Attention! Please note that this is an Online Volunteering assignment. It’s a short-term, task-based and non-contractual remote assignment; Online Volunteers are not UN Volunteers and do not receive any allowance or entitlements as part of the Online Volunteer assignment but receive a certificate of appreciation after successful completion.

The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net), hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is preparing a Regional Trialogue for Southeast Asia, tentatively planned for the first half of 2027.

The Trialogue will bring together representatives from science, policy and practice communities from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam to explore how biodiversity knowledge can support practical action and implementation.

The Trialogue will be informed primarily by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Nexus Assessment and supported by insights from the Business and Biodiversity Assessment and the Transformative Change Assessment.

To support this process, BES-Net is seeking online volunteers from each participating country. Their contributions will help ensure that Trialogue discussions are grounded in country realities, informed by existing initiatives and aligned with national biodiversity and sustainable development priorities.

We are seeking 12 motivated Online Volunteers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam to support preparatory research and information gathering for the Southeast Asia Regional Trialogue.

Duration: 12 weeks
For how many hours per week will the volunteer be required? 11 – 15 hours per week

Job responsibilities

Online Volunteers will work closely with the BES-Net team to collect, synthesize and organize country-level information that will feed into the Trialogue knowledge package, background materials, factsheets, case studies and participant preparation resources.

• Conduct a targeted review of national biodiversity and sustainable development priorities, including National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), latest National Reports submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other relevant policies and initiatives.
• Identify and summarize country-relevant examples related to ecosystem restoration, biodiversity finance, sustainable production systems, community stewardship and other integrated biodiversity and sustainable development responses.
• Map key stakeholders, including government institutions, research organizations, civil society organizations, private-sector actors, financial institutions and other relevant partners.
• Compile information on economic sectors particularly relevant to biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainable development in the country (e.g. agriculture, fisheries, tourism, manufacturing or finance).
• Identify key implementation challenges, barriers and opportunities related to implementation of biodiversity, climate and sustainable development priorities.
• Support identification of country-specific “bright spots”, case studies and examples of business, finance, community-led or government-led action that may inform regional exchange and learning
• Contribute relevant references, resources and contacts that can help contextualize IPBES assessment findings to national realities and priorities.

These tasks will build up to a single deliverable, a concise country summary note, following a Word document template with specific questions provided by BES-Net to each volunteer at the beginning of the assignment.

The time allocated by volunteers for the assignment tasks can be scheduled entirely flexibly, based on the availability and convenience of each volunteer, and no volunteer will be expected to follow a set daily or weekly schedule.

Job requirements

• Experience in research, policy analysis, or information gathering related to biodiversity, ecosystems, climate change, or sustainable development.
• Familiarity with national biodiversity and/or climate institutions, policies, or projects in the volunteer’s country.
• Basic knowledge of IPBES processes and assessments (or strong interest in learning).
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills.
• Ability to work independently and communicate clearly in writing.
• Required education level: Secondary education

Languages:

• English, Level: Working knowledge, Required
• Khmer, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
• Indonesian, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
• Malay, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
• Filipino, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
• Thai, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
• Vietnamese, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Area(s) of expertise: Climate change, environment, Knowledge management, research, reporting, Natural resources management