Deadline

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the vision of improving the quality of life for all in an urbanizing world.

The involvement of partners in the field of sustainable urbanization and human settlements development is essential for implementation of the urban dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets, especially SDG 11 as well as the New Urban Agenda, and other internationally agreed commitments.

UN-Habitat works with a wide range of organizations, multi stakeholder issued-based and cross-sectoral networks, and other platforms in several areas including advocacy and outreach, co-creation of knowledge, resource mobilization, and on normative and operational programmes.

To further streamline stakeholder engagement, the Stakeholder Advisory Group Enterprise, (SAGE) was established in May 2019 to advise the UN-Habitat Executive Director on stakeholder engagement in strategies, policies and programmes to improve living conditions for all in an urbanizing world.

The group is composed of 16 members serving in their personal capacity and reflecting geographical and gender balance, professional expertise, and proven experience in one or more aspects of sustainable urban development and in coordination of multi-stakeholder engagement.  Every two years, eight new members are selected to succeed SAGE members due for rotation.

SAGE Responsibilities

The main purpose of SAGE is to provide strategic advice on policy, programmes and intergovernmental processes within the scope of stakeholder engagement. Specifically, the SAGE:

  1. Identifies emerging challenges and needs that UN-Habitat should address, as well as opportunities, to enhance advancement of sustainable urban development.
  2. Advises on the use of available resources and expertise to inform programmes and policy-making processes especially through existing platforms such as the Global Stakeholders Forum, World Urban Forum, and the annual World Cities Day and World Habitat Day celebrations.
  3. Advises on strategic modalities that promote collaboration across UN-Habitat stakeholder groups.
  4. Supports the Executive Director with proposals on resource mobilization strategies.
  5. Advises on appropriate institutional mechanism for stakeholder engagement including engagement with strategic and priority partner categories.
  6. Provides strategic advice on stakeholder engagement and support to implementation and monitoring of UN-Habitat strategic plans, relevant SDGs, and the New Urban Agenda. 
  7. Advises on stakeholder engagement in the UN-Habitat Assembly and its subsidiary governance organs.
  8. Receives regular briefings from UN Habitat about key work programme activities within the context of the organization’s strategic plan and its key domains of change and outcomes.
  9. Undertakes other activities and duties to promote UN-Habitat stakeholder engagement, as requested by the Executive Director.

SAGE Composition

The Advisory Group comprises a maximum of 16 independent experts with established track records in one or more of the priority areas of the work of UN-Habitat, and experience in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and networks at the global, regional, national, or local level. Specifically, SAGE members are expected to have experience in:

  1. Human rights and social inclusion issues particularly gender, women, youth, the urban poor, and persons living with disabilities,
  2. Management or coordination of initiatives, within the field of urbanization, with contributions to advancing global, regional, and national and local development agendas,
  3. Design and management of programmes related to urban sector topics such as urban basic services, climate resilience, urban planning, governance, urban economy, urban legislation, capacity development, law, health, culture and heritage etc.
  4. Engagement or coordination of partnership networks including peer networks e.g., academia, professionals, private sector, or thematic networks such as climate change, 
  5. Resource mobilization  
  6. Community level engagement including with grassroot organizations and support to informal settlements and communities.
  7. Media, technology and communications.

Selection process

Successful applications will be reviewed by an internal UN-Habitat Selection Committee in close consultation with the current SAGE membership. The Executive Director will then make a final selection of eight successful nominees from a recommended shortlist to join the advisory group effective 19 May 2021.

Application and Nomination deadline

Applicants are invited to submit an expression of interest. It should include the following:

  1. Curriculum vitae
  2. Brief bio (not more than 350 words)
  3. A short statement about the value proposition of enhancing stakeholder engagement to advance sustainable urbanization and human settlements development with special focus on the urban dimensions of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda (not more than 700 words)
  4. Name, Job title, Email address and phone number of two referees in support of the application

 

The application deadline is 21 February 2021.

For nominations, please provide full name, contact details and a brief bio of the nominee, to reach us by 15 February 2021.

Applications with all required supporting documents should be sent to unhabitat-partners@un.org