Open Call for IFSA Task Force
FOREST EUROPE’s 9th Ministerial Conference 2024
Bonn, Germany, 1- 2 October 2024 

Deadline, 23th January, 2024 at 23:59 CET

Dear IFSA Family, 

We are looking for a team of IFSA members interested in joining a task force that will support the planned youth contribution for the FOREST EUROPE’s 9th Ministerial Conference which will take place on 1-2 October 2024 in Bonn, Germany.

The FOREST EUROPE’s 9th Ministerial Conference 2024 Task Force is a unique collaboration between IFSA and one of its main partner organizations –  FOREST EUROPE. The Ministerial Conference is the biggest event of the FOREST EUROPE high level political Process and it is where decisions on issues of highest political and social relevance regarding forests and forestry are made by the signatories. It takes place every 4-5 years at the end of a country’s chairmanship. This partnership therefore allows IFSA members to obtain hands-on experience by being part of the process, and learning and sharing their perspective with policy makers. 

The Task Force that will be established will be responsible for supporting the two consultation workshops on 6th April and 3rd May 2024 aimed at collecting concrete ideas from youth groups from all over Europe on: 

  • Discussing how the key messages from the ministerial documents for the policy makers resonate with the youth in achieving SDG 4, 5, 8, 13 and 15 i.e. where they see their own contributions in the implementation of the recommended actions and how to foster intergenerational collaboration;
  • How to further increase youth engagement in such high-level processes and in the forest sector; 
  • Have a motivated workforce for the future;

The Task Force members will also contribute to other suitable tasks in the run up and during the Ministerial Conference. 

Background:

We are looking for 5 motivated, hardworking and enthusiastic youth who will be available to join the Task Force for the next 1 term (approximately the next 1 year) starting from December 2023. The members should be able to dedicate from 5 to 10 hours per week for the Task Force activities. The individuals should be eager to learn about the FOREST EUROPE process and its operations.  

This is a voluntary role and the Coordinator shall be reporting to the IFSA Council. In some cases, travel costs to meetings can be reimbursed, depending on the availability of funds and the budget of the Task Force.

Your contribution 

The tasks of the Ministerial Conference 2024 Task Force are as follows:

  • Schedule & Activities:
    • Mobilizing youth groups from the pan-European region for the online consultation workshops;
    • Leading the online consultation workshops with support from the FOREST EUROPE team;
    • Rapporteurs during the online consultation workshops and summarizing the outcomes for the Position Paper.
  • Communication: 
    • Communication with IFSA Board and other officials, as well as the broader IFSA network, about recent developments and further student involvement;
    • Monthly Google Meets/Zoom meetings;
    • Work closely with the FOREST EUROPE team Sub-Commission and the responsible member of the IFSA Council (External Council, Head of International Policy Commission).
  • Other tasks:
    • Supporting the preparation of the materials for the intergenerational dialogue that will take place during the conference;
    • Representing IFSA at the event as observers.

Your profile:

The ideal candidate should:

  • Be an active IFSA member;
  • Have a good knowledge of IFSA and Forest Europe and willingness to learn more;
  • Understanding of relevant forest-related topics in the pan-European region;
  • Have a strong interest in high-level policy processes, delegation processes & decision making;
  • Have critical thinking skills and high level flexibility;
  • Have a high level of self-motivation and strong team building and networking skills;
  • Ability to keenly follow work programmes and deliver in terms of deadlines and quality outputs; 
  • Have good communication and English skills (written and spoken);
  • Preferably, with experience working in multicultural environments;
  • Be a member of a current IFSA Ordinary Member,  Associate Member, Consulting Member, or Alumni of IFSA.

Additional information about FOREST EUROPE can be found at: https://foresteurope.org

How to apply:

If you are interested in applying for one of the positions in the Ministerial Conference 2024 Task Force, please submit the following documents, if possible in one PDF file, to forestreurope.commission@ifsa.net by 23th January, 2024 at 23:59 CET. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Required documents:

  1. Up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (Max 2 pages)
  2. A motivation letter of no more than 1 page with the following contents:
    1. Stating why you are a good candidate;
    2. Your ideas for the Task Force work programme;
    3. Your motivations for undertaking this role.
  3. A verification letter from your Local Committee (LC) signed by the President of your LC (for Ordinary members) or from the IFSA Alumni Liaison Officer (for Alumni).

To apply; for this position or to get more information about the position, please message

foresteurope.commission@ifsa.net

We look forward to receiving your applications!!