Dear IFSA World!

Would you like to become more involved with what happens in IFSA? A new opportunity is here – you can now apply to become an IFSA Official for the 2019-2020 period!

We are on the search for an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual who will serve IFSA in the capacity of Head of UNEP Sub-Commission. The term of this position will be for the remainder of the current IFSA year (until IFSS 2020). This individual should be from one of IFSA’s local committees.

The Head of UNEP Sub-Commission is a focal point position for the United Nations Environmental Programme. This role is new and can become a stepping stone for broader youth engagement for forestry students in and outside the topic of forestry. Furthermore, the UN Environment Sub-Commission is situated under the International Policy Commission which means the position holder is accountable for reporting to the Head of International Policy Commission. For further information regarding the position please find the full list of duties, responsibilities and tasks beneath.

Being in the capacity of the Head of UN Environment Sub-Commission is a very exciting and rewarding role that allows you to grow professionally and to show your creativity in seeking for opportunities as well as your organizational skills for delegations and campaigns. You are a vital component within the IFSA network and we welcome your application!

UN Environment Sub-Commission

Background:

The UN Environment commission was established in our annual meeting in Mexico in 2018 and thus is still very new. As United Nations Environment is a key facilitator of the UN decade on ecosystem restoration and a major stakeholder in the environmental area, it offers a wide range of options for collaboration and youth engagement (among others, the REDD+ programme). In the coming year, it is important to work out possible opportunities to involve the forestry youth to a greater extent and to come up with ideas on how to create a partnership with mutual benefits. Furthermore, existing obligations need to be fulfilled.

IFSA is a member of the Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI) and has recently started to engage with the Major Group of Children and Youth (MGCY) within the biannual UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA).

Duties:

  • Act as IFSA’s focal point regarding all UN Environment-related matters
  • Work closely with the International Policy Commission (IPC) of IFSA and participate in monthly meetings, encourage teamwork and leverage synergies
  • Keep and improve contact with the main focal points of the Global Peatlands Initiative and REDD+
  • Organise and facilitate possible delegations to peatland events
  • Mainstream key topics of UN Environment (e.g. REDD+, GPI) in IFSA
  • Enhance engagement with MGCY within UN Environment
  • Seek for UN Environment events and campaigns to enhance youth engagement
  • Collect ideas in the run-up to UNEA-5 (2021)

Collaboration (Relationships):

The holder of this position will collaborate across the IFSA network to inform policy development and advocacy and help with the coordination of events. This will include:

  •  President
  • Council (primarily the Councillor for External Affairs
  •  The IP Commission, especially the sub-commissions for FAO and UNFF
  •  Communications Commission

Collaboration may be required with any and all other Officials, particularly those who engage with members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

Skills and knowledge

The following skills and knowledge are required for this role:

  • Good knowledge of UN Environment and the Ecosystem Division
  • Strong English competency in both verbal and written form
  • Leadership and collaboration skills
  • Strong communication skills as well as creativity
  • Good understanding of the international forest policy landscape and the United Nations in general

The following skills and knowledge are desirable for this role:

  • Social and professional networking abilities
  • Policy writing ability
  •  Risk identification and mitigation

Upcoming work

The position holder will need to build on the work of the previous year and further shape the duties and responsibilities of the commission. Therefore, he is required to participate in the regular meetings of the IPC, seeks collaboration with other IFSA officials and coordinates IFSA’s engagement in UN Environment Activities.

  •  IFSA Delegates Video Logging at the COP25 (in collaboration with REDD+)
  •  Possible organisation of a peatlands action workshop in the UK
  •  Establish a consistent collaboration with MGCY within the UNEA
  • Seek for further ways to involve IFSA students in the work of the UN Environment

How to apply:

You must provide the following documents. Both documents (1 & 2) must be submitted as a SINGLE PDF file.

  1. A letter from your Local Committee (LC) President verifying that you are a member of the LC.
  2. A motivation letter and strategy for the position (not more than 1 page, font size 12)
  3. A three (3)-minute video about your motivation and the strategy for the position.

Your letter of motivation must answer:

  • Why do you think that this position is important for IFSA?
  • Why would you want to become an official for this position?
  • How would you achieve this positions main tasks?
  • Do you think you have the right skills for this position? What are they?
  • What international events are relevant for your position, and will you be able to attend them?
  • What would your key goals for the year be?
  • Why do you think that this position is important for IFSA? How much time will you be able to commit to carrying out this position’s tasks?
  • What, from your understanding of the role (and in case of Liaison Officers, the understanding of the partnership) do you think your work will be focused on?

All applications must be sent to: council@ifsa.net

All applications must use the subject: HEAD OF UNEP Sub-Commission Application – YOUR NAME

Any application which does not meet the requirements and instructions listed shall be disqualified.

DEADLINE: 7th -09- 2019 – 23:59 CET