Environmental Law and Governance Specialist

About the role

The United Nations Environment Programme is seeking a senior specialist to lead a six‑month, part‑time consultancy focused on Uganda’s readiness for responsible investment in critical energy transition minerals. The role involves a comprehensive assessment of legal, policy and institutional frameworks and the delivery of actionable recommendations.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct a Country Readiness Assessment covering environmental legislation, mining laws, EIA systems, licensing, monitoring and institutional coordination.
• Evaluate Uganda’s alignment with the UN Secretary‑General’s Principles on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.
• Identify gaps, strengths and priority actions for responsible mining, biodiversity protection, climate mitigation, waste management and community participation.
• Lead stakeholder consultations, synthesize findings and validate outcomes.
• Prepare a detailed report with recommendations to strengthen environmental governance and enhance the UNEP CETM Policy Package.

Required profile

• Senior‑level professional with at least five years of experience in environmental law, policy analysis or related fields.
• Proven expertise in mining legislation, environmental impact assessment and sustainable resource management.
• Familiarity with the UN principles on critical energy transition minerals and experience working in Uganda or comparable contexts.
• Strong analytical, research and report‑writing abilities.

Required skills

• Environmental law analysis
• Policy and regulatory assessment
• Legal research
• Stakeholder engagement
• Technical report writing

What we offer

• Six‑month part‑time consultancy contract
• Opportunity to influence national policy on critical minerals
• Collaboration with UNEP experts and Ugandan stakeholders