Purpose

The African Union (AU) provides an institutional framework for advancing the achievement of development-related goals across the continent. It provides the most appropriate and effective forum in which African countries can and should convene to address peace, security, environmental, and development challenges, and to chart a path forward based on mutual respect, human rights and a desire to lift the continent out of poverty.

AU treaties provide the normative and legal mechanism, through which Member States can foster greater political and economic integration, while simultaneously catalyzing enhanced peace and security, poverty reduction and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Since the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 and the AU in 2001, Member States have adopted a total of 63 treaties, protocols, and conventions. However, as of 2017 only 33 of these treaties have entered into force.

Greater policy convergence amongst Member States and collective action in support of the AU’s role – demonstrable through the ratification and domestication of the AU treaties that have been negotiated and agreed upon at the AU level – would have a significant development impacts, not least since AU treaties cover the entire landscape of peace, security, and development issues.

Moreover, greater awareness of AU treaties amongst the general public would create a much-needed link between treaty ratification, treaty domestication, and the lives of ordinary Africans, thereby fusing governmental accountability to the people with governmental responsibility to support the sustainability of the AU. Awareness of AU treaties also appears to be low amongst development partners who often work on key issues without reference to these already agreed upon regional frameworks for the theme or issue in question, thereby missing an opportunity to leverage these treaties to further progress. Development cooperation amongst donors and multilateral partners could be better aligned at the national and regional levels with AU treaties; none of the UN Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF’s), for example, appear to be informed by AU treaties.

Multilateral instruments, such as treaties, protocols, and conventions create a legal framework for pursuing collective goals; they create a continent-wide basis upon which individual countries can create and implement laws, tailoring them to the domestic context, while also ensuring regional harmonization. However, ratification and domestication of AU Treaties remains a significant challenge; the AU will only be able to fulfil its mandate if these treaties are ratified and effectively domesticated. In the absence of ratification and domestication these commitments remain elusive and purely aspirational. 

The African Union Commission (AUC) has been very vocal about the need to improve the levels of ratification, supported by the efforts of the Executive Council to encourage a one-year timeframe for ratification of new treaties after their adoption. Despite these efforts, levels of ratification and rates of domestication remain low.

Consequently, a multi-pronged effort is required to: enhance capacity to speed up ratification and domestication at the Member State level; enhance efficiency, capacity, and accountability at the AU level; foster greater knowledge and awareness amongst African populations to ensure greater levels of demand and advocacy for the effective domestication of all treaties; and increase awareness amongst development partners to ensure coordination with – and leveraging of – AU treaties in key areas. Combined, these issues will also help address to foster greater political will amongst Member States to both ratify and domesticate these treaties.

This joint AU-UNDP project, ‘Accelerating the Ratification and Domestication of African Union Treaties’, is a three-year multi-country and regional initiative. This project is part of and anchored in UNDP’s Regional Programme for Africa; it will contribute to the results across the outcome areas of the Regional Programme.

The project is designed to address the challenges and bottlenecks associated with ratification and domestication, and to help enhance the capacity of the AU over the medium- to long-term to be able to manage the ratification process, and to provide tailored support to Member States with domestication-related challenges. It is anchored in a multi-dimensional approach to development, which draws upon the inherent link between peace, security and economic development; it is, furthermore, designed to help further the achievement of Agenda 2063, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Post-2015 SDGs.

This project is realized through a Joint AU-UNDP Project, implemented between the AUC Office of Legal Counsel and UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, in close collaboration and coordination with RECs, national governments, international development partners, and other relevant partners at the national level. The project has been designed in a way that recognizes that actions are required on both regional and national levels – with regional and sub-regional entities, as well as government and non-state actors, to help foster the political will and develop technical expertise to enhance ratification and domestication of AU treaties.

The Project will be implemented both at the regional and national levels, and will leverage UNDP’s presence in all AU Member States. The Project will focus on the following objectives, which are inherently linked to the outcomes of the project:

• First, to ensure that the AU has legitimacy and meaning beyond its Headquarters in Addis Ababa by linking the treaties it has developed at the continental level with positive impact on the lives of ordinary Africans; this will ensure that the values on which the AU is built are protected and advanced.
• Second, to better enable the African continent to meet both the objectives outlined in the Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, by providing a robust legal framework in which they can be implemented at regional and country levels.
• Third, to improve harmonization between AU treaties and the different RECs on the continent – thereby enhancing national planning processes and developing synergies across legal frameworks. Fostering a harmonized approach among the RECs, which are guided by AU agreements and principles, is expected to have a significant impact on relations within but also between the RECs, and to facilitate cooperation for trade and human security in border regions.
• Fourth, to ensure the work of international development partners – including both bilateral and multilateral actors – is anchored in, supportive of, and leveraging AU treaties.

Reporting structure and partners

The Programme Analyst will be working within a dedicated team of international and national staff (under the overall leadership of the Regional Programme Coordinator). The Programme Analyst will be expected to work closely with affected UNDP Country Offices in Africa, responsible for implementation of selected components of the project, the AUC Legal Office, and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as deemed relevant.

1. Effective planning and implementation:

• Supports the preparations of project Multi- and Annual Work Plans and related budgets;
• Ensures timely and efficient procurement of services as required by the activities of the project;
• Undertakes outreach activities in cooperation with the relevant actors; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc., makes presentations on assigned topics/activities;
• Participates in or leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials, and other parties, as well as in drafting mission summaries, etc. Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).

2. Effective project monitoring in line with corporate standards and guidelines:

• Develops an M&E system and plan, including indicators, formats, data collection process, and data quality mechanisms for the project;
• Ensures that the M&E system is gender and disabilities sensitive;
• Supports the development of tools for evaluation and impact assessments of the project, identifies data sources, and collects data in cooperation with relevant stakeholders;
• Works closely with the technical teams and field offices for collection of the best practices and lessons learnt;
• Reviews information provided by stakeholders on indicators and targets to assess progress, identifies constraints and gaps in implementation, and proposes corrective actions;
• Contributes to setting of delivery targets and monitoring of project expenditures;
• Executes work plan reviews, midterm and annual review.

3. Knowledge management and reporting:

• Researches, analyzes, and presents information gathered from diverse sources, keeping abreast of major developments of treaty ratification and domestication at global and regional levels; 
• Prepares and reviews various written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, reports, inputs to publications, etc.;
• Ensures project information is updated on all relevant corporate platforms, e.g. ATLAS, RSCA Gateway, etc.

Core

Innovation Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional

Primary

Knowledge Management Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge. 

Promoting Accountability and Results-based Management Monitoring and promoting practices, procedures, and systems that support accountability and results-based management, while also influencing change in the organizational culture. 

Drafting Skills Communicating ideas and information in writing in an understandable manner, achieving the desired impact. 

Secondary

Risk Management Identifying, assessing, mitigating, and managing risks that the organization/project results might be exposed to/influenced by. 

Self-Management / Emotional Intelligence Managing moods, responding effectively to stress, situations of ambiguity or crisis. Managing relationships with others to achieve mutual benefits.  Building an emotionally intelligent organization. 

Education

• Master’s degree in International Public Law, Social Sciences, or any related field.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years’ relevant experience.
• Prior experience in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is an asset.
• Prior experience using UNDP corporate systems in M&E, quality assurance, results oriented annual reporting is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in use of computer packages such as Microsoft Office (MS Word, MS PowerPoint and MS Excel).

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English.
• Knowledge of French would be an asset.

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension