Individual Contractor in Sea Level Rise and Human Rights, Geneva

Result of Service

Consultant to work from 16 November to 31 March 2027, with two lump-sum payments of 13,000 USD each upon successful completion of agreed-upon deliverables. Outputs should roughly follow the timeline below (subject to revision by agreement of the parties).

• Within two weeks of contract start - inception report finalized.
• By 15 December 2026 - analytical mapping note and initial ESCR/adaptation analytical framework shared.
• By 22 January 2027 - first draft adaptation-ESCR matrix/tool structure and initial desk-based application shared for OHCHR feedback (first lump-sum payment of USD 13,000 due upon satisfactory completion).
• By 15 February 2027 - revised draft matrix/tool structure, and proposed criteria/recommendations for country testing finalized.
• By 31 March, methodology has been texted in 2–4 country contexts, selected based on the agreed criteria, preliminary country analyses have been shared and tool has been refined (second lump-sum payment of USD 13,000 due upon satisfactory completion).

4. Performance Indicators

• Tasks completed to a satisfactory standard
• High quality of drafting and other outputs
• Consultant incorporates comments and inputs in a timely manner
• Effective coordination with OHCHR and relevant stakeholders
• Bi-weekly meetings with the project leader to ensure implementation is on track and review progress

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

16 Nov-31 March 2027

Duties and Responsibilities

Sea-level rise poses serious and growing risks to the full and effective enjoyment of human rights, particularly in small island developing States, low-lying coastal States and coastal communities. Human Rights Council resolution 60/20, adopted on 7 October 2025, recognizes in particular impacts on the rights to adequate housing, safe drinking water and sanitation, food and health, calls for urgent, equitable and human rights-based adaptation responses, and requests OHCHR to strengthen support, technical assistance and capacity-building in this area.

Public budgets are a principal means through which States translate adaptation commitments into action. Climate and adaptation budget tagging can help identify and track relevant expenditure, while human rights budget tagging can complement this by assessing whether resources reach populations and areas most exposed to sea-level rise, contribute to the realization of relevant rights, and are allocated in an equitable, transparent and accountable manner. For States, this can support prioritization and evidence-based fiscal decision-making; for rights holders, civil society and national human rights institutions, it can help make expenditure more transparent and traceable, identify who benefits and who may be left behind, and strengthen participation, monitoring and accountability. The purpose of this consultancy is to develop the first phase of a practical methodology linking adaptation budget tagging with OHCHR approaches to economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) budget tagging, with a focus on the rights to water and sanitation, adequate housing, food and health in the context of sea-level rise. Further country testing and finalization may be undertaken through an extension, subject to assessment of need and the availability of funds.

The consultant shall:

1. Prepare a workplan and inception report and confirm the analytical approach, data needs and timeline.
2. Review and map selected international methodologies and national practices for climate/adaptation budget tagging, including the OECD Rio markers for climate change adaptation as relevant, with attention to expenditure addressing sea-level rise and related risks.
3. Apply existing OHCHR approaches to ESCR budget tagging to the selected rights most affected by sea-level rise, identifying practical human rights dimensions, indicators and guiding questions that can complement adaptation expenditure classifications.
4. Develop a first draft adaptation-ESCR matrix and the structure of a practical tagging/assessment tool that can be applied at programme or budget-line level.
5. Undertake a light desk-based application of the draft approach to one national budget and/or existing climate/adaptation budget-tagging system to assess feasibility with real budget data, identify methodological and data limitations, and refine the draft approach.
6. Based on the desk test and agreed upon criteria, including exposure to sea-level rise, relevance to the selected rights, data availability, existence of climate/adaptation budget-tagging systems, and potential Government interest/buy-in; as well as targeted consultations with relevant OHCHR and UN colleagues where feasible, propose 2–4 country cases for further testing.
7. Apply the tool to develop 2-4 short country analyses while also further refining the tool based on experiential learning from its use.

2. Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment

• Inception report
• Analytical mapping paper of existing adaptation/climate budget-tagging approaches
• Development of the draft adaptation–ESCR matrix and a structure of practical tagging/assessment tool;
• Desk-based application to 2-4 country cases
• Further refinement of the tool
• Report required: yes

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced degree in law, human rights, environmental studies, social or biological sciences At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in public finance, climate/adaptation finance, climate budgeting, public financial management or related areas. Demonstrated experience with climate/adaptation budget tagging, climate expenditure tracking, green budgeting or related methodologies, and experience analysing national budgets and public expenditure, are required. Knowledge of human rights-based approaches to public finance and economic, social and cultural rights is desirable. Work experience in a multilateral environment is an asset.

Languages

Fluency in English is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.