Consultant for Adoption and Improvement of the Nature Positive AI Toolkit

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Social and Human Sciences

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 12-DEC-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Background

UNESCO has the mandate to promote the development of science and technology from an ethical and human rights approach. Under this framework in November 2021, UNESCO developed the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which the 193 Member States adopted by acclamation at the 41st session of its General Conference, and spearheading its implementation by the Member States through innovative tools and methodologies, such as the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) and the Ethical Impact Assessment (EIA). Through the application of these tools, UNESCO is changing the business model that drives AI, going beyond principles to develop a range of concrete and practical solutions to ensure fair, inclusive, sustainable and equitable outcomes of AI.

The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) has played a pivotal role in supporting UNESCO’s efforts to position ethics as the cornerstone of building AI governance. Through the implementation of two projects (2023 and 2024), UNESCO has facilitated a multistakeholder process of evidence gathering through national consultation and the deployment of RAM in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, and Türkiye in the first phases and in the ongoing phase in Angola, Djibouti, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Moldova, and Oman. The partnership also advances key knowledge products that will further reinforce capacity-building efforts on the ground and empower stakeholders to navigate the complex AI landscape.

Long Description

The goal of the project—Scaling Inclusive, Human Rights-Based Ethical AI Governance (2025)—which started earlier this year is to consolidate the results delivered to date, build on the achievements made, expand the reach and depth of diagnostic and policy development efforts, and deploy globally the tools, methodologies, knowledge and experiences from the recent efforts of building AI governance ecosystem. The actions will be organised around three main pillars/expected outcomes: a. empowering civil society, b. expanding and deepening engagement with countries for ethics of AI through RAMs and other tools; c. producing new knowledge on AI governance.

As the world marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, there is a heightened sense of urgency about global warming, which has morphed from a future threat into a present emergency. Acknowledging the urgency of the challenges and opportunities in the nexus of Climate, Biodiversity, and AI, UNESCO took the pioneering step of including an environmental policy chapter in The Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This set a transformative precedent for the global AI community, urging a shift to a broader vision of AI’s role—not only in reducing the environmental impact but also in actively enhancing ecosystem health and community resilience. To help countries implement the Recommendation, particularly the policy chapter on Environment and Ecosystems, UNESCO has successfully developed a Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers. The aim of this consultancy is to determine how Member States adopt and use the Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers, and to strengthen the Toolkit through targeted stakeholder engagement.

Long Description

Overview of the Functions of the Post

The Consultant will work under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences Sector (ADG/SHS) and under the direct supervision of the Head of Ethics of AI Unit at UNESCO Headquarters.

The outputs and activities the Consultant will engage in are:

Output 1 – Stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement of the Toolkit

• Develop and implement a stakeholder engagement plan, including consultations or interviews with policymakers, experts, government representatives, civil society actors, and other relevant stakeholders involved in the use of the Toolkit.
• Gather structured feedback on the clarity, usability, relevance, and practical application of the Toolkit in an actual governmental context and identify areas of improvement.
• Produce targeted recommendations to strengthen the Toolkit and ensure alignment with Member States’ needs.
• Prepare an updated version of the Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers, reflecting lessons learned from both the analysis of the adoption process and stakeholder engagement.

Output 2. Contributing to the ongoing work of the Ethics of AI Unit:

• Identify synergies between the Toolkit, the RAM, and other Ethics of AI initiatives, ensuring that environmental considerations are appropriately reflected across relevant outputs.
• Prepare communication and dissemination materials, such as talking points, presentations, social media content or blog posts, to present findings and updates.
• Participate in meetings with internal and external stakeholders to present the work and contribute to ongoing activities of the Ethics of AI Unit.

The consultant may work remotely and shall attend missions in person related to the project implementation. The exact dates are to be confirmed by the Secretariat in due course.

Deliverables and Timeframe

Deliverable 1 (15/03/26) - Government adoption overview of the Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers.

The consultant will provide a detailed, structured overview of the best practices a Member State should follow to adopt and operationalise the Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers. It includes a detailed analysis of how the Toolkit has been implemented in a government setting, including best practices on how to follow and adopt the different steps of the toolkit and its individual tools and case studies.

Deliverable 2 (15/04/26)- Updated version of the Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers.

The consultant will provide an updated version of the Nature Positive AI Toolkit for Policymakers, reflecting inputs resulting from the stakeholder engagement.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• University degree in the governance of artificial intelligence, ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence or digital technologies, law and technology, computer science, data science, computational social science, or other related fields.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of professional experience on the ethical, legal, social and governance issues of artificial intelligence and related digital technologies at the national and/or international level. A PhD can count as work experience.
• Proven experience in researching, analysing, and addressing the environmental implications of AI, particularly in its capacity to support environmental sustainability and drive positive change in addressing ecological challenges.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting policy-oriented reports, toolkits, or frameworks for policymakers and other stakeholders.
• Experience leading multi-stakeholder projects, including engagement with policymakers, international organisations, academic institutions, and civil society.

Long Description

Skills and competencies

• Very good understanding of artificial intelligence's ethical, legal, social and governance issues and related digital technologies.
• Excellent knowledge of other global efforts and institutional leaderships that address the mitigation of the negative impact of digital technologies on the environment and the alignment of these to the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Excellent knowledge about the dynamics of governance of AI, including policies, legislative and regulatory frameworks, institutional mechanisms, organisational structures and processes, and initiatives by different stakeholders in this field. This includes broad familiarity with UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology, as well as the ability to translate lessons learned and good practices into practical guidance for policymakers.
• Proven ability to conduct high-quality policy research, synthesise complex information, and produce clear, concise, and impactful reports or toolkits.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple interrelated deliverables within tight deadlines.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (spoken and written) of English.  

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (PhD) in the governance of artificial intelligence, ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence or digital technologies, law and technology, computer science, data science, computational social science, or other related fields.

Work Experience

• Experience conducting research and analysis and/or implementing programmes/projects on the ethical, legal, social and governance issues of artificial intelligence and related digital technologies is strongly desirable.
• Experience in producing policy-oriented reports, toolkits, or recommendations is strongly desirable.

Languages

Knowledge of another UNESCO official language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, or Chinese).

APPLICATION PROCESS

An up-to-date CV must be submitted instead of the Employment History form (Word file) to the “My Employment History Form / My Documents” section of the online application. The candidate must add the following elements at the end of the file, each one in a separate page:

• A one-page statement laying out how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment and explaining how they would approach the work.
• The financial proposal should indicate the consultant’s salary expectations in US dollars, quoted on a deliverable basis for the period of the assignment.

Only applications with the above-requested information can be considered.

Please note that the consultant's salary expectations must be expressed in gross amounts. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties in accordance with local laws. UNESCO will not reimburse any taxes, duties or other contributions for which the Individual Specialist may be liable in respect of any payments made to him/her under the terms of this contract.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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