UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a connected spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.
Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data-driven including in its programme support efforts.
To these ends, UNDP is seeking to recruit a Programme Manager for Phase II of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme.
The demand for Development Minerals is increasing rapidly. This demand is driven by urbanization, infrastructure developments, clean energy production and industrialisation in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).
Development Minerals are mined, processed, manufactured and used domestically in industries such as construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture. These type of minerals have a different risk profile in contrast to the remainder of the mining sector, particularly to large-scale high-value mining. For instance, their production and use in the domestic market means that they are not subject to international commodity price fluctuations. The sector is also dominated by artisanal, small and medium scale domestic businesses, with a large proportion of informal operators.
Even though the Development Minerals sector is more employment-generating and poverty-reducing, it has a long history of policy neglect. In response to this, Phase I of the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme, implemented between 2015 and 2019, successfully brought the sector to the forefront of the development agenda. The Programme is financed by the European Commission and UNDP and is implemented by UNDP at the request of the ACP Group of States.
Based on the lessons learned from Phase I of the Programme and the consensus that emerged under the Mosi-oa-Tunya Declaration, Phase II will continue to provide training and capacity development support to Artisanal and Small-Scale Enterprises (ASMEs), their associations, the public institutions that support and regulate them and the social stakeholders impacted by minerals development. The aim is to achieve better livelihoods for ASMEs through higher employment and incomes. These objectives are met by: 1) Improving the business environment and formalising the operations of ASMEs; 2) Enhancing their entrepreneurial skills and improving access to finance, technologies and markets; 3) Strengthening social and environmental safeguards in mining and quarrying; 4) Supporting women-owned and/or women-run ASMEs; and 5) Facilitating inter-ACP knowledge exchange on Development Minerals.
The Programme contributes to the achievements of the ACP’s Framework of Action on the Development of the Mineral Resources Sector; the ACP-EU Joint Cooperation Framework for Private Sector Development; the Africa Mining Vision (AMV); the Sustainable Development Goals; the African Union’s Agenda 2063; and to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021.