Subject-Matter Expert : Environmental Governance

Project Background

According to the United Nations, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the impacts of climate change. Repeated sandstorms, rising mean temperatures, and declining precipitation all contribute to food and water insecurity, the internal displacement of tens of thousands of Iraqis, and increasing conflict in the region. Women, children, minorities, and other vulnerable groups are at particular risk from the consequences of environmental degradation. Despite the government’s Constitutional obligation to protect and preserve the environment, Iraq currently lacks the legislative framework to support good environmental governance. IILHR will work with local partners to develop and pass a strong package of laws that ensure the implementation and enforcement of sustainable policies for environmental governance in Iraq.

Position Overview

IILHR is seeking a dedicated and motivated professional to serve as our Lead Subject-Matter Expert on Environmental Governance. The successful candidate will provide subject-matter expertise and technical advice regarding environmental governance to the IILHR in-country team and produce written deliverables that ensure Iraqi legislators, key government actors, and other stakeholders have the skills, knowledge, and resources to improve environmental governance legislation. This consultant position will be remote, with the possibility of 1-2 trips to Iraq (to be determined based on project needs and resources).

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables:

Working closely with the in-country Legal Advisor, the Lead Expert will be responsible for producing the following deliverables:

• An analysis of gaps in the current environmental governance legislative framework in Iraq
• A comparative memorandum on best practices in environmental governance legislative frameworks worldwide

Additionally, the Lead Expert will be available for on-going subject matter consultations and to develop topic-specific research memoranda and article-by-article analyses of draft and proposed environmental governance legislation that originates with legislators and key government actors, as needed.

Qualifications

• Proven professional experience working on environmental law, global environmental issues, legislative and legal analysis
• Mastery of international agreements, standards, and comparative legislative approaches related to environmental governance
• Demonstrated excellent research and writing skills
• Familiarity with Iraqi politics and law preferred
• Familiarity with regional and global practice regarding environmental governance preferred
• Active participation in the rapidly evolving are of environmental governance
• Fluency in English required, fluency in Arabic preferred
• Law degree or master’s degree in environmental governance
• Seven or more years of professional experience in the fields of legislative development, legal research and writing, and environmental governance issues

Period of Performance

Start Date: ASAP, must be available to begin before 31 January 2025

Duration: 50 days over the life of the project (with a possibility of additional days subject to funding and performance review by Executive Director)