Meetings Services Assistant (Temporary) [Temporary]

The post is located in the New York Liaison Office (NYLO), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Representative, UNODC Liaison Office in New York, with the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (Ad hoc committee) as an additional supervisor (also based in New York), and the Chief, Conference Support Section (CSS), Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch (OCB), Division for Treaty Affairs (DTA) of UNODC as second reporting officer (based in Vienna).

For more information on UNODC, please visit: www.unodc.org

Responsibilities

Within assigned authority, the Meeting Services Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Assist with the planning and servicing of the open-ended ad hoc intergovernmental committee on negotiation of a cybercrime convention established by the GA through its resolution 74/247 entitled Countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes;
• Coordinate and conduct procedural and organizational arrangements for the formal and informal meetings of the Committee;
• Liaise with the Conference Management Service regarding rooms, interpretation and documentations resources and prepare meeting requests in the gMeets application;
• Coordinate and monitor the submission of documentation forecasts as well as of pre-, in- and post-session documentation in the gDocs application, using appropriate templates and observing deadlines; advise submitting officers on submission requirements and policies, guidelines, rules and regulations relating to the control and limitation of documentation; respond to queries from submitting officers concerning the status of documentation submitted for processing; refer queries to the appropriate parties as necessary; negotiate new deadlines if required.
• Ensure that reports of meetings/conferences meet the United Nations document standards and coordinate with the Documents Control office for reproduction of reports;
• Format and process the documents related to the work of the Committee;
• Prepare outgoing texts (official communications), e.g. invitations to the meetings of the Committee, notes verbales for submission to the Translation and Text Processing Units by checking accuracy of information, reference material, style and for adherence to established formal standards, by verifying resolutions, quotations etc. and by providing basic reference assistance as necessary;
• Track the workflow, process schedules and monitor the progress of work and deadlines for submission/submitted documents/communications and follow up with Substantive Officers as needed; Transmit corrections made by Sections/submitting officers to texts in process;
• Arrange for meetings of and provide administrative support to the Chair and officers the Committee;
• Coordinate and conduct registration of the meeting participants and relevant work;
• Support visa applications of meeting participants;
• Support travel arrangements of participants sponsored by the UN;
• Support travel arrangements of the Secretariat staff in relation to the work of the Committee;
• Maintain/update the lists of invitees, forms and databases required for processing correspondence, ensuring the information is up to date. Liaise with the Correspondence Team for processing and distributing communications. Provide reference assistance and maintain reference databases and collections of documents and other materials (list of participants, etc.);
• Direct inquiries on the intergovernmental process on cybercrime to responsible officers, as appropriate;
• Maintain and update the UNODC webpages on cybercrime;
• Serve as focal point for administrative coordination of the work of the Committee, involving extensive liaison with diverse organizational units to initiate requests, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow-up on administrative actions, travel arrangements and procurement of equipment and services but also authorization of payments, disbursement of funds etc.;
• Perform general office support functions, as required. Perform other related work as requested by the UNODC Representative in New York or other senior officer; cover for other General Service staff functions on ad hoc basis.

Competencies

Professionalism: Has knowledge of the Organization’s conference and programme policies, procedures and practices. Has the ability to research, select, organize and summarize information required for the preparation of meetings. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Job – Specific Qualification

Passing the Global General Service Test (GGST) is a prerequisite for recruitment consideration in the General Services and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat. Applicants who have not passed the GGST at the time of application may be invited for the test after submitting an application.

The GGST is a proctored entry-level examination at the duty station. Any travel expenses incurred in order to take the examination are the responsibility of the candidate and will not be reimbursed by the Organization.

Having passed the Administrative Support Assessment Test [in English] at the United Nations headquarters, Economic Commission for Africa, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, International criminal tribunal for Rwanda or International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia may be accepted in lieu of the GGST.

Work Experience

Seven years of experience in conference support and general office support or related area is required.

Experience using an ERP system is required.

Experience with an SAP system (Umoja) is desirable.

Work experience related to intergovernmental meetings, including with the Meetings Scheduling and Resource Allocation System (gMeets) and documents management system such as Documents, Conference and Production Management System (DCPMS), is desirable.

Work experience in an international organization and/or the United Nations System is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Fluency in another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This temporary position is expected to be available until 31 December 2021. Filling of this temporary vacancy and actual duration is subject to availability of the post and funding.

This position is temporarily available. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. All staff in the General Service and related categories shall be recruited in the country or within commuting distance of each office, irrespective of their nationality and of the length of time they may have been in the country. Non-local candidates will be considered only when no suitable candidate from the duty station is identified and will be subject to local recruitment. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.