Head, Subregional Office for North and Central Asia

Org. Setting and Reporting

The mandate of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region. The role of ESCAP as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy-oriented research and analysis and with normative, technical and capacity-building assistance to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of countries in Asia and the Pacific. This position is located in the Subregional Office for North and Central Asia (SONCA). The Office covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The incumbent of this post will report to the Deputy Executive Secretary for Partnerships and Coordination of ESCAP.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Partnerships and Coordination and general supervision of the ESCAP Executive Secretary, and within delegated authority, the Head of SONCA will be responsible for the following:

• Acts as the representative of ESCAP in the North and Central Asian subregion, including promoting the active participation of member governments in the subregion in the work of ESCAP while promoting subregional development cooperation and connectivity among the SONCA clients.
• Formulates, leads and implements, in consultation with the concerned entities at ESCAP Headquarters, the programme of work of the Subregional Office by determining subregional priorities and utilizing resources effectively for the timely delivery of mandated outputs. Supports the implementation of the Special Programme for Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), including its Governing Council and Economic Forum in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Europe. Supports the organization of the Thematic Working Groups under SPECA by respective divisions. Further, ensures that subregional activities and initiatives, including the subregional forum on sustainable development in North and Central Asia, reinforce the overall ESCAP strategic framework and its core mandate.
• Advises the Executive Secretary and Deputy Executive Secretary on emerging issues and concerns in the subregion, including those gathered from consultations/discussions with government officials and representatives of other key intergovernmental organizations, institutions and stakeholders, and provides advice toward developing courses of action, taking into consideration the socio-economic and political context of the subregion.
• Provides inputs to ESCAP Headquarters entities, including the concerned substantive divisions on the development, formulation and implementation of the ESCAP work programme related to the countries of the subregion through: (a) Coordinating with concerned government officials, UN entities, UN Resident Coor...