Associate Legal Officer (Temporary Job Opening)

The Associate Legal Officer will conduct legal research and analysis on international trade law and related issues, assist in preparing legal opinions and reports, coordinate cross-divisional research, and support legal technical assistance programmes within UNCTAD. The role involves interpreting legislation, treaties, and trade policies, with a focus on implications for developing countries.

Responsibilities

• Conducts legal research on a diverse range of assigned issues in international trade law and other area(s) of specialization using multiple research sources; selects relevant material, analyzes information and presents findings for internal review.
• Assists in the analysis and interprets primary and secondary legislation, policy instruments, and international treaties, mostly related to trade, to identify ramifications for global economy.
• Collates national level trade policy changes to maintain database of trade tariffs and non-tariff-measures.
• Contributes producing to legal analysis and assists in the preparation of drafts of background papers, studies, reports, etc, on trade and development issues and on the implications of trade policy change around the globe and their potential effects in developing countries, particularly Least Developed Countries, Small Islands Development States and Landlocked Developing Countries.
• Assist in the coordination of cross-Divisional research.
• Assists in the preparation of legal opinions/advice on a wide range of international public and private law issues, including the United Nations Charter, General Assembly resolutions and decisions involving, inter alia, issues relating to privileges and immunities, peace and security, institutional questions, treaty law and practice, procedural issues arising during meetings of United Nations organs, constitutional and administrative law of the Organization.
• Assists in administering programmes of legal technical assistance.
• Assists in servicing conferences, commissions, committees, task forces and other bodies, including preparation of background materials, summaries of issues and views of delegations, etc.
• Contributes to the collection and analysis of data as well as identification of trends or patterns and provides draft insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in international law is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.
• A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in trade law, including legal analysis, research and writing is required.
• Experience working on investment and trade policy issues, particularly on tariffs and non-tariff measures is desirable.
• 1 year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
• Experience working on issues related to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is desirable.
• Experience working on gender and development issues is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level III proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• French is desirable at UN Level I proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• International Trade Law
• Legal Research
• Legal Analysis
• Legal Writing
• Trade Policy Analysis
• Investment Law
• Tariff Analysis
• Non-Tariff Measures
• General Agreement on Trade in Services
• Data Analytics
• Business Analytics
• Data Science
• Legal Opinion Preparation
• Cross-divisional coordination
• Legal Technical Assistance
• Interpretation of Legislation
• Treaty Interpretation
• Trade Policy Interpretation

Languages

English, French