National Multimedia Officer

The ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires bold changes across the United Nations. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is imperative for a safe and secure future of prosperity, opportunity, and human rights for all. SDGs are universal, interlinked, and indivisible and demand that the UN System reinvents itself to better serve the Member States and people. The Resolution on the UN Development System Reform agreed by all 193 countries on 31 May 2018 (A/RES/72/279) provides the mandates required for the UN Secretary-General (SG) and the UN System and its Agencies, Funds and Programmes (AFPs) to take forward their collective responsibilities to make the UN fit for purpose to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Resolution calls for a new generation of coherent and more integrated UNCTs to deliver shared and impactful policy advice, programmatic and operational support to sustainable development at the country level. In line with the UN Development System Reform, this new generation of UNCTs is to rely on the repositioned and strengthened UN Resident Coordinator System, that ensures greater cooperation and collaboration across the resident and non-resident AFPs, as well as enhances joint/cross-cutting strategic planning, programme implementation, communications, and business operations, which are more accessible and more attuned to the needs on the ground. UN Resident Coordinator’s Offices across the world act as the secretariat to the UN Resident Coordinators and UNCTs. Drawing on the expertise and experience of the entire UN System and its AFPs, UN RCOs provide organizational, advisory, and management support and promotes information exchange, cooperation, and collaboration.

Lao PDR has been at the forefront of SDG localization under the leadership of the Prime Minister, who chairs the national SDG Steering Committee, and with lead support by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Lao Statistics Bureau. Nearly 60 per cent of the indicators of the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2016-2020) is linked to the SDG indicators. Lao PDR has also adopted an 18th national SDG on Lives Safe From UXO. The inter-sectoral objectives of the Agenda 2030 are also promoted by the National Round Table Process – the national policy and development coordination mechanism, which is led by the Government with lead support from the UN Country Team. The Development Coordination Officer, Programme Communications and Advocacy, is as a team member of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Lao PDR and reports to the RCO Head of Office. The UN Country Team (UNCT) is led by the UN Resident Coordinator (RC), the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Lao PDR. The RC leads the UN’s overall engagement and cooperation with Lao PDR, and strategic guidance and coordination for the operational activities of the UN System and its agencies, funds and programmes at the country level, ensuring that the UN System is able to provide efficient and effective development support. Lao PDR is a Delivering as One Country, where UN agencies work closely together, building on the diversity of expertise and respective comparative advantages. The RCO serves as the secretariat to the RC and UNCT, providing organizational, advisory and management support, and facilitating the UN System’s joint strategic planning. The RCO draws on the expertise and experience of the entire UN family, promoting information exchange, cooperation and collaboration among UN agencies, and supporting joint initiatives, for instance on the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The RCO is charged with supporting the RC to coordinate the many UN agencies operating in Lao PDR. The office supports strategic and day-to-day coordination among UN agencies, as well as the overall engagement of the UN with the Lao Government and development partners. The work of the RCO includes joint communication and outreach on behalf of the UN system in Lao PDR. The UN Communications Group (UNCG) in Lao PDR was established in 2008 to ensure a joint approach to UN messaging, communication and outreach in Lao PDR. The UNCG is comprised of members from various UN agencies, funds and programmes, and the group aims to increase the knowledge and visibility of the UN and the development priorities of Lao PDR among UN agencies, government, civil society, national media and international development partners as well as in the private sector.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the RCO Head of Office or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer National Multimedia Officer will: Duties and responsibilities: Lead the implementation of social media strategy and plan. This would include: - Regularly manage and update social media plan ensure alignment with the UNRCO’s social media strategy; - Support planning and running social media campaigns for international days, events; - Develop and adapt multimedia assets (videos, audios, images) from global and regional DCO for local audiences; - Prepare social media packs for events, campaigns; - Prepare and publish content on UNRCO website, Facebook Page, and X/ Twitter channel on a daily basis. - Create social media content - collect information, key messages, tailor messages to local audience, - Support basic graphic design and video shooting and editing; - Monitor and report on social media performance on a monthly basis; - Provide recommendations for improving social media performance and increasing audience engagement; - Actively engage with online audiences through social media channels. Support other communications-related tasks - Monitor media coverage on a daily basis in English and Lao - Collect media coverage and provide a summary for partnership visibility - Provide basic Lao translation to communications materials, coordinate with online UNV and professional translator for long documents. - Maintain and update communication materials inventory list. - Support events and meetings such as taking photos, preparing communications and advocacy material packages, document events in formats for digital media. - Perform other tasks as assigned by the Head of the RCO and the Programme Communications and Advocacy Officer