UNFCCC 2025 SIDS and LDC Capacity Fellowship | Fully funded

Are you a professional in your mid-career from one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) or Small Island Developing States (SIDS)?  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is hosting the SIDS and LDC Capacity Fellowship Program, which is open to professionals in government positions in SIDS and LDCs.

The Program offers fellows the chance to work in Bonn, Germany, for up to two years with assistance from Portugal and Italy. Participants will receive excellent mentoring while gaining firsthand experience in institutional capacity building, climate policy implementation, and multilateral processes. The UNFCCC Secretariat’s Transparency, Means of Implementation, and Adaptation divisions are among the important areas where fellows will work.

 UNFCCC secretariat offers three CAPACITY Fellowship vacancies in the following divisions:

• CAPACITY Fellowship in the Transperancy Division
• CAPACITY Fellowship in the Means of Implementation Division
•  Fellowship in the Adaptation Division

Key Objectives:

• Assist developing nations in putting the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, and UNFCCC into effect.
• Encourage both bilateral and multilateral climate cooperation.
• To improve their involvement in global climate governance, developing nations should fortify their institutions.

Key Details

• Application Deadline: 23 March 2025
• Fellowship Duration: 1 year (up to 2 years)
• Funding Type: Fully funded
• Host Institution: UNFCCC Secretariat (UN Climate Change)
• Eligible Countries: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
• Gender Eligible: Male or Female
• Target Audience: Professionals in their mid-careers employed by the government in SIDS and LDCs
• Focus Areas: Transparency, adaptation, implementation, climate policy, and climate governance.
• There are three job openings.
• English is the program language; Germany (Bonn) is the host nation.

Benefits and Financial Aids

The fellowship program offers the following benefits:

• stipend of EUR 4,500 per month, which includes allowances.
• Travel to and from Bonn, Germany, is fully supported.
• Practical experience in the Secretariat of the UNFCCC.
• Exposure to international climate talks within the parameters of the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement.
• Possibilities to interact with global organizations, climate specialists, and influential policymakers.
• Professional growth via specialized instruction and guidance.
• Utilizing learned lessons to strengthen institutional capacity in home nations.
• Networking possibilities with climate-related organizations and specialists.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

✔ Education:

• Master’s degree (or its equivalent) in international relations, development studies, engineering, economics, environmental science, or a related discipline.
• In lieu of a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree plus two more years of relevant experience may be accepted.

✔ Experience:

• Three years or more of professional experience in research, adaptation, mitigation, reporting, or policy related to climate change.
• It is preferred to have prior experience with knowledge management, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement.
• Advantageous to be familiar with UN procedures and multinational climate negotiations.

✔ Language Skills:

• Proficiency in both written and spoken English is necessary.
• Proficiency in a different UN official language is preferred.

✔ Other Requirements:

1. Must be currently employed in a government agency, educational institution, or research organization.
2. Be a national of an eligible Lusophone SIDS or LDC country.
3. 40 years at the time of application, at most.
4. Commitment to use the knowledge gained when returning home following the fellowship.
5. Permission from the employer to take time off during the fellowship and a formal declaration attesting to the incorporation of new information into national climate policies.

Selection Process

Selection Process details are as follows:

 1: Technical Assessment: Candidates who make the short list may have their technical and professional knowledge assessed.
2: Interview: To evaluate their abilities and fit for the fellowship, selected applicants will be asked to participate in a final interview.
 3: Employer Approval: Candidates that are chosen must send in:

• Permission from the employer to take time off during the fellowship.
• It is necessary to have a commitment letter attesting to reintegration into the home institution for a minimum of six months after the fellowship.
• The employer’s statement attests to the fellowship’s applicability to national climate policies.

Note: Employer approval documents will be requested later in the selection process but are not necessary at the application stage.

How to Apply the SIDS and LDC Capacity Fellowship?

• Step 1: To access the application form, go to the UNFCCC vacancies portal by clicking the link below.
•  2: Get all necessary documents ready and upload them.
• 3: Submit your application by March 23, 2025.
•  4: Notification of an interview will be sent to the shortlisted applicants.

                      Apply Now Via the UNFCCC Vacancies Portal

For inquiries, contact info@unfccc.int or visit the official UNFCC website.

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