The Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division's mandate is coordinating and overseeing the identification, strengthening and stewardship of strategic partnerships with non-state actors in support of FAO's Objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including parliamentarians, civil society, private sector, academia, research institutions, family farmers and Indigenous Peoples, through developing capacities, fostering dialogues, sharing knowledge, scaling up programmes and advocating for FAO's corporate positions. It ensures that multi-stakeholder processes and engagements at global, regional and country level are an integral part of FAO's work and provides targeted support to ensure secure tenure rights and capacity development (including through e-learning programmes) to contribute to the SDGs.
Within the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU), the Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI) provides technical support on Indigenous Peoples within FAO and ensures the implementation of the FAO Policy on Indigenous Peoples at corporate level by liaising with regional and country focal points as well as with other technical divisions in FAO. The Indigenous Peoples Unit has three main objectives: Implement the FAO Policy on Indigenous Peoples; 2. Provide technical advice to other FAO technical divisions in integrating Indigenous Peoples into their work; 3. Advocate, influence key policy processes and open spaces of dialogue between decision makers and Indigenous Peoples within FAO's mandate. Indigenous Peoples' food systems is one of the seven pillars of work of the Unit, for which activities have intensified over the years. One of the outputs of the United Nations Food Systems Summit in 2021 was the creation of a Coalition on Indigenous Peoples' food systems joined by FAO members, Indigenous Peoples and Rome-based agencies. The main objective of the coalition is to ensure the understanding, respect, recognition, inclusion and protection of Indigenous Peoples' food systems and to provide evidence on their 'game-changing and systemic' aspects. To support the work of the coalition, the Indigenous Peoples' Unit hosts the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' food systems. The Global-Hub is a platform of knowledge that brings together Universities, research centers, Indigenous Peoples and UN organizations to co-create knowledge from scientific and traditional knowledge systems, considered at the same level of respect. FAO Members endorsed the Global-Hub in 2020, and its overall objective is to generate evidence that can inform the debate on sustainable food systems.
Reporting Lines:
The Technical Officer (Global-Hub Indigenous Peoples) reports to the Senior Advocacy Officer/Head, Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI).
Technical Focus:
Support the coordination of the Indigenous Peoples' food systems pillar of work. In particular, he/she will lead the implementation of field activities for the profiling of Indigenous Peoples' food system and provide scientific expertise (technical advice for policy-making, building research agendas, building evidence) and technical review (gathering and compiling comments, drafting technical notes, etc.) to the platform, whilst following the objectives of the Coalition and its implementation.
Key Functions:
Supports in the implementation of the programme of work under the pillar of work on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems.
Supports the implementation of the activities dedicated to the Secretariat of the Global-Hub as per the Terms of Reference agreed with the Global-Hub members.
Supports the implementation of the work programme of the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, in particular on activities requiring the technical support of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems (e.g. research agenda, technical advice for policy-making).
Identifies, monitors and evaluates research and field activities for the profiling of Indigenous Peoples' food systems with Indigenous Peoples' organizations.
Contributes to the review of the scientific content of publications in the frame of the Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems pillar of work, including publications on Indigenous Peoples' food systems profiles, and on the climate resilience of Indigenous Peoples' food systems.
Identifies opportunities of new activities in the frame of the pillar of work on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems, supports the development of work programmes and coordinates their implementation under the lead of the Head of Unit.
Performs other related duties as required.
Specific Functions:
Supports the Senior Advocacy Officer/Head, Indigenous Peoples Unit in the coordination of the activities under each pillar of work together with the members of the Global-Hub, coordinating each working group.
Updates the Terms of Reference of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems depending on the ongoing activities and needs. In this context, ensures a comprehensive articulation between the tasks of the Global-Hub and the objectives and goals of the Coalition on Indigenous Peoples' food systems.
Liaises with different UN organizations, research centers, universities and indigenous organizations for them to join the Global-Hub.
Writes, compiles and disseminates any relevant background documentation to support the activities of each working group.
Supports the transversal coordination among FAO divisions and offices and other Rome-based agencies whose work can contribute to the goals of the Global-Hub.
Supports the organization of events and conferences involving the Global-Hub and organizes exchanges of knowledge between the Global-Hub and other relevant partners to share visions and knowledge on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems.
Contributes to writing and editing comments of policy advice documents generated by the Global-Hub for global and national policy processes (e.g. Committee of World Food Security - CFS and High Level Panel of Experts - HLPE, Food Systems Summit and follow-up, decade of ecosystems restoration, decade of family farming, decade of indigenous languages, etc.).
Assists in the publication of any knowledge products generated by the Global-Hub.
Identifies opportunities to conduct field and research activities with Indigenous Peoples' organizations.
Contributes to writing agreements with Indigenous Peoples' organizations to conduct profiles (drafting Letters of Agreement LOAs, organizing meetings with the service provider, etc.) and follows up on the implementation of the LOA (providing technical advice at all stages of the implementation, review and clear technical reports).
Assists in establishing and coordinating scientific technical committees for the review of Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems profiles in order to produce publications.
Ensures technical and scientific relevance of Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems profiles and follows up on all steps of a publication.
Contributes to the compilation of a publication on the resilience of Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems based on climate resilience elements gathered during fieldwork when profiling Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems.
Supports the Unit with the technical review of publications edited in the frame of the Unit's work.
Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following:
Minimum Requirements:
Advanced university degree in in agricultural science, rural development, political science, international cooperation for development, economics or a related field to FAO's mandate.
Three years of relevant experience in international cooperation, advocacy, partnerships, project and programme management and/or multistakeholder processes.
Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish or Russian).
