MEETINGS SERVICES ASSISTANT

ECA’s mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 SDGs and Agenda 2063. The mission is guided by ECA’s five new strategic directions which are: advancing ECA’s position as a premier knowledge institution that builds on its unique position and privilege to bring global solutions to the continent’s problems and take local solutions to the continent; developing macroeconomic and structural policy options to accelerate economic diversification and job creation; designing and implementing innovative financing models for infrastructure, and for human, physical and social assets for a transforming Africa; contributing solutions to regional and transboundary challenges, with a focus on peace security and social inclusion as an important development nexus; advocating Africa’s position at the global level and developing regional responses as a contribution to global governance issues. This position is in the Publications and Conference Management Section (PCMS) within the Publications, Conference and Knowledge Management Division (PCKMD) in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The incumbent works under the general guidance of the Chief of Publication and Conference Management Section (PCMS) and the direct supervision of the Chief, Conference Management & Interpretation.

• Produces daily and weekly programme of assigned committees and meetings/conferences prepared by senior staff for distribution.

• Prepares and organizes sets of official documentation in the document booth, in the six official languages, for distribution in the conference room.

• Informs relevant offices/persons of changes in the daily programme of committees and meetings/conferences.

• Ensures the distribution of procedural notes for the chairpersons of assigned committees and meetings/conferences.

• Assists in the preparation of the preliminary list and annotation of agenda items, the list of participants, and daily material concerning the proceeding of committees and meetings/conferences.

• Undertakes research and provides reference materials for preparation of briefs, notes and statements for the chairperson of committees and meetings/conferences.

• Maintains an accurate record of speakers and/or an attendance record and coordinate with the Secretariat, verbatim reporters and delegations on their position on the list of speakers.

• Assists in the voting and election process by distributing and collecting ballots and the preparation of tabulation of voting patterns.

• Ensures that reports of committees and meetings/conferences meet the UN document standards and coordinates with the documents control office for reproduction of reports.

• Prepares floor plan of seating arrangements in accordance with meeting requirements and UN protocol.

• Prepares monthly statistics on meetings held at headquarters and offices away from headquarters.

• Prepares for committees and meetings/conferences to be held away from Headquarters, other UN Offices or Regional Commissions, coordinates with substantive offices, and prepares cost estimates.

• Drafts routine correspondence for signature.

• Makes arrangements for and coordinate video and teleconference activities at headquarters.

• Maintains filing and reference system of procedures and reference materials for committees and meetings/conferences.

• Responds to queries from delegations and the Secretariat.

• Replaces, as needed, senior staff responsible for room reservations and the electronic distribution of the daily programme of meetings.

• Provides guidance/training, as needed, to temporary assistants and junior staff.

• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.

• Prepares quotations, invoices, sales and service orders in Umoja to facilitate payments of services provided by UNCC-AA;

• Reviews and finalizes summary reports submitted for meetings to facilitate preparation of final invoices.

• Finalizes payment transactions by reviewing and closing sales and service orders issued to clients.

• Reconciles payments and closes sales and service orders.

• Generates weekly and monthly reports on financial transactions of the Section.

• Prepares budget estimates for planned events and staff costs.

• Supports supervision of catering services for events.

• Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.

• Performs other duties as required.

Professionalism: Knowledge of the Organization’s conference policies, procedures and practices. 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. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work. Able to perform analysis, modeling and interpretation of data in support of decision-making.

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.

Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

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. A staff member subject to local recruitment shall not be eligible for the allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. Internal Applicants – When completing the Candidate Profile form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience, and contact information are completed and up to date.

This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. 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.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgment within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira “Contact Us” link.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c).

Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.

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.