Appointment of Secretary General

We all interact with and depend on wetlands for our livelihoods, sustenance and well-being.

Wetlands, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, peatlands, mangroves and coral reefs provide essential ecosystem services and contributions to people’s livelihoods. Wetlands act as a source and purifier of water, they protect us from floods, droughts and other disasters, they provide food and livelihoods to millions of people, they support rich biodiversity, and they store more carbon than any other ecosystem. Yet, the value of wetlands remains largely unrecognized by policy and decision-makers. The result is that 35% of wetlands, where data is available, have been lost since 1970, at a rate three times greater than that of forests.

The Convention on Wetlands is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.  The Convention has been entered into by 172 Contracting Parties, with over 2,400 designated wetlands of international importance covering an area equivalent to the tenth largest country in the world.

The Convention’s mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.

The Secretary General works under the direction of the Conference of the Parties and is responsible for the leadership of the Secretariat and in the delivery of the Convention’s mandate. The principal responsibilities of the Secretary General are to:

• Lead the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands with purpose and vision for effective programmes and policies.
• Drive the collaborative implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Convention.
• Represent the Convention in international fora, acting as the Convention’s principal spokesperson and mobilising resources.

You will be a proven senior leader with experience in international policy dialogue with significant experience in intergovernmental negotiations, advocacy and alliance building. You will have proven diplomatic skills and will be a successful negotiator able to build harmonious and productive relationships with a variety of stakeholders in the best interest of the Convention. You will be an inspiring leader with extensive experience in empowering, developing, and retaining highly performing teams. You will bring a deep and demonstrable commitment to the sustainable development goals and to the preservation of wetlands with experience in nature conservation and/or sustainable use issues.

To apply please submit a CV and a covering letter, detailing how you fulfil the role description and personal specification on https://hrms.iucn.org/vacancy/5961. The deadline is 9am CEST Monday 16th May 2022.

The role is based in Gland, Switzerland and the salary is commensurate with the seniority of the role.

The Secretariat has its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland and shares the premises with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which provides the Secretariat its legal status and specific administrative services. Secretariat staff are IUCN employees, and their contracts are governed by IUCN HR policies and conditions of service. IUCN does not have the status of an intergovernmental organization under a host country agreement in Switzerland, consequently Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands staff members are subject to Swiss laws and do not have diplomatic immunity or international civil servant status.