institutional reform processes involving ministries of finance, environmental authorities, and investment-related institutions is required.
Demonstrated expertise in comparative policy benchmarking and cross-jurisdictional analysis is essential, including experience producing high-quality benchmarking reports for governments or development partners.
Knowledge of international best practices in environmental governance and sustainability in the mining sector is highly desirable, particularly in areas such as impact assessment, water governance, biodiversity safeguards, mine closure and rehabilitation, and tailings management.
Additional expertise in sustainable finance frameworks, green taxonomies, and international environmental standards and governance frameworks relevant to extractive industries, including IFC Performance Standards and ICMM standards, would be considered an asset and may be complemented by local legal or technical expertise where appropriate.
Familiarity with Mongolia's institutional and policy context is desirable.

Languages

Strong analytical and presentation skills, with excellent proficiency in written and spoken English, are required.

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.

International Expert on Mining Governance and Green Finance