Increased public and policy interest and engagement in the G20 GLI’s work, particularly from G20 countries, through effective visual story telling.

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries to address Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD). (www.unccd.int) The G20 (or Group of Twenty) is an annual international forum for governments, including 19 industrialized countries, the European Union (EU) and the Africa Union. Together, they make up over 85 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). G20 Leaders’ Declaration in November 2020 launched a “Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats” (G20 Global Land Initiative). The purpose is to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the amount of degraded land by 2040, including through building on existing initiatives and on a voluntary basis. G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI) with oversight from UNCCD focuses on capacity building, engaging the private sector and civil society and showcasing success. The Director, under the oversight of the Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, manages the Initiative’s coordination office. GLI is looking for a skilled consultant with expertise in design and layout to assist the communications teams in developing engaging visual and multi-media communication products for its diverse audiences. The consultant is expected to conceptualize, develop and create engaging content that fosters brand awareness and drives engagement with the general public globally as well as G20 GLI’s stakeholders, potential and existing beneficiaries.

Job responsibilities

The international consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Communications Officer and in cooperation with the rest of the Communications Team.

• Study corporate and land restoration stories as well as policy and background information and translate them into accessible visual materials from targeted audiences;
• Translate technical content into accessible visual narratives for broad audiences;
• Study and conceptualize into compelling visual and graphic stories that effectively communicate the work of the Convention, its programmes, projects, stakeholders and beneficiaries;
• Support related research and administrative responsibilities, including fact-checking and verifying sources;
• In collaboration G20 GLI staff and communications team, prepare visual teasers and stories for publication on all UNCCD/G20 GLI communication channels;
• Update UNCCD/G20 GLI style guide and ensure compliance of content designed for publication;
• Provide supplementary research, communications and multimedia content production and support, as needed;
• Participate in required team meetings.

Copyright clause:

The consultant has to ensure that they have obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by UNCCD/G20 GLI in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to UNCCD/G20 GLI. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the consultant shall request the prior written permission from UNCCD/G20 GLI

Job requirements

• First level degree in design, digital arts, fine arts, new media or digital communications is required.
• Minimum 5 years of recent work experience in a fast-paced environment is required.
• Experience with branding, visual and graphic design is required.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), Hootsuite and Trello are required.
• Understanding of brand positioning is required.
• Proven experience with social media and production of multimedia content, including editing videos and podcasts is an advantage.
• Previous experience working with the UN or an international organization is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of an additional official UN language, especially Arabic, is an advantage.