Governance Specialist

Cabo Verde became the first pilot Joint Office (JO) of the Ex-Com agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and WFP) on 1 January 2006. This was a major step in the UN reform towards the harmonization and simplification of UN activities in small countries. The Joint Office model consists of a single UN office of the participating agencies, led by one representative who equally represents all the participating agencies. The JO has one organizational structure and a single program/common country program encompassing the activities and mandates of all participating agencies, and uses one set of business processes, rules, and regulations under a “support agency”. Since 2010, with the discontinuation of WFP Office in Cabo Verde, following the graduation to a Middle-Income Country in 2008 , the Joint Office is now comprised of three agencies - UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF.

Cabo Verde is implementing a long-term strategy (2025–2034) to strengthen its leadership among Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and enhance resilience to climate change through proactive diplomacy, resource mobilization, and institutional capacity building. The country will assume the presidency of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in January 2027, requiring robust technical and diplomatic preparation. This assignment supports the operationalization of the SIDS Strategy by assisting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration (MNECIR) and partners in key areas: advancing the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), preparing funding proposals for SIDS adaptation and resilience, strengthening knowledge management systems, and coordinating stakeholder engagement for international events and advocacy. The UN Volunteer will contribute to positioning Cabo Verde as a regional and global leader in sustainable development and climate diplomacy.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Governance Portfolio, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: - Support the Joint Office’s Governance Portfolio initiatives, ensuring alignment with Cabo Verde’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS ) Strategy (2025–2034), national priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to sustainable finance and governance. - Assist the Joint Office’s Governance Portfolio in the design and implementation of public policies that foster administrative modernization, integrating SIDS-specific priorities such as governance, sustainable development, and financing. - Support the Joint Office’s Governance Portfolio to strengthen institutional and stakeholder capacities (central administration, local authorities, civil society) for inclusive, transparent, and effective governance, embedding SIDS principles of vulnerability reduction, resource mobilization, and multilateral engagement into governance reforms. - Assist the Joint Office’s Governance Portfolio to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue and South-South cooperation, leveraging SIDS platforms (Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Indian Ocean Commission (COI), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (AIS)) to exchange best practices in governance, rule of law, climate diplomacy, and digital innovation, and to prepare Cabo Verde for its leadership role in AOSIS (2027) and the SIDS5 Conference (2034)